Dax Kellie
@daxkellie.bsky.social
Data Analyst & Science Lead at the Atlas of Living Australia | Evolutionary biologist & social psychologist (PhD) 🧪 | #rstats 📊 | Music enthusiast 🎵
www.daxkellie.com
Opinions are my own, and they do not express those of my employer
www.daxkellie.com
Opinions are my own, and they do not express those of my employer
Pinned
Dax Kellie
@daxkellie.bsky.social
· Sep 2
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Wow, this is spectacular! Evolution of beak size in an urban population of juncos in response to the loss of supplementary food (bird feeders) during the COVID pandemic, and subsequent regression. Is the UCLA campus the new Daphne Major?
pnas.org/doi/full/10....
pnas.org/doi/full/10....
January 28, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Wow, this is spectacular! Evolution of beak size in an urban population of juncos in response to the loss of supplementary food (bird feeders) during the COVID pandemic, and subsequent regression. Is the UCLA campus the new Daphne Major?
pnas.org/doi/full/10....
pnas.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Dax Kellie
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
The Age of Academic Slop is Upon Us
what happens when AI automates "normal science"?
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:38 PM
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Populations of endangered animals on an island have increased by 90-100% in five years, after effectively controlling non-native predators.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
'Predator-free' fence project praised for restoring Kangaroo Island's native wildlife
Five years after feral cats were removed from inside the Western River Refuge on Kangaroo Island, populations of endangered species have boomed.
www.abc.net.au
January 10, 2026 at 11:19 PM
Populations of endangered animals on an island have increased by 90-100% in five years, after effectively controlling non-native predators.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
I listened to 171 albums in 2025 apparently. These were my favourites 💿🎶🤘
December 31, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I listened to 171 albums in 2025 apparently. These were my favourites 💿🎶🤘
What a massive loss for science in Australia. Emma was a force, and responsible for many of my friends’ careers in biology. Very sad news, my condolences to her friends and family
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
Family, colleagues in 'disbelief' after leading scientist dies aged 52
University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Emma Johnston has died from complications associated with cancer, aged 52.
www.abc.net.au
December 30, 2025 at 2:43 AM
What a massive loss for science in Australia. Emma was a force, and responsible for many of my friends’ careers in biology. Very sad news, my condolences to her friends and family
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
It's December!🎄 But where are all the Christmas beetles? 😕🪲
Share any Christmas beetle observations with @inaturalist.bsky.social to help figure out why they seem to have disappeared. Even if you're unsure, mis-ID'd observations are valuable too!
www.inaturalist.org/projects/chr...
🧪🌏📊 #rstats
Share any Christmas beetle observations with @inaturalist.bsky.social to help figure out why they seem to have disappeared. Even if you're unsure, mis-ID'd observations are valuable too!
www.inaturalist.org/projects/chr...
🧪🌏📊 #rstats
December 19, 2025 at 1:16 AM
It's December!🎄 But where are all the Christmas beetles? 😕🪲
Share any Christmas beetle observations with @inaturalist.bsky.social to help figure out why they seem to have disappeared. Even if you're unsure, mis-ID'd observations are valuable too!
www.inaturalist.org/projects/chr...
🧪🌏📊 #rstats
Share any Christmas beetle observations with @inaturalist.bsky.social to help figure out why they seem to have disappeared. Even if you're unsure, mis-ID'd observations are valuable too!
www.inaturalist.org/projects/chr...
🧪🌏📊 #rstats
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Killer whales or orca have been observed hunting with Pacific white-sided dolphins in the waters off British Columbia, Canada, and sharing fish scraps with them after making a kill, according to research in Scientific Reports. go.nature.com/4rZ08RJ 🧪
December 13, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Killer whales or orca have been observed hunting with Pacific white-sided dolphins in the waters off British Columbia, Canada, and sharing fish scraps with them after making a kill, according to research in Scientific Reports. go.nature.com/4rZ08RJ 🧪
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Big new blogpost!
My guide to data visualization, which includes a very long table of contents, tons of charts, and more.
--> Why data visualization matters and how to make charts more effective, clear, transparent, and sometimes, beautiful.
www.scientificdiscovery.dev/p/salonis-gu...
My guide to data visualization, which includes a very long table of contents, tons of charts, and more.
--> Why data visualization matters and how to make charts more effective, clear, transparent, and sometimes, beautiful.
www.scientificdiscovery.dev/p/salonis-gu...
