James Lamsdell, PhD
@fossildetective.bsky.social
Palaeobiologist, Associate Professor at West Virginia University • Arthropod paleobiology, phylogenetic paleoecology • An Englishman in America
Formerly: AMNH, Yale, U of Kansas, U of Bristol, U of Birmingham
Opinions my own (he/him)
jameslamsdell.com
Formerly: AMNH, Yale, U of Kansas, U of Bristol, U of Birmingham
Opinions my own (he/him)
jameslamsdell.com
Pinned
Codex Eurypterida: A Revised Taxonomy Based on Concordant Parsimony and Bayesian Phylogenetic Analyses
Eurypterids, also known as sea scorpions, were aquatic chelicerate arthropods that were important components of Paleozoic marine and freshwater ecosystems from the Ordovician to the Permian. The group...
doi.org
It's finally out! 200 years since the description of Eurypterus remipes, the first eurypterid named in the scientific literature, I present a summary of the history of eurypterid research and an updated taxonomy of every known species.🧪⚒️
doi.org/10.1206/0003...
doi.org/10.1206/0003...
I have terrible friends who send me horrible things.
February 4, 2026 at 7:24 PM
I have terrible friends who send me horrible things.
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
New paper with @peterjwagner3.bsky.social, @wrightam.bsky.social, Jen Bauer, and Maggie Limbeck!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Exploring rates of change and modes of evolution in blastozoan echinoderms | Paleobiology | Cambridge Core
Exploring rates of change and modes of evolution in blastozoan echinoderms
www.cambridge.org
February 2, 2026 at 3:17 PM
New paper with @peterjwagner3.bsky.social, @wrightam.bsky.social, Jen Bauer, and Maggie Limbeck!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
TLDR; it is too early to stop doing taxonomic & natural history work and exclusively do meta-analysis; our existing datasets are highly structured & biology is weird. we shouldn't assume we already know enough to extrapolate a species' needs for conservation- we still need taxonomy & autecology
February 1, 2026 at 4:22 PM
TLDR; it is too early to stop doing taxonomic & natural history work and exclusively do meta-analysis; our existing datasets are highly structured & biology is weird. we shouldn't assume we already know enough to extrapolate a species' needs for conservation- we still need taxonomy & autecology
Brendan gives a great summary of our latest paper.
New paper out:
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
with @fossildetective.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Curtis Congreve & @jonhendricks.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🦑⚒️
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
with @fossildetective.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Curtis Congreve & @jonhendricks.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🦑⚒️
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation - npj Biodiversity
npj Biodiversity - The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
www.nature.com
February 1, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Brendan gives a great summary of our latest paper.
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
"Therefore, we caution against considering our present understanding of organismal natural history and taxonomic sampling sufficiently complete to focus research support *sole*ly on meta-analyses" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_(f...
Sole (fish) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
February 1, 2026 at 3:45 PM
"Therefore, we caution against considering our present understanding of organismal natural history and taxonomic sampling sufficiently complete to focus research support *sole*ly on meta-analyses" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_(f...
Excited to present the flounder effect - how our biases in sampling and worker effort impact our view of organisms.
A long term collaboration with @fossilsndcoffee.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Jon Hendricks, and Curtis Congreve!
#FossilFriday ⚒️🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
A long term collaboration with @fossilsndcoffee.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Jon Hendricks, and Curtis Congreve!
#FossilFriday ⚒️🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation - npj Biodiversity
npj Biodiversity - The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
www.nature.com
February 1, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Excited to present the flounder effect - how our biases in sampling and worker effort impact our view of organisms.
A long term collaboration with @fossilsndcoffee.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Jon Hendricks, and Curtis Congreve!
#FossilFriday ⚒️🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
A long term collaboration with @fossilsndcoffee.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Jon Hendricks, and Curtis Congreve!
#FossilFriday ⚒️🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Real sentence from a conversation with my 90 year old grandmother.
January 2, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Real sentence from a conversation with my 90 year old grandmother.
Pinball* wizard.
