Alexander Kotrschal
@kotrschal.bsky.social
Evolutionary behavioral biologist at Wageningen University, Netherlands - - - Fish, cognition, brains...not necessarily in that order
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
Come and join our lab! We have TWO fully funded PhD positions AND a paid field assistant opportunity in our Behavioral Ecology group @uni-goettingen.de & @primatenzentrum.bsky.social. Projects will be part of @rtg2906-curiosity.bsky.social & @sfb1528.bsky.social!!
Details in thread. Please re-post!
Details in thread. Please re-post!
November 25, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Come and join our lab! We have TWO fully funded PhD positions AND a paid field assistant opportunity in our Behavioral Ecology group @uni-goettingen.de & @primatenzentrum.bsky.social. Projects will be part of @rtg2906-curiosity.bsky.social & @sfb1528.bsky.social!!
Details in thread. Please re-post!
Details in thread. Please re-post!
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
Team fish - we need your help! We are trying to build a database of all the fish chromosome-scale genomes where sex chromosomes have been identified. Have you build one or some? Do you know someone who has? Can you post the link in the comments? Please spread the word and repost! Thank you!
November 20, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Team fish - we need your help! We are trying to build a database of all the fish chromosome-scale genomes where sex chromosomes have been identified. Have you build one or some? Do you know someone who has? Can you post the link in the comments? Please spread the word and repost! Thank you!
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
November 18, 2025 at 10:49 AM
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
editors usually request cover art image submissions from authors or use stock imagery (journal publishers don't usually pay artists for cover art which is weird)
Tecumseh Fitch, the editor of this special issue, chose to generate AI slop instead. He should know better
Tecumseh Fitch, the editor of this special issue, chose to generate AI slop instead. He should know better
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
November 18, 2025 at 1:57 PM
editors usually request cover art image submissions from authors or use stock imagery (journal publishers don't usually pay artists for cover art which is weird)
Tecumseh Fitch, the editor of this special issue, chose to generate AI slop instead. He should know better
Tecumseh Fitch, the editor of this special issue, chose to generate AI slop instead. He should know better
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
*PhD opportunity @uniexecec.bsky.social* How does antimicrobial resistance spread through ecosystems?
Combine fieldwork (rodent trapping 🐭, habitat surveys 🌳, pheasant sampling 🦤), molecular techniques, GIS, and spatial modelling to understand AMR evolution and spread. 🔬🦠🧪
Please repost!
Combine fieldwork (rodent trapping 🐭, habitat surveys 🌳, pheasant sampling 🦤), molecular techniques, GIS, and spatial modelling to understand AMR evolution and spread. 🔬🦠🧪
Please repost!
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Gamebirds: A One Health Approach to Understanding and Mitigating the Risk of AMR Evolution and Spread through Ecosystems at University of Exeter on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Gamebirds: A One Health Approach to Understanding and Mitigating the Risk of AMR Evolution and Spread through Ecosystems at University of Exeter, list...
shorturl.at
November 12, 2025 at 6:07 PM
*PhD opportunity @uniexecec.bsky.social* How does antimicrobial resistance spread through ecosystems?
Combine fieldwork (rodent trapping 🐭, habitat surveys 🌳, pheasant sampling 🦤), molecular techniques, GIS, and spatial modelling to understand AMR evolution and spread. 🔬🦠🧪
Please repost!
Combine fieldwork (rodent trapping 🐭, habitat surveys 🌳, pheasant sampling 🦤), molecular techniques, GIS, and spatial modelling to understand AMR evolution and spread. 🔬🦠🧪
Please repost!
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
New🐟🧠 paper! To better understand what aspects of group-living are cognitively demanding, we tested whether individual recognition depends on relative brain size in guppies. Spoilers: guppies recognized and preferred familiar fish, regardless of brain size!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Individual recognition in guppies does not require large brains - Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Abstract It is often assumed that group-living animals require larger brains in order to deal with the various social challenges they encounter. One such key challenge is the need to recognize and dis...
link.springer.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:11 PM
New🐟🧠 paper! To better understand what aspects of group-living are cognitively demanding, we tested whether individual recognition depends on relative brain size in guppies. Spoilers: guppies recognized and preferred familiar fish, regardless of brain size!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
Award alert! 🎖️🚨 Every other year, the Ethologische Gesellschaft awards the Niko Tinbergen Award to outstanding post-doc level researchers in Behavioural Biology (<=6yrs post PhD exam).