December 9, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Big new blogpost!
My guide to data visualization, which includes a very long table of contents, tons of charts, and more.
--> Why data visualization matters and how to make charts more effective, clear, transparent, and sometimes, beautiful.
www.scientificdiscovery.dev/p/salonis-gu...
My guide to data visualization, which includes a very long table of contents, tons of charts, and more.
--> Why data visualization matters and how to make charts more effective, clear, transparent, and sometimes, beautiful.
www.scientificdiscovery.dev/p/salonis-gu...
Reposted by Dax Kellie
New in Science, Macaques tap to the beat.
Very cool study for its main result and its null one: consistent with nearly every other comparative study of music, monkeys don't differentiate beats by their relative strength—which even young children do innately. Monkeys have rhythm but not meter!
Very cool study for its main result and its null one: consistent with nearly every other comparative study of music, monkeys don't differentiate beats by their relative strength—which even young children do innately. Monkeys have rhythm but not meter!
Monkeys have rhythm
Synchronizing movements to music is a hallmark of human culture, but its evolutionary and neurobiological origins remain unknown. This ability requires (i) extracting a steady rhythmic pulse, or beat,...
www.science.org
November 28, 2025 at 11:45 PM
New in Science, Macaques tap to the beat.
Very cool study for its main result and its null one: consistent with nearly every other comparative study of music, monkeys don't differentiate beats by their relative strength—which even young children do innately. Monkeys have rhythm but not meter!
Very cool study for its main result and its null one: consistent with nearly every other comparative study of music, monkeys don't differentiate beats by their relative strength—which even young children do innately. Monkeys have rhythm but not meter!
If you missed my talk but still want some tips for writing good code for scientists, my slides are here:
daxkellie.quarto.pub/a-guide-to-w...
All the links and references are there too in case you want to see more! 😀🧪🌏
#ESA2025 #rstats #quartopub
daxkellie.quarto.pub/a-guide-to-w...
All the links and references are there too in case you want to see more! 😀🧪🌏
#ESA2025 #rstats #quartopub
November 26, 2025 at 6:12 AM
If you missed my talk but still want some tips for writing good code for scientists, my slides are here:
daxkellie.quarto.pub/a-guide-to-w...
All the links and references are there too in case you want to see more! 😀🧪🌏
#ESA2025 #rstats #quartopub
daxkellie.quarto.pub/a-guide-to-w...
All the links and references are there too in case you want to see more! 😀🧪🌏
#ESA2025 #rstats #quartopub
We all want to write good code…but…how?
In my talk later today, I’ll give all few tips I’ve learned about good scientific code writing that have really helped me & maybe they’ll help you!
Riverbank room 8, 2:50pm #ESA2025
In my talk later today, I’ll give all few tips I’ve learned about good scientific code writing that have really helped me & maybe they’ll help you!
Riverbank room 8, 2:50pm #ESA2025
November 26, 2025 at 12:11 AM
We all want to write good code…but…how?
In my talk later today, I’ll give all few tips I’ve learned about good scientific code writing that have really helped me & maybe they’ll help you!
Riverbank room 8, 2:50pm #ESA2025
In my talk later today, I’ll give all few tips I’ve learned about good scientific code writing that have really helped me & maybe they’ll help you!
Riverbank room 8, 2:50pm #ESA2025
We’re at #ESA2025!
Come to the Atlas of Living Australia booth, located conveniently by the coffee cart!
Come grab a hex sticker and say hi to me & @shandiya.bsky.social while you’re there 😀☕️
Come to the Atlas of Living Australia booth, located conveniently by the coffee cart!
Come grab a hex sticker and say hi to me & @shandiya.bsky.social while you’re there 😀☕️
November 24, 2025 at 4:03 AM
We’re at #ESA2025!
Come to the Atlas of Living Australia booth, located conveniently by the coffee cart!
Come grab a hex sticker and say hi to me & @shandiya.bsky.social while you’re there 😀☕️
Come to the Atlas of Living Australia booth, located conveniently by the coffee cart!
