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....
🚨NEW PAPER🚨 It doesn't take much canopy disturbance in tropical forests to push surface temperatures above the thermal limits of many invertebrate groups. 🦋+🪲💩+🪱🧛♂️+ 🐜 Led by the wonderful Mike Boyle! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Narrow thresholds of canopy disturbance determine the microclimate buffering potential of tropical forests
The importance of protecting logged and recovering tropical forests has gained much attention. Disturbed forests can, however, have hotter microclimat…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:30 AM
🚨NEW PAPER🚨 It doesn't take much canopy disturbance in tropical forests to push surface temperatures above the thermal limits of many invertebrate groups. 🦋+🪲💩+🪱🧛♂️+ 🐜 Led by the wonderful Mike Boyle! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
New paper led by Michael Boyle: Narrow thresholds of canopy disturbance determine the microclimate buffering potential of tropical forests www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Narrow thresholds of canopy disturbance determine the microclimate buffering potential of tropical forests
The importance of protecting logged and recovering tropical forests has gained much attention. Disturbed forests can, however, have hotter microclimat…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:48 AM
New paper led by Michael Boyle: Narrow thresholds of canopy disturbance determine the microclimate buffering potential of tropical forests www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
This is a *great* opportunity for early career researchers to get their work out into the public domain!
I had a fab time talking to Laura about my research on the evolution of masturbation 🐒👋🍆💦🦧🌮👈:
open.spotify.com/episode/3Xy9...
I had a fab time talking to Laura about my research on the evolution of masturbation 🐒👋🍆💦🦧🌮👈:
open.spotify.com/episode/3Xy9...
February 10, 2026 at 10:26 AM
This is a *great* opportunity for early career researchers to get their work out into the public domain!
I had a fab time talking to Laura about my research on the evolution of masturbation 🐒👋🍆💦🦧🌮👈:
open.spotify.com/episode/3Xy9...
I had a fab time talking to Laura about my research on the evolution of masturbation 🐒👋🍆💦🦧🌮👈:
open.spotify.com/episode/3Xy9...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Strange discovery that an email about inclusive fitness was forwarded to Jeffrey Epstein, with the emailer quoting Jerusalem and comparing themself to Einstein. Are you one of the >100 evolutionary biologists now in the Epstein files? www.justice.gov/epstein/file...
February 2, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Strange discovery that an email about inclusive fitness was forwarded to Jeffrey Epstein, with the emailer quoting Jerusalem and comparing themself to Einstein. Are you one of the >100 evolutionary biologists now in the Epstein files? www.justice.gov/epstein/file...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Very excited to share that my first first-author pre-print is out today! Many thanks go out to all of our collaborators, especially those who helped with the fieldwork in Peru - it really wouldn't have been possible without you! 🦋
Evolution of Reproductive Plasticity in a Seasonal Tropical Environment https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.20.700078v1
January 23, 2026 at 9:35 AM
Very excited to share that my first first-author pre-print is out today! Many thanks go out to all of our collaborators, especially those who helped with the fieldwork in Peru - it really wouldn't have been possible without you! 🦋
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
January 21, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
New paper alert! Microclimate temperatures are more extreme than we previously thought! Near-ground temperatures are amplified in hot weather, cool refugia is lost and replaced with heat traps ☀️🔥🥵 escape from heat will be very hard for small ground-dwelling organisms
doi.org/10.21425/fob...
doi.org/10.21425/fob...
Local microclimates can both amplify and mitigate extreme temperatures associated with climate change
Climate change is a threat to global biodiversity, with changes to mean temperatures and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Heatwaves in particular pose a threat to species’...
doi.org
December 19, 2025 at 10:44 AM
New paper alert! Microclimate temperatures are more extreme than we previously thought! Near-ground temperatures are amplified in hot weather, cool refugia is lost and replaced with heat traps ☀️🔥🥵 escape from heat will be very hard for small ground-dwelling organisms
doi.org/10.21425/fob...
doi.org/10.21425/fob...
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
Had an absolutely fantastic time at #BES2025 and a massive well done to all speakers and presenters. Really enjoyed displaying my poster and research, representing two great unis, and meeting so many great people and potential collaborators. Glad my title brought as much joy to others as it did me!!
December 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Had an absolutely fantastic time at #BES2025 and a massive well done to all speakers and presenters. Really enjoyed displaying my poster and research, representing two great unis, and meeting so many great people and potential collaborators. Glad my title brought as much joy to others as it did me!!
Reposted by Joseph Williamson
In my first Editorial as Associate Editor for @conphysjournal.bsky.social, we help combat this lack of training by providing some "tips and tricks" for writing constructive peer reviews, based on our collective experiences as editors for multiple scientific journals.
Tips and tricks for writing constructive peer reviews
Peer review has been the cornerstone of scientific inquiry for centuries and is considered the backbone of scientific quality and rigour (Spier, 2002). Des
academic.oup.com
December 15, 2025 at 12:53 PM
In my first Editorial as Associate Editor for @conphysjournal.bsky.social, we help combat this lack of training by providing some "tips and tricks" for writing constructive peer reviews, based on our collective experiences as editors for multiple scientific journals.
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.