Joseph Williamson
@josephwilliamson.bsky.social
Researching biological responses to climate change using butterflies. Into inverts / traits / tropical forests / microclimate. Postdoc at University College London (CBER). He/Him. JoeWilliamsonDB on Twitter.
Pinned
🚨New paper 🚨We argue that abrupt biodiversity losses can be driven by populations sharing similar tolerances to warming 🦋🌎🥵. Out now in @royalsocietypublishing.org. Summary thread below 🧵
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10....
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
We are looking for PhD applicants! ‼️Interested in genomics, ecophysiology and adaptation? Look at our TREES DLA project:
www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/und...
We also offer more projects via ROUTE2. Get in touch and let’s have a chat 💬
www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/und...
We also offer more projects via ROUTE2. Get in touch and let’s have a chat 💬
Understanding the role of metabolism in adaptation & evolution | TREES DLA
In an era of rapid environmental change, understanding how species adapt to shifting conditions is critical for conservation biology. At the heart of adaptation lies metabolism, the process that fuels...
www.trees-dla.ac.uk
November 25, 2025 at 9:21 AM
We are looking for PhD applicants! ‼️Interested in genomics, ecophysiology and adaptation? Look at our TREES DLA project:
www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/und...
We also offer more projects via ROUTE2. Get in touch and let’s have a chat 💬
www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/und...
We also offer more projects via ROUTE2. Get in touch and let’s have a chat 💬
Great to be a part of this study quantifying the potential negative effects of conservation work to protect one taxon on others! Turns out studying eels did not negatively affect water birds in this case🦆🦢👍
New paper out! 📢 We tested whether boat activity from an eel telemetry study disturbed protected waterbirds in a UK reservoir.
🦆 No evidence of disturbance.
🌦️ Bird numbers varied with weather + season.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🦆 No evidence of disturbance.
🌦️ Bird numbers varied with weather + season.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The impact of boat activities associated with an acoustic fish telemetry study on waterbird populations in a Special Protection Area
It is widely recognized that the research techniques used to monitor and study wildlife have the potential to disturb and alter the behavior of the study species. However, other impacts on sensitive,...
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Great to be a part of this study quantifying the potential negative effects of conservation work to protect one taxon on others! Turns out studying eels did not negatively affect water birds in this case🦆🦢👍
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
New paper out! 📢 We tested whether boat activity from an eel telemetry study disturbed protected waterbirds in a UK reservoir.
🦆 No evidence of disturbance.
🌦️ Bird numbers varied with weather + season.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🦆 No evidence of disturbance.
🌦️ Bird numbers varied with weather + season.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The impact of boat activities associated with an acoustic fish telemetry study on waterbird populations in a Special Protection Area
It is widely recognized that the research techniques used to monitor and study wildlife have the potential to disturb and alter the behavior of the study species. However, other impacts on sensitive,...
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:25 PM
New paper out! 📢 We tested whether boat activity from an eel telemetry study disturbed protected waterbirds in a UK reservoir.
🦆 No evidence of disturbance.
🌦️ Bird numbers varied with weather + season.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🦆 No evidence of disturbance.
🌦️ Bird numbers varied with weather + season.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
📣New paper out today!
We’ve found concentrations of mercury in UK-harbour porpoises is increasing. 📈🐬
We also found concentrations of mercury were associated with an increased risk of dying from infectious disease.☠️
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
We’ve found concentrations of mercury in UK-harbour porpoises is increasing. 📈🐬
We also found concentrations of mercury were associated with an increased risk of dying from infectious disease.☠️
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Temporal Increases in Mercury Concentrations are Associated with Increased Risk of Death by Infectious Disease in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena Phocoena)
Trace elements, particularly heavy metals like mercury, pose significant risks to marine ecosystems due to their toxic and bioaccumulative properties. Concentrations in some marine species show concer...
pubs.acs.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
📣New paper out today!
We’ve found concentrations of mercury in UK-harbour porpoises is increasing. 📈🐬
We also found concentrations of mercury were associated with an increased risk of dying from infectious disease.☠️
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
We’ve found concentrations of mercury in UK-harbour porpoises is increasing. 📈🐬
We also found concentrations of mercury were associated with an increased risk of dying from infectious disease.☠️
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
"we ... employ Bayesian phylogenetic methods to reconstruct the evolutionary history of kissing."
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A comparative approach to the evolution of kissing
Kissing can be observed across the animal kingdom. This presents an evolutionary puzzle, since the fitness benefits of kissing are unclear. We use a n…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:30 AM
"we ... employ Bayesian phylogenetic methods to reconstruct the evolutionary history of kissing."