Come grab a hex sticker and say hi to me & @shandiya.bsky.social while you’re there 😀☕️
@shandiya.bsky.social shows how huge data infrastructures like the ALA also show what we *don’t* know about biodiversity, but how Data Mobilisation programs & our new {galaxias} package can help people provide data to fill the gaps 👇👀
www.ala.org.au/abdmp/
galaxias.ala.org.au
🧪🌏 #ESA2025 #rstats
www.ala.org.au/abdmp/
galaxias.ala.org.au
🧪🌏 #ESA2025 #rstats
November 24, 2025 at 3:55 AM
@shandiya.bsky.social shows how huge data infrastructures like the ALA also show what we *don’t* know about biodiversity, but how Data Mobilisation programs & our new {galaxias} package can help people provide data to fill the gaps 👇👀
www.ala.org.au/abdmp/
galaxias.ala.org.au
🧪🌏 #ESA2025 #rstats
www.ala.org.au/abdmp/
galaxias.ala.org.au
🧪🌏 #ESA2025 #rstats
Reposted by Dax Kellie
For the first time, scientists have documented an unusual defense: Some species of arachnids build giant doppelgängers on their webs, creating a frightening deception that scares off would-be killers. https://scim.ag/487Myn0
November 12, 2025 at 5:08 PM
For the first time, scientists have documented an unusual defense: Some species of arachnids build giant doppelgängers on their webs, creating a frightening deception that scares off would-be killers. https://scim.ag/487Myn0
Large-eyed animals like owls 🦉 have a trade-off between large eyes & short optic nerves, which lowers eye mobility (to compensate they evolved swivelly necks)
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
The twisted secret behind a chameleon’s oddball eyes | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪
The twisted secret behind a chameleon’s oddball eyes
Coiled nerves allow the reptiles to move their peepers in multiple directions at once without moving their heads
www.science.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Large-eyed animals like owls 🦉 have a trade-off between large eyes & short optic nerves, which lowers eye mobility (to compensate they evolved swivelly necks)
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
Reposted by Dax Kellie
New #dataviz on summer heat-stress anomalies in Europe, 1950–2025. 🥵
This map shows hours with WBGT > 29.5 °C—extreme stress where work should be limited. Since 2010, positive anomalies dominate. 300h = 12.5 days of danger. It’s important to focus on the sub-daily exposure.
#rstats #climatechange
This map shows hours with WBGT > 29.5 °C—extreme stress where work should be limited. Since 2010, positive anomalies dominate. 300h = 12.5 days of danger. It’s important to focus on the sub-daily exposure.
#rstats #climatechange
November 8, 2025 at 2:13 PM
New #dataviz on summer heat-stress anomalies in Europe, 1950–2025. 🥵
This map shows hours with WBGT > 29.5 °C—extreme stress where work should be limited. Since 2010, positive anomalies dominate. 300h = 12.5 days of danger. It’s important to focus on the sub-daily exposure.
#rstats #climatechange
This map shows hours with WBGT > 29.5 °C—extreme stress where work should be limited. Since 2010, positive anomalies dominate. 300h = 12.5 days of danger. It’s important to focus on the sub-daily exposure.
#rstats #climatechange
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Spotted this beautifully hairy #owlfly (Acmonotus incusifer) this week.
One of the Split-eyed Owlflies, it seems this isn't a commonly observed species. There are only 5 observations in #inaturalist with all of those in Western Australia.
#ausinverts #Neuroptera #wildoz #insects #nature
One of the Split-eyed Owlflies, it seems this isn't a commonly observed species. There are only 5 observations in #inaturalist with all of those in Western Australia.
#ausinverts #Neuroptera #wildoz #insects #nature
November 4, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Spotted this beautifully hairy #owlfly (Acmonotus incusifer) this week.
One of the Split-eyed Owlflies, it seems this isn't a commonly observed species. There are only 5 observations in #inaturalist with all of those in Western Australia.
#ausinverts #Neuroptera #wildoz #insects #nature
One of the Split-eyed Owlflies, it seems this isn't a commonly observed species. There are only 5 observations in #inaturalist with all of those in Western Australia.
#ausinverts #Neuroptera #wildoz #insects #nature
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Heard about this at #LivingData2025, if you have biodiversity data you want to share but are not sure how, I think this will be really useful.
🚨Our new package {galaxias} is released in R & Python today! 🚨
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
October 27, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Heard about this at #LivingData2025, if you have biodiversity data you want to share but are not sure how, I think this will be really useful.
Reposted by Dax Kellie
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Everyone deserves to see this beautiful piece of science communication.
🌏🧪🪶
There are many things I love about this, but I think number one is that it features the story a little known, but amazing seabird species, the Desertas Petrel.
Everyone deserves to see this beautiful piece of science communication.