...and this year is one of these years! Please send us your nominations! 🫵 Infos: www.etho-ges.de/wordpress/aw...
...and this year is one of these years! Please send us your nominations! 🫵 Infos: www.etho-ges.de/wordpress/aw...
Awards – Ethologische Gesellschaft e.V.
www.etho-ges.de
October 31, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Award alert! 🎖️🚨 Every other year, the Ethologische Gesellschaft awards the Niko Tinbergen Award to outstanding post-doc level researchers in Behavioural Biology (<=6yrs post PhD exam).
...and this year is one of these years! Please send us your nominations! 🫵 Infos: www.etho-ges.de/wordpress/aw...
...and this year is one of these years! Please send us your nominations! 🫵 Infos: www.etho-ges.de/wordpress/aw...
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
New #PhD ad alert!
Interested in wild #bee #cognition and #brains in different #bumblebees? Want to live in #Newcastle and the beautiful north-east of England?
Check out this project with me, @lenariab.bsky.social and Sarah Scott. Contact me for further information.
iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Interested in wild #bee #cognition and #brains in different #bumblebees? Want to live in #Newcastle and the beautiful north-east of England?
Check out this project with me, @lenariab.bsky.social and Sarah Scott. Contact me for further information.
iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
The cognitive ecology of wild bumblebees
iapetus.ac.uk
October 28, 2025 at 11:22 AM
New #PhD ad alert!
Interested in wild #bee #cognition and #brains in different #bumblebees? Want to live in #Newcastle and the beautiful north-east of England?
Check out this project with me, @lenariab.bsky.social and Sarah Scott. Contact me for further information.
iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Interested in wild #bee #cognition and #brains in different #bumblebees? Want to live in #Newcastle and the beautiful north-east of England?
Check out this project with me, @lenariab.bsky.social and Sarah Scott. Contact me for further information.
iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
🧬✨ It’s official!
EMPSEB31 is coming to Germany, June 2026!
Europe’s friendliest evolution meeting returns, organized by PhD students, for PhD students.
Expect inspiring research, new connections, and a mix of science + fun, the EMPSEB way!
📍Save the date & follow us for updates! Link in Bio 🌍
EMPSEB31 is coming to Germany, June 2026!
Europe’s friendliest evolution meeting returns, organized by PhD students, for PhD students.
Expect inspiring research, new connections, and a mix of science + fun, the EMPSEB way!
📍Save the date & follow us for updates! Link in Bio 🌍
October 23, 2025 at 3:48 PM
🧬✨ It’s official!
EMPSEB31 is coming to Germany, June 2026!
Europe’s friendliest evolution meeting returns, organized by PhD students, for PhD students.
Expect inspiring research, new connections, and a mix of science + fun, the EMPSEB way!
📍Save the date & follow us for updates! Link in Bio 🌍
EMPSEB31 is coming to Germany, June 2026!
Europe’s friendliest evolution meeting returns, organized by PhD students, for PhD students.
Expect inspiring research, new connections, and a mix of science + fun, the EMPSEB way!
📍Save the date & follow us for updates! Link in Bio 🌍
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
📢4-year fully funded #PhD on seasonal timing of egg overwintering insects 🦋🦗🪳
🔬Identify universal mechanisms underlying #insect egg developmental time under #ClimateChange
📌@niooknaw.bsky.social @animalecol-nioo.bsky.social
ℹ️ vacatures.knaw.nl/job-invite/2...
❗Application deadline: 7 December 2025
🔬Identify universal mechanisms underlying #insect egg developmental time under #ClimateChange
📌@niooknaw.bsky.social @animalecol-nioo.bsky.social
ℹ️ vacatures.knaw.nl/job-invite/2...
❗Application deadline: 7 December 2025
PhD Seasonal Timing of Egg Overwintering Insects under Climate Change - NIOO-KNAW - Wageningen
PhD Seasonal Timing of Egg Overwintering Insects under Climate Change - NIOO-KNAW - Wageningen
vacatures.knaw.nl
October 24, 2025 at 8:54 AM
📢4-year fully funded #PhD on seasonal timing of egg overwintering insects 🦋🦗🪳
🔬Identify universal mechanisms underlying #insect egg developmental time under #ClimateChange
📌@niooknaw.bsky.social @animalecol-nioo.bsky.social
ℹ️ vacatures.knaw.nl/job-invite/2...