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Kissing evolved at least 21 million years ago. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @matildabrindle.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Kissing evolved at least 21 million years ago. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @matildabrindle.bsky.social
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
🚨Job opportunity🚨
We are hiring a 3yr research technician. If you love fieldwork, are passionate about forests & mountains, and want to up-skill in remote sensing, sensor networks and running field experiments this could be the dream job for you!
🧪🌳⛰️🛰️🌡️🍄
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
We are hiring a 3yr research technician. If you love fieldwork, are passionate about forests & mountains, and want to up-skill in remote sensing, sensor networks and running field experiments this could be the dream job for you!
🧪🌳⛰️🛰️🌡️🍄
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Details | Working at Bristol | University of Bristol
www.bristol.ac.uk
November 14, 2025 at 9:38 AM
🚨Job opportunity🚨
We are hiring a 3yr research technician. If you love fieldwork, are passionate about forests & mountains, and want to up-skill in remote sensing, sensor networks and running field experiments this could be the dream job for you!
🧪🌳⛰️🛰️🌡️🍄
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
We are hiring a 3yr research technician. If you love fieldwork, are passionate about forests & mountains, and want to up-skill in remote sensing, sensor networks and running field experiments this could be the dream job for you!
🧪🌳⛰️🛰️🌡️🍄
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Interested in thermal biology? Please join our new and growing grass roots initiative, the Thermal Ecology Alliance, initiated by @patricepottier.bsky.social. 🧪🐟🦑🌡️
Sign up here: www.thermalecologyalliance.org#participation
Check who already signed up:
www.thermalecologyalliance.org#community
Sign up here: www.thermalecologyalliance.org#participation
Check who already signed up:
www.thermalecologyalliance.org#community
November 3, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Interested in thermal biology? Please join our new and growing grass roots initiative, the Thermal Ecology Alliance, initiated by @patricepottier.bsky.social. 🧪🐟🦑🌡️
Sign up here: www.thermalecologyalliance.org#participation
Check who already signed up:
www.thermalecologyalliance.org#community
Sign up here: www.thermalecologyalliance.org#participation
Check who already signed up:
www.thermalecologyalliance.org#community
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Have had a very exciting and unexpected start to this week, travelling to Salford for an interview with BBC Breakfast talking all things #wasps! Many thanks to @waspwoman.bsky.social for trusting me with this opportunity, and the fantastic #WorldOfWasps at @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social for the props!
July 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Have had a very exciting and unexpected start to this week, travelling to Salford for an interview with BBC Breakfast talking all things #wasps! Many thanks to @waspwoman.bsky.social for trusting me with this opportunity, and the fantastic #WorldOfWasps at @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social for the props!
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
We are recruiting for a Research Technician to support our lab's experimental evolution work with Drosophila melanogaster at UCL. Do you have recent insect husbandry experience and want to be a key part of an academic research environment? We'd love to hear from you www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
July 4, 2025 at 6:04 AM
We are recruiting for a Research Technician to support our lab's experimental evolution work with Drosophila melanogaster at UCL. Do you have recent insect husbandry experience and want to be a key part of an academic research environment? We'd love to hear from you www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Seeing a lot of racist pinkwashing bullshit about Muslims and homosexuality and it’s a good time to share how I was on the gay marriage beat for a decade and racist gays never believed me when I shared how US Muslims favored equal LGBT rights (52%) over Christian evangelicals (34%)!
June 30, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Seeing a lot of racist pinkwashing bullshit about Muslims and homosexuality and it’s a good time to share how I was on the gay marriage beat for a decade and racist gays never believed me when I shared how US Muslims favored equal LGBT rights (52%) over Christian evangelicals (34%)!