🌏🧪🪶
There are many things I love about this, but I think number one is that it features the story a little known, but amazing seabird species, the Desertas Petrel.
Bird migration is changing. What does this reveal about our planet? – visualised
Bird migrations rank as one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Thanks to GPS tracking, scientists are uncovering extraordinary insights into ancient and mysterious journeys – and new threats that are re...
www.theguardian.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:57 AM
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Everyone deserves to see this beautiful piece of science communication.
🌏🧪🪶
There are many things I love about this, but I think number one is that it features the story a little known, but amazing seabird species, the Desertas Petrel.
Everyone deserves to see this beautiful piece of science communication.
🌏🧪🪶
There are many things I love about this, but I think number one is that it features the story a little known, but amazing seabird species, the Desertas Petrel.
Reposted by Dax Kellie
(1) 🥁 Announcing the 2025 Ebbe Nielsen Challenge winners!
First place: 🥇 @rukayaj.bsky.social (@gbifnorway.bsky.social) for BDQEmail
Sharing first place: 🥇 @daxkellie.bsky.social, Amanda Buyan, @shandiya.bsky.social and @rowdynerd.bsky.social (Atlas of Living Australia) for galaxias!
First place: 🥇 @rukayaj.bsky.social (@gbifnorway.bsky.social) for BDQEmail
Sharing first place: 🥇 @daxkellie.bsky.social, Amanda Buyan, @shandiya.bsky.social and @rowdynerd.bsky.social (Atlas of Living Australia) for galaxias!
October 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM
(1) 🥁 Announcing the 2025 Ebbe Nielsen Challenge winners!
First place: 🥇 @rukayaj.bsky.social (@gbifnorway.bsky.social) for BDQEmail
Sharing first place: 🥇 @daxkellie.bsky.social, Amanda Buyan, @shandiya.bsky.social and @rowdynerd.bsky.social (Atlas of Living Australia) for galaxias!
First place: 🥇 @rukayaj.bsky.social (@gbifnorway.bsky.social) for BDQEmail
Sharing first place: 🥇 @daxkellie.bsky.social, Amanda Buyan, @shandiya.bsky.social and @rowdynerd.bsky.social (Atlas of Living Australia) for galaxias!
I’m a few episodes in and this podcast is *fantastic*
Peabody Award-winning journalist Jad Abumrad is back with a new podcast series Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, investigating the icon's creation of Afrobeats and his fight against oppression. n.pr/47wArzy
'Fela Kuti: Fear No Man' podcast explores the icon's music and activism
Peabody Award-winning journalist Jad Abumrad is back with a new podcast series Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, investigating the icon's creation of Afrobeats and his fight against oppression.
n.pr
October 23, 2025 at 9:36 PM
I’m a few episodes in and this podcast is *fantastic*
Reposted by Dax Kellie
VERY proud to release the first version of the OceanOmics per-site #eDNA reports: every site we sampled over the past 4 years, summarised and visualised. We have >5,500 samples over 950 sites, so eventually we will have 950 reports.
Features:
(Thread: 1/6)
Features:
(Thread: 1/6)
October 23, 2025 at 11:06 AM
VERY proud to release the first version of the OceanOmics per-site #eDNA reports: every site we sampled over the past 4 years, summarised and visualised. We have >5,500 samples over 950 sites, so eventually we will have 950 reports.
Features:
(Thread: 1/6)
Features:
(Thread: 1/6)
Want to see what {galaxias} can do? 🤔
Check out slides from a talk we presented on galaxias this week at the Living Data conference:
martinwestgate.com/presentation...
Or, check out this intro video about galaxias:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4-...
#rstats 🌏🧪🐟
Check out slides from a talk we presented on galaxias this week at the Living Data conference:
martinwestgate.com/presentation...
Or, check out this intro video about galaxias:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4-...
#rstats 🌏🧪🐟
October 23, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Want to see what {galaxias} can do? 🤔
Check out slides from a talk we presented on galaxias this week at the Living Data conference:
martinwestgate.com/presentation...
Or, check out this intro video about galaxias:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4-...
#rstats 🌏🧪🐟
Check out slides from a talk we presented on galaxias this week at the Living Data conference:
martinwestgate.com/presentation...
Or, check out this intro video about galaxias:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4-...
#rstats 🌏🧪🐟
🚨Our new package {galaxias} is released in R & Python today! 🚨
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
October 23, 2025 at 2:41 AM
🚨Our new package {galaxias} is released in R & Python today! 🚨
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