Robert Sansom
@fossilrob.bsky.social
Palaeobiologist in Manchester | Fossils, Parenting, Animal Evolution, Fish, Phylogeny, Existential Despair, Taphonomy, and occasionally Eurovision
Reposted by Robert Sansom
Thanks everybody for the support over the last year! 🥳 🎉 Here are the top 8 episodes for 2025- did your favourite make the list? Details of the episode and the artists of the images are on our YouTube channel and Libsyn pages
January 13, 2026 at 11:09 AM
Thanks everybody for the support over the last year! 🥳 🎉 Here are the top 8 episodes for 2025- did your favourite make the list? Details of the episode and the artists of the images are on our YouTube channel and Libsyn pages
Reposted by Robert Sansom
🚨 New episode out today: "Back breaking and baby making, the disturbing bedroom habits of hadrosaurs",
🦕❤️🦕we take a lurid look at pathologies and behaviours of duck bill fossils. Out now on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts
🦕❤️🦕we take a lurid look at pathologies and behaviours of duck bill fossils. Out now on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts
January 13, 2026 at 11:08 AM
🚨 New episode out today: "Back breaking and baby making, the disturbing bedroom habits of hadrosaurs",
🦕❤️🦕we take a lurid look at pathologies and behaviours of duck bill fossils. Out now on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts
🦕❤️🦕we take a lurid look at pathologies and behaviours of duck bill fossils. Out now on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts
Reposted by Robert Sansom
How did dinosaurs do it? We plumb new depths for the next episode 🦕❤️🦕
January 9, 2026 at 10:50 AM
How did dinosaurs do it? We plumb new depths for the next episode 🦕❤️🦕
Reposted by Robert Sansom
🚨 Pre-announcement! 🚨
We’re hiring for 2 x two-year, full-time roles to join me and the wider @palaeoverse.bsky.social team @es-ucl.bsky.social.
- Research Software Engineer (REF: B04-06999): lnkd.in/eNRBiPnP
- Community Engagement Coordinator (REF: B04-06998): lnkd.in/ejUACCzn
We’re hiring for 2 x two-year, full-time roles to join me and the wider @palaeoverse.bsky.social team @es-ucl.bsky.social.
- Research Software Engineer (REF: B04-06999): lnkd.in/eNRBiPnP
- Community Engagement Coordinator (REF: B04-06998): lnkd.in/ejUACCzn
December 23, 2025 at 7:38 PM
🚨 Pre-announcement! 🚨
We’re hiring for 2 x two-year, full-time roles to join me and the wider @palaeoverse.bsky.social team @es-ucl.bsky.social.
- Research Software Engineer (REF: B04-06999): lnkd.in/eNRBiPnP
- Community Engagement Coordinator (REF: B04-06998): lnkd.in/ejUACCzn
We’re hiring for 2 x two-year, full-time roles to join me and the wider @palaeoverse.bsky.social team @es-ucl.bsky.social.
- Research Software Engineer (REF: B04-06999): lnkd.in/eNRBiPnP
- Community Engagement Coordinator (REF: B04-06998): lnkd.in/ejUACCzn
This student feedback has me dead. Does it mean they want more or less worms?🐛 🪱
January 8, 2026 at 5:09 PM
This student feedback has me dead. Does it mean they want more or less worms?🐛 🪱
Anomalocaris is my spirit animal
January 6, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Anomalocaris is my spirit animal
Reposted by Robert Sansom
Thanks everyone support over the last year! Here is a look back at top episodes of 2025 🥳🎉
January 6, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Thanks everyone support over the last year! Here is a look back at top episodes of 2025 🥳🎉
🪨💥🌎🦖🦕 What were dinosaurs up to before the asteroid hit? In the latest @thefossilfiles.bsky.social, @tweetisaurus.bsky.social and I sit down with @stevebrusatte.bsky.social to talk about new insights from New Mexico, out now on YouTube or where ever you get your podcasts youtu.be/l4Q6ifORvVY?...