🚨 Important paper for understanding limits on range expansions under climate change. 🚨 Wall Brown's shift their life history to expand polewards, but are ultimately limited by winter tolerance. Perhaps physiological tolerances just can't evolve at the same pace as other traits... 🦋❄️
New paper in @pnas.org — and this is my favourite one out of my PhD thesis! Field transplants of wall brown butterflies show life history evolution during climate change-driven range expansion, BUT non-evolving winter tolerance still sets the range limit.🧵1/12. doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
doi.org
June 24, 2025 at 1:09 PM
🚨 Important paper for understanding limits on range expansions under climate change. 🚨 Wall Brown's shift their life history to expand polewards, but are ultimately limited by winter tolerance. Perhaps physiological tolerances just can't evolve at the same pace as other traits... 🦋❄️
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
New paper in @pnas.org — and this is my favourite one out of my PhD thesis! Field transplants of wall brown butterflies show life history evolution during climate change-driven range expansion, BUT non-evolving winter tolerance still sets the range limit.🧵1/12. doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
doi.org
June 24, 2025 at 11:18 AM
New paper in @pnas.org — and this is my favourite one out of my PhD thesis! Field transplants of wall brown butterflies show life history evolution during climate change-driven range expansion, BUT non-evolving winter tolerance still sets the range limit.🧵1/12. doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Do you know a young person with an interest in insects? 🦋
The Douglas Boyes Fund aims to provide people aged 14-18 with access to entomology equipment, fostering their passion for insects and inspiring them to engage and share their interest with other young individuals 🔽
The Douglas Boyes Fund aims to provide people aged 14-18 with access to entomology equipment, fostering their passion for insects and inspiring them to engage and share their interest with other young individuals 🔽
Douglas Boyes Fund - Royal Entomological Society
The Douglas Boyes Fund has been established in honour of Douglas Boyes (1996-2021), an esteemed entomologist specialising in Lepidoptera. The Fund aims to provide young people aged 14-18 with access…
buff.ly
June 24, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Do you know a young person with an interest in insects? 🦋
The Douglas Boyes Fund aims to provide people aged 14-18 with access to entomology equipment, fostering their passion for insects and inspiring them to engage and share their interest with other young individuals 🔽
The Douglas Boyes Fund aims to provide people aged 14-18 with access to entomology equipment, fostering their passion for insects and inspiring them to engage and share their interest with other young individuals 🔽
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Biology/Geography/Earth Sciences colleagues: can anyone recommend a field centre or similar field course location that works well for students who are wheelchair users? This is a no-fly course so we're trying to find somewhere in the UK or Western Europe
June 24, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Biology/Geography/Earth Sciences colleagues: can anyone recommend a field centre or similar field course location that works well for students who are wheelchair users? This is a no-fly course so we're trying to find somewhere in the UK or Western Europe
Black panther successfully hunting a dikdik last night. 🐈⬛ Definitely the best wildlife sighting of my life. 🥹 Incredibly lucky, and quite the cherry on top of a fantastic UCL undergraduate field course to Kenya! 🇰🇪 Recorded by student Aidan McAvoy.
June 10, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Black panther successfully hunting a dikdik last night. 🐈⬛ Definitely the best wildlife sighting of my life. 🥹 Incredibly lucky, and quite the cherry on top of a fantastic UCL undergraduate field course to Kenya! 🇰🇪 Recorded by student Aidan McAvoy.
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Territorial behaviour in ecology and conservation damages careers and impedes progress in the field. 🌏🧪🌐
Systemic territoriality in academia: The Gollum effect’s impact on scientific research and careers
Addressing environmental challenges requires scientific collaboration, access to resources, and open knowledge exchange. However, possessive behaviors…
www.sciencedirect.com
May 29, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Territorial behaviour in ecology and conservation damages careers and impedes progress in the field. 🌏🧪🌐
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Closing tomorrow! Last chance to apply for postdoc to explore the role of animals in savanna ecosystem productivity & nutrient cycling! Link to job: tinyurl.com/53dy4584 #savanna #termites #largemammals
May 20, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Closing tomorrow! Last chance to apply for postdoc to explore the role of animals in savanna ecosystem productivity & nutrient cycling! Link to job: tinyurl.com/53dy4584 #savanna #termites #largemammals
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Autonomous locomotion simply with tubes as limbs, and no brain? 🎈🤖
Yes, through physical synchronization! Our article is out today in Science (@science.org)
Article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Authors: @albertocomoretto.bsky.social, H.A.H. Schomaker, J.T.B. Overvelde
More below 🧪 ⚛️
(1/6)
Yes, through physical synchronization! Our article is out today in Science (@science.org)
Article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Authors: @albertocomoretto.bsky.social, H.A.H. Schomaker, J.T.B. Overvelde
More below 🧪 ⚛️
(1/6)
May 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Autonomous locomotion simply with tubes as limbs, and no brain? 🎈🤖
Yes, through physical synchronization! Our article is out today in Science (@science.org)
Article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Authors: @albertocomoretto.bsky.social, H.A.H. Schomaker, J.T.B. Overvelde
More below 🧪 ⚛️
(1/6)
Yes, through physical synchronization! Our article is out today in Science (@science.org)
Article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Authors: @albertocomoretto.bsky.social, H.A.H. Schomaker, J.T.B. Overvelde
More below 🧪 ⚛️
(1/6)
What do you do when there is heatwave and the meeting room is being refurbed? Take Journal Club to the park of course! Ice lollies provided. 🥵🍦 @uclcber.bsky.social
May 1, 2025 at 11:28 AM
What do you do when there is heatwave and the meeting room is being refurbed? Take Journal Club to the park of course! Ice lollies provided. 🥵🍦 @uclcber.bsky.social
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Today @owenrcorbett.bsky.social was crowned Dr Corbett, Doctor of Wasps!