*2p slots
*2p slots
December 31, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Pinball* wizard.
*2p slots
*2p slots
Can now share thr latest bit of art I've been working on for my sister in law, one of their family cats.
December 25, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Can now share thr latest bit of art I've been working on for my sister in law, one of their family cats.
The Mesozoic mammal Sinodelphys, discovered in China and photographed at the Carnegie Museum, for #FossilFriday. Originally described as a marsupial but now thought to be an early placenta mammal, in my considered opinion this is clearly a creachure. 🧪⚒️
December 12, 2025 at 2:34 PM
The Mesozoic mammal Sinodelphys, discovered in China and photographed at the Carnegie Museum, for #FossilFriday. Originally described as a marsupial but now thought to be an early placenta mammal, in my considered opinion this is clearly a creachure. 🧪⚒️
Bug and I got upgraded.
December 11, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Bug and I got upgraded.
Lol no
IN DEPTH | If you could speak to your dead grandmother forever, would you?
If you could speak to your dead grandmother forever, would you?
www.independent.co.uk
December 11, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Lol no
Just got notification that a video I was interviewed for on Paleozoic lagerstatten is out, also featuring numerous excellent people including Brenda Hunda, Nigel Hughes, and Derek Briggs.
(I did not know about the unfortunate use of AI generated "animals", I'm sorry T_T)
youtu.be/DJOm5PQnhN8?...
(I did not know about the unfortunate use of AI generated "animals", I'm sorry T_T)
youtu.be/DJOm5PQnhN8?...
The Amazing World of Fossils: Decoding Early Life
YouTube video by Ambrose-Meyer Entertainment & Educational Channel
youtu.be
December 10, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Just got notification that a video I was interviewed for on Paleozoic lagerstatten is out, also featuring numerous excellent people including Brenda Hunda, Nigel Hughes, and Derek Briggs.
(I did not know about the unfortunate use of AI generated "animals", I'm sorry T_T)
youtu.be/DJOm5PQnhN8?...
(I did not know about the unfortunate use of AI generated "animals", I'm sorry T_T)
youtu.be/DJOm5PQnhN8?...
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
Day 7 #artAdventCalendar my #linocut horseshoe crab (Tachypeus gigas) in grey, blue-bronze and dark brown on 8” x 8” cream-coloured Japanese paper with bark inclusions. 🧪🐡 They get their name from their horseshoe like shape but they are not crabs; they are chelicerates, more closely related to 🧵
December 7, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Day 7 #artAdventCalendar my #linocut horseshoe crab (Tachypeus gigas) in grey, blue-bronze and dark brown on 8” x 8” cream-coloured Japanese paper with bark inclusions. 🧪🐡 They get their name from their horseshoe like shape but they are not crabs; they are chelicerates, more closely related to 🧵
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
Happy #fossilfriday everyone,
Enjoy a feel good story about one of the Museum of the Earth's high school supporters!
Thanks to big giving Tuesday support, PRI is now within ~400,000 of its end of year goal of ~4 million for the mortgage+ops. We can #SavePRI !🧪⚒️🦣🐚
www.localsyr.com/news/local-n...
Enjoy a feel good story about one of the Museum of the Earth's high school supporters!
Thanks to big giving Tuesday support, PRI is now within ~400,000 of its end of year goal of ~4 million for the mortgage+ops. We can #SavePRI !🧪⚒️🦣🐚
www.localsyr.com/news/local-n...
www.localsyr.com
December 5, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Happy #fossilfriday everyone,
Enjoy a feel good story about one of the Museum of the Earth's high school supporters!
Thanks to big giving Tuesday support, PRI is now within ~400,000 of its end of year goal of ~4 million for the mortgage+ops. We can #SavePRI !🧪⚒️🦣🐚
www.localsyr.com/news/local-n...
Enjoy a feel good story about one of the Museum of the Earth's high school supporters!
Thanks to big giving Tuesday support, PRI is now within ~400,000 of its end of year goal of ~4 million for the mortgage+ops. We can #SavePRI !🧪⚒️🦣🐚
www.localsyr.com/news/local-n...