❗Application deadline: 7 December 2025
🔬Identify universal mechanisms underlying #insect egg developmental time under #ClimateChange
📌@niooknaw.bsky.social @animalecol-nioo.bsky.social
ℹ️ vacatures.knaw.nl/job-invite/2...
❗Application deadline: 7 December 2025
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
🐟 Our special issue "Measuring Fish Cognition: Empirical-based Guidance for Designing Cognition Assays" is out! From acclimation protocols to automated tracking, these studies tackle a range of methodological issues. Check it out: tinyurl.com/vdprfbf4 #FishCognition #AnimalBehaviour
Special Issue: Measuring fish cognition: Empirical based guidance for designing cognition assays: Journal of Fish Biology: Vol 107, No 4
The <em>Journal of Fish Biology</em> is a leading international ichthyology journal, addressing all aspects of fish biology, their exploitation and importance to human society.
tinyurl.com
October 20, 2025 at 8:16 PM
🐟 Our special issue "Measuring Fish Cognition: Empirical-based Guidance for Designing Cognition Assays" is out! From acclimation protocols to automated tracking, these studies tackle a range of methodological issues. Check it out: tinyurl.com/vdprfbf4 #FishCognition #AnimalBehaviour
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
I'm v excited to be recruiting a PhD student to work on badger behaviour and ecology! Starting date is March 2026; see the ad here, or message me for more details: www.gregalbery.me/s/March-2026...
October 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I'm v excited to be recruiting a PhD student to work on badger behaviour and ecology! Starting date is March 2026; see the ad here, or message me for more details: www.gregalbery.me/s/March-2026...
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA
10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
September 24, 2025 at 8:30 PM
I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA
10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
We're looking for a new postdoc on our new BBSCR grant (Graham Taylor/Tim Guilford/Cait Newport). See link below!
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
September 19, 2025 at 3:25 PM
We're looking for a new postdoc on our new BBSCR grant (Graham Taylor/Tim Guilford/Cait Newport). See link below!
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
Invasive fish are entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, but what is causing them to spread? 🌍🐟
blog.pensoft.net/2025/09/18/h...
@pensoft.net
blog.pensoft.net/2025/09/18/h...
@pensoft.net
How are invasive fish entering the Mediterranean Sea?
A new study explores how shipping, currents and habitat factors carry alien species through the Suez Canal.
blog.pensoft.net
September 18, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Invasive fish are entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, but what is causing them to spread? 🌍🐟
blog.pensoft.net/2025/09/18/h...
@pensoft.net
blog.pensoft.net/2025/09/18/h...
@pensoft.net
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
PhD Alert! 😍 Our lab is hiring a PhD student to study how shrews shrink in winter and grow in spring. Yes, you read that right!
tinyurl.com/shrinkingshr...
Join us at the @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social, study a super cool animal, and join the @imprs-qbee.bsky.social community!
DM me for questions!
tinyurl.com/shrinkingshr...
Join us at the @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social, study a super cool animal, and join the @imprs-qbee.bsky.social community!
DM me for questions!
Seasonal size change and aging in shrews
imprs-qbee.mpg.de
September 17, 2025 at 5:20 PM
PhD Alert! 😍 Our lab is hiring a PhD student to study how shrews shrink in winter and grow in spring. Yes, you read that right!
tinyurl.com/shrinkingshr...
Join us at the @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social, study a super cool animal, and join the @imprs-qbee.bsky.social community!
DM me for questions!
tinyurl.com/shrinkingshr...
Join us at the @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social, study a super cool animal, and join the @imprs-qbee.bsky.social community!
DM me for questions!
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
Just woke up from a social media pause and the first thing I see is an incredible footage of a sperm whale casually cruising with a giant squid in its mouth ??
🦑 🌊 🌿
🦑 🌊 🌿
September 8, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Just woke up from a social media pause and the first thing I see is an incredible footage of a sperm whale casually cruising with a giant squid in its mouth ??
🦑 🌊 🌿
🦑 🌊 🌿
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.