Congrats Owen! We are all so proud of you!
@uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @maxreuter.bsky.social
Huge thanks to @jimlabisko.bsky.social @chrisleduck.bsky.social for examining!
Congrats Owen! We are all so proud of you!
@uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @maxreuter.bsky.social
Huge thanks to @jimlabisko.bsky.social @chrisleduck.bsky.social for examining!
April 15, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Today @owenrcorbett.bsky.social was crowned Dr Corbett, Doctor of Wasps!
Congrats Owen! We are all so proud of you!
@uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @maxreuter.bsky.social
Huge thanks to @jimlabisko.bsky.social @chrisleduck.bsky.social for examining!
Congrats Owen! We are all so proud of you!
@uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @maxreuter.bsky.social
Huge thanks to @jimlabisko.bsky.social @chrisleduck.bsky.social for examining!
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
🚨🐜!!! Check out our new paper where we investigate the impact of a soil level (SoilTemp) dataset on niche shifts of introduced ant species globally — using soil temperatures often lessens the extent of niche shifts between native and introduced ranges! 🐜 🐜 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
April 15, 2025 at 8:14 AM
🚨🐜!!! Check out our new paper where we investigate the impact of a soil level (SoilTemp) dataset on niche shifts of introduced ant species globally — using soil temperatures often lessens the extent of niche shifts between native and introduced ranges! 🐜 🐜 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
🔎👀 TropEco Lab is hiring, please share! 🚨
🌍🌴 Position: Senior Research Associate / Research Associate in Field and Molecular Ecology.
🪲🐝🦋 Task: You will use iDNA & eDNA to build bee-plant and dung beetle-mammal networks in the Brazilian Amazonia, Ghana, & Malaysia.
Further details -> bit.ly/4lurR9z
🌍🌴 Position: Senior Research Associate / Research Associate in Field and Molecular Ecology.
🪲🐝🦋 Task: You will use iDNA & eDNA to build bee-plant and dung beetle-mammal networks in the Brazilian Amazonia, Ghana, & Malaysia.
Further details -> bit.ly/4lurR9z
April 14, 2025 at 8:11 AM
🔎👀 TropEco Lab is hiring, please share! 🚨
🌍🌴 Position: Senior Research Associate / Research Associate in Field and Molecular Ecology.
🪲🐝🦋 Task: You will use iDNA & eDNA to build bee-plant and dung beetle-mammal networks in the Brazilian Amazonia, Ghana, & Malaysia.
Further details -> bit.ly/4lurR9z
🌍🌴 Position: Senior Research Associate / Research Associate in Field and Molecular Ecology.
🪲🐝🦋 Task: You will use iDNA & eDNA to build bee-plant and dung beetle-mammal networks in the Brazilian Amazonia, Ghana, & Malaysia.
Further details -> bit.ly/4lurR9z
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Last week I defended my thesis "Structure and Function of Insect Communities in Central Congo Peatland Forests" with minor corrections. Thanks to supervisors Jan Axmacher and Simon Lewis for their inspiration and support, and to examiners Tim Newbold (UCL) and Ed Turner (Cambridge). Now, to publish!
March 12, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Last week I defended my thesis "Structure and Function of Insect Communities in Central Congo Peatland Forests" with minor corrections. Thanks to supervisors Jan Axmacher and Simon Lewis for their inspiration and support, and to examiners Tim Newbold (UCL) and Ed Turner (Cambridge). Now, to publish!
Great to see our new review on the causes and consequences of tropical insect declines out in Nature Reviews Biodiversity. 🪰🪲🐜🐛🐝🦋 It was a pleasure working with an international team of amazing tropical entomologists! 🧑🔬
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
April 4, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Great to see our new review on the causes and consequences of tropical insect declines out in Nature Reviews Biodiversity. 🪰🪲🐜🐛🐝🦋 It was a pleasure working with an international team of amazing tropical entomologists! 🧑🔬
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.nature.com/articles/s44...