One of the earliest large predatory eurypterids, Megalograptus, for #FossilFriday. Megalograptus is known from abundant - and very unusual - material from the Ordovician of #Ohio, affording an important insight into the morphology of this rather bizarre species. ⚒️🧪
December 5, 2025 at 11:07 PM
One of the earliest large predatory eurypterids, Megalograptus, for #FossilFriday. Megalograptus is known from abundant - and very unusual - material from the Ordovician of #Ohio, affording an important insight into the morphology of this rather bizarre species. ⚒️🧪
Fun to see what I've been listening to over the course of what has been, in all honesty, an absolutely terrible year.
December 3, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Fun to see what I've been listening to over the course of what has been, in all honesty, an absolutely terrible year.
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
Today I’m joining the #GivingTuesday challenge to save the Museum of the Earth. As a Board of Trustee emeritus member, I see first-hand the Museum's impact on educating our community and the world about climate change, biodiversity, and our home planet. Please donate at priweb.org/support.
Save the Museum of the Earth and PRI – Secure Its Future!
In these challenging times, places like the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) stand as beacons of hope, fostering understanding of the natural world and inspiring action for a sustainable fut...
priweb.org
December 2, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Today I’m joining the #GivingTuesday challenge to save the Museum of the Earth. As a Board of Trustee emeritus member, I see first-hand the Museum's impact on educating our community and the world about climate change, biodiversity, and our home planet. Please donate at priweb.org/support.
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
Now, that could prove useful 🧪
Out late for #FossilFriday, it's our invited @annualreviews.bsky.social paper with @sarahlsheffield.bsky.social and @bigfacecats.bsky.social on why Phylogenetic Paleoecology is useful and how to do it.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
A Practical Guide to Phylogenetic Paleoecology
The burgeoning field of phylogenetic paleoecology combines paleoecological data with hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships to tease apart the roles that ecology and relatedness both play in the evo...
doi.org
December 1, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Now, that could prove useful 🧪
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
A great overview on benefits, pitfalls, and limitations.
Out late for #FossilFriday, it's our invited @annualreviews.bsky.social paper with @sarahlsheffield.bsky.social and @bigfacecats.bsky.social on why Phylogenetic Paleoecology is useful and how to do it.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
A Practical Guide to Phylogenetic Paleoecology
The burgeoning field of phylogenetic paleoecology combines paleoecological data with hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships to tease apart the roles that ecology and relatedness both play in the evo...
doi.org
December 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM
A great overview on benefits, pitfalls, and limitations.
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
Out late for #FossilFriday, it's our invited @annualreviews.bsky.social paper with @sarahlsheffield.bsky.social and @bigfacecats.bsky.social on why Phylogenetic Paleoecology is useful and how to do it.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
A Practical Guide to Phylogenetic Paleoecology
The burgeoning field of phylogenetic paleoecology combines paleoecological data with hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships to tease apart the roles that ecology and relatedness both play in the evo...
doi.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Out late for #FossilFriday, it's our invited @annualreviews.bsky.social paper with @sarahlsheffield.bsky.social and @bigfacecats.bsky.social on why Phylogenetic Paleoecology is useful and how to do it.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
Out late for #FossilFriday, it's our invited @annualreviews.bsky.social paper with @sarahlsheffield.bsky.social and @bigfacecats.bsky.social on why Phylogenetic Paleoecology is useful and how to do it.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
A Practical Guide to Phylogenetic Paleoecology
The burgeoning field of phylogenetic paleoecology combines paleoecological data with hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships to tease apart the roles that ecology and relatedness both play in the evo...
doi.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Out late for #FossilFriday, it's our invited @annualreviews.bsky.social paper with @sarahlsheffield.bsky.social and @bigfacecats.bsky.social on why Phylogenetic Paleoecology is useful and how to do it.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
Always enjoy running into Kjellesvig-Waering's notes in collections. #FossilFriday
November 21, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Always enjoy running into Kjellesvig-Waering's notes in collections. #FossilFriday
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