September 5, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
It was a pleasure talking to Mary about our apparatus to take fish cognition research into the wild! 🐟🧠 Read it on Psychology Today ⬇️⬇️
with @kotrschal.bsky.social and @amydeacon.bsky.social
with @kotrschal.bsky.social and @amydeacon.bsky.social
Hey, I'm back to blogging about animal behavior at Psychology Today! Check out my article on studying fish cognition in the wild, featuring the work of @catarina-vp.bsky.social and colleagues.
Fish Are Smarter Than You Think
Researchers developed a way to run tests on fish learning and memory in the animals' natural environments. The results may reveal that fish are smarter than previously assumed.
www.psychologytoday.com
July 15, 2025 at 3:44 PM
It was a pleasure talking to Mary about our apparatus to take fish cognition research into the wild! 🐟🧠 Read it on Psychology Today ⬇️⬇️
with @kotrschal.bsky.social and @amydeacon.bsky.social
with @kotrschal.bsky.social and @amydeacon.bsky.social
How does predation shape evolution? We tested this with guppies, exposing them to real predators over 3 generations. Survivors evolved fast: bigger females with earlier broods, males with shorter tails and gonopodia. But...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
June 25, 2025 at 9:15 AM
How does predation shape evolution? We tested this with guppies, exposing them to real predators over 3 generations. Survivors evolved fast: bigger females with earlier broods, males with shorter tails and gonopodia. But...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
An interesting day spent at the 1st European #Lionfish Conference in Crete and a great visit to the aquarium and HCMR.Thanks @kotrschal.bsky.social for organising.
May 16, 2025 at 3:42 PM
An interesting day spent at the 1st European #Lionfish Conference in Crete and a great visit to the aquarium and HCMR.Thanks @kotrschal.bsky.social for organising.
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
🚨 Our new paper is out now in Ethology. Here we show that #lionfish show social attraction to conspecifics when selecting shelters. doi.org/10.1111/eth....
Lionfish (Pterois volitans) Show Social Attraction to Conspecifics When Selecting Shelters
Group formation in animals can arise from two primary mechanisms: individuals aggregating over resources, or individuals socially benefiting from interacting with conspecifics. Distinguishing between...
doi.org
May 13, 2025 at 7:16 PM
🚨 Our new paper is out now in Ethology. Here we show that #lionfish show social attraction to conspecifics when selecting shelters. doi.org/10.1111/eth....
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
From Genes to Pathways: A Curated Gene Approach to Accurate Pathway Reconstruction in Teleost Fish Transcriptomics
Hererra et al. 2025
Presents a curated gene list tailored for teleost fish transcriptomics
doi.org/10.1002/jez....
Hererra et al. 2025
Presents a curated gene list tailored for teleost fish transcriptomics
doi.org/10.1002/jez....
From Genes to Pathways: A Curated Gene Approach to Accurate Pathway Reconstruction in Teleost Fish Transcriptomics
A curated gene list for teleost fish transcriptomics enhances the interpretation of high volumes of data by focusing on key biological processes. This resource bridges gaps in automated annotations, ....
doi.org
May 2, 2025 at 10:21 AM
From Genes to Pathways: A Curated Gene Approach to Accurate Pathway Reconstruction in Teleost Fish Transcriptomics
Hererra et al. 2025
Presents a curated gene list tailored for teleost fish transcriptomics
doi.org/10.1002/jez....
Hererra et al. 2025
Presents a curated gene list tailored for teleost fish transcriptomics
doi.org/10.1002/jez....
Reposted by Alexander Kotrschal
#Sexchromosomes evolve rapidly in old #cichlid lineages and one chromosome appears several times but with different degrees of sex-association
@astridboehne.bsky.social @leibnizlib.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
@astridboehne.bsky.social @leibnizlib.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Investigation of sex determination in African cichlids reveals lack of fixed sex chromosomes in wild populations
Abstract. Sex chromosomes are theorized to stop recombining and become fixed, yet many taxa show ambiguous genomic signals of sex consistent with either co
doi.org
March 6, 2025 at 10:27 AM
#Sexchromosomes evolve rapidly in old #cichlid lineages and one chromosome appears several times but with different degrees of sex-association
@astridboehne.bsky.social @leibnizlib.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
@astridboehne.bsky.social @leibnizlib.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...