December 16, 2025 at 12:55 PM
🪨💥🌎🦖🦕 What were dinosaurs up to before the asteroid hit? In the latest @thefossilfiles.bsky.social, @tweetisaurus.bsky.social and I sit down with @stevebrusatte.bsky.social to talk about new insights from New Mexico, out now on YouTube or where ever you get your podcasts youtu.be/l4Q6ifORvVY?...
Reposted by Robert Sansom
Rob snuck out a @thefossilfiles.bsky.social podcast on Tues and I missed it! Herein, we discuss AI and whether it is about to replace us, and I express 'scepticism' about some previous AI studies... fossils.libsyn.com You can find us here or wherever you get your podcasts 👇
The Fossil Files
In “The Fossil Files”, a pair of palaeontologists delve into the latest discoveries from the world of palaeontology and seek to bring fossils to back to life. Each episode, Susie and Rob will discuss ...
fossils.libsyn.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Rob snuck out a @thefossilfiles.bsky.social podcast on Tues and I missed it! Herein, we discuss AI and whether it is about to replace us, and I express 'scepticism' about some previous AI studies... fossils.libsyn.com You can find us here or wherever you get your podcasts 👇
Will AI replace palaeontologists? Can we use AI to find, classify, and interpret fossils? 🤖🦖🐚 New episode of @thefossilfiles.bsky.social looks at just that for #FossilFriday
December 5, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Will AI replace palaeontologists? Can we use AI to find, classify, and interpret fossils? 🤖🦖🐚 New episode of @thefossilfiles.bsky.social looks at just that for #FossilFriday
This is amazing 🥲
To mark the 85th Annual SVP Meeting 2025, we've curated a special open access collection.
Next up is jawless vertebrates: Phylogeny, classification and character polarity of the Osteostraci (Vertebrata) by Sansom (2009) buff.ly/M6bXNzx #2025SVP #PaleoSky @fossilrob.bsky.social #FossilFish #SVP2025
Next up is jawless vertebrates: Phylogeny, classification and character polarity of the Osteostraci (Vertebrata) by Sansom (2009) buff.ly/M6bXNzx #2025SVP #PaleoSky @fossilrob.bsky.social #FossilFish #SVP2025
November 15, 2025 at 2:40 PM
This is amazing 🥲
Reposted by Robert Sansom
The fossil files is at #SVP2025 to bring you all the hot gossip. First episode “Nanotyrannus and vertebrate origins” is out today with @jgn-paleo.bsky.social, @stevebrusatte.bsky.social and Yara Haridy
November 13, 2025 at 2:05 PM
The fossil files is at #SVP2025 to bring you all the hot gossip. First episode “Nanotyrannus and vertebrate origins” is out today with @jgn-paleo.bsky.social, @stevebrusatte.bsky.social and Yara Haridy
👀 one of these “Landmarks Papers in Vertebrate Palaeontology” looks familiar! #SVP2025 @systbiol.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
👀 one of these “Landmarks Papers in Vertebrate Palaeontology” looks familiar! #SVP2025 @systbiol.bsky.social
I’d prefer not to be making the final finessing touches to tomorrows talk whilst on the train to Birmingham for #SVP2025, but that is where we are
November 11, 2025 at 8:56 PM
I’d prefer not to be making the final finessing touches to tomorrows talk whilst on the train to Birmingham for #SVP2025, but that is where we are
Reposted by Robert Sansom
#Fossil Fans! A new #FossilFiles pod just dropped! It's on that super cool and exciting recent dinosaur paper in Nature!! .... Nooo... not that one... Zavacephale of course! Check out mine and @fossilrob.bsky.social's take wherever you get your podcasts: fossils.libsyn.com/a-new-head-b...
