Matt Friedman
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friedmanlab.bsky.social
Matt Friedman
@friedmanlab.bsky.social
Vertebrate evolutionary biologist | Professor University of Michigan | Director & Curator UMMP | he/him/his
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Can you teach human anatomy - or know someone who can? CWRU is recruiting, and it would be great to recruit someone from @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Great fossil.
November 21, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Good fish. Is that the Hamilton Quarry macrodont?
November 21, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
This #FossilFriday marvel at an early Dyrosauridae from the middle Campanian Quseir Formation of Egypt! Displaying transitional cranial features, Wadisuchus is confirmed as the early-diverging dyrosauridae! Check it out: doi.org/10.1093/zool... @linneansociety.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Great video highlighting the value of natural history collections and the importance of preserving them for generations to come
The Library of Life - Dahiana Arcila, Ricardo Betancur-R., Ben Frable
YouTube video by FishEvolutionLab-Edu
youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
*Gain skills and training in journal publishing!* Open Palaeontology is looking for Managing Editors and Steering Committee members! Please consider helping to shape community open-access publishing in palaeontology, and spread the word!
openpalaeo.org
@openpalaeo.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
To celebrate the 85th SVP Meeting 2025, we've curated a collection of landmark vertebrate palaeontology papers.

Next, #FossilFish 🐟 Osteology of 𝘌𝘶𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 (Pictet & Humbert, 1866) and some other ichthyodectiformes (Teleostei) by Cavin 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. (2012) buff.ly/FudDOqF #2025SVP #PaleoSky
November 17, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Thread on today's paper, which is 3/4 from my dissertation on the evolution of fishes and using morphological data for phylogenetic analyses. Come with me, on a journey on phylogenetics and fishes.
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
An ontological morphological phylogenetic framework for living and extinct ray‐finned fishes (Actinopterygii)
The ray-finned fishes include one out of every two species of living vertebrates on Earth and have an abundant fossil record stretching 380 million years into the past. The division of systematic kno...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Devonion fishies Elpistostege (close relative of the famous Tiktaalik) and couple of bothriolepis swimming by. Needs updating but still thinking this is one of my better paintings I have done
January 16, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Very excited to share my exploration of the phylogenetics of early ray-finned fishes, out today in the Anatomical Record! Really busy day but I’ll have more info shortly.

anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
An ontological morphological phylogenetic framework for living and extinct ray‐finned fishes (Actinopterygii)
The ray-finned fishes include one out of every two species of living vertebrates on Earth and have an abundant fossil record stretching 380 million years into the past. The division of systematic kno...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
If you're in the Ann Arbor area today stop by the UM Museum of Natural History for today's Scientist Spotlight. I'll be demonstrating how cool fish jaws are! #SciComm
November 16, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Science communication accomplished
November 16, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Now that SVP is over, I can finally post the commission that I did for @mosasaurologist.bsky.social 's poster on a certain very cool taxon! #paleoart #sciart
November 16, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
I finally finished my Opah for today's #SundayFishSketch 🐡
November 16, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Wheels up! Congrats & thanks to the B'ham organizing committee for an outstanding meeting. Looking forward to seeing folks in my hometown next year when SVP meets in Cleveland. #2025SVP
November 16, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
To mark the 85th Annual SVP Meeting 2025, we've curated an open access collection of landmark vertebrate palaeontology papers.

Next up.. 🐸 Dates, nodes and character conflict: Addressing the Lissamphibian origin problem by Ruta & Coates (2007) 🦎 buff.ly/VnuPdEH #PaleoSky #2025SVP #Frogs #Amphibian
November 16, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Laville et al. - Synchrotron X-ray tomography sheds light on the phylogenetic affinities of the enigmatic thylacocephalans within Pancrustacea

doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
November 16, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
#2025SVP For people who missed my talk: I’m happy to give this or longer versions via zoom/in person for your seminars/colloquiums. Being based at a small museum w/ little daily exchange among peers, it’s a great opportunity for me to stay connected & for you to learn about our shelled overlords.
#2025SVP ! If you want to get an idea of the major steps of 🐢turtle🐢 evolution, come to see my talk on Friday, Nov 14, 8:30 AM, Hall 8. My student Guilherme Hermanson talks just before me (8:15). 4 years of macroevolutionary research on turtles went into our talks, covering many unpublished results.
November 16, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Congrats to Michigan paleo awardees at #2025SVP: Evan Unruh-Friesen (Lindsay Award) and Zach Lyons-Weiler (Jackson School of Geosciences Travel Award).
November 15, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Michigan paleontology family portrait, Birmingham edition #2025SVP
November 15, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
On my way to #2025SVP #SVP2025. I'll be presenting a poster on behalf of Indian and U.S. colleagues on Friday afternoon — focused on a wonderful new turtle skull and on Indian Plate biotic endemism during the K-Pg. Stop by!

(The paper describing this new turtle is in review at JVP...)
November 11, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
I spoke to David Fair on Issues of the Environment about the impact of federal cuts and shutdown on the #GreatLakes www.wemu.org/show/issues-...
Issues of the Environment: Federal government shutdown impacting Great Lakes research in Ann Arbor
The federal administration has targeted environmental agencies and protection programs in its efforts to reshape the government. The Environmental Protection Agency has seen layoffs and firings and bu...
www.wemu.org
November 12, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
For anyone who can live in Flordia, a great opportunity in an amazing collection:

FMNH is looking for an experienced full-time Collections Manager II or III as Director of Invertebrate Paleontology Collections within the Department of Natural History.

🧪⚒️🦑
explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/53...
University of Florida - Details - FLMNH Collections Manager II / FLMNH Collections Manager III
explore.jobs.ufl.edu
November 11, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Matt Friedman
Just in time for #2025SVP, @gsferreira.bsky.social & I have a new paper! We explore the neuroantomy of the early stem turtles Kayentachelys aprix and Eileanchelys waldmani, based on CT scans I acquired long ago during my UK-based PhD times. Flight to B'ham in 2h 🤩🐢

link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Neuroanatomy of Kayentachelys aprix and Eileanchelys waldmani provide insights into the early evolution of the turtle brain - Swiss Journal of Palaeontology
Even though many early stem turtles are known from relatively well-preserved skulls, their neuroanatomy remains poorly understood, limiting insights into key cranial and ecological transitions. Here w...
link.springer.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:14 PM