The Fossil Files: A new head banging dinosaur
A newly discovered fossil from the Cretaceous of Mongolia tells us an interesting story about the purported head butting behaviour of dinosaurs. Pachycephalosaurs are famous for their thick domed heads but it has been disputed how or when this evolved. The beautifully preserved Zavacephale rinpoche has a well preserved skull and dome but also loads of details of the body and tail as well. What is suprising is that this individual is much smaller, and occurs much earlier, than other pachycephalosaurs. We take a look at this new fossil and what this means for interpreting the evolution of dinosaur behaviour. This week's paper is "A domed pachycephalosaur from the early Cretaceous of Mongolia" by Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig and colleagues from Mongolia and North Carolina, published in Nature in September 2025. Wide screen palaeoart by Masaya Hattori.
fossils.libsyn.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
#Fossil Fans! A new #FossilFiles pod just dropped! It's on that super cool and exciting recent dinosaur paper in Nature!! .... Nooo... not that one... Zavacephale of course! Check out mine and @fossilrob.bsky.social's take wherever you get your podcasts: fossils.libsyn.com/a-new-head-b...
Reposted by Robert Sansom
How did pachycephalosaurs get their head-butting dome? In the new episode out today, we take a look at Zavacephale, a lovely new dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia
November 3, 2025 at 10:19 AM
How did pachycephalosaurs get their head-butting dome? In the new episode out today, we take a look at Zavacephale, a lovely new dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia
Reposted by Robert Sansom
Because #Halloween is for zombies and this year it falls on #FossilFriday, let's talk about fossil signs of zombification! Ophiocordyceps, the ant-zombifying fungus that inspired the last of us, compels an infected ant to leave its colony, climb a leaf and bite down, leaving distinctive marks 1/
October 31, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Because #Halloween is for zombies and this year it falls on #FossilFriday, let's talk about fossil signs of zombification! Ophiocordyceps, the ant-zombifying fungus that inspired the last of us, compels an infected ant to leave its colony, climb a leaf and bite down, leaving distinctive marks 1/
When fossil hunting is too easy: sneak preview of Tuesday’s episode @thefossilfiles.bsky.social on new pachycephalosaur Zavacephale youtube.com/shorts/qhIpd...
How to find a #dinosaur fossil #paleontology #podcast
YouTube video by The Fossil Files Podcast
youtube.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:52 AM
When fossil hunting is too easy: sneak preview of Tuesday’s episode @thefossilfiles.bsky.social on new pachycephalosaur Zavacephale youtube.com/shorts/qhIpd...
If you can’t beat them join them. My demon hunters inspired pumpkin for this year
October 31, 2025 at 11:46 AM
If you can’t beat them join them. My demon hunters inspired pumpkin for this year
Well that is an alarming email to start one’s day.
🐿️ Half?!?!?!
🐿️ Half?!?!?!
October 25, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Well that is an alarming email to start one’s day.
🐿️ Half?!?!?!
🐿️ Half?!?!?!
How much work can get done when pre-teen girls are downstairs dancing to K-POP demon hunters soda pop AGAIN #InsetDay
a screenshot of a game called soda pop with a green background .
ALT: a screenshot of a game called soda pop with a green background .
media.tenor.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:16 AM
How much work can get done when pre-teen girls are downstairs dancing to K-POP demon hunters soda pop AGAIN #InsetDay
Reposted by Robert Sansom
Not only can a nasty fungus take over an ant or spider's brain causing behaviour changes before it explodes as spores out of the animal's head 🐜 🍄, but it seems this nightmarish behaviour can be captured in the fossil record.
New episode: "Cretaceous Zombie Ants" new episode out today!
New episode: "Cretaceous Zombie Ants" new episode out today!
October 21, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Not only can a nasty fungus take over an ant or spider's brain causing behaviour changes before it explodes as spores out of the animal's head 🐜 🍄, but it seems this nightmarish behaviour can be captured in the fossil record.
New episode: "Cretaceous Zombie Ants" new episode out today!
New episode: "Cretaceous Zombie Ants" new episode out today!