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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · 13d

New pop sci article on the hobbits of Flores! Their wisdom teeth provide evidence that they got small by slowing growth after birth.

https://theconversation.com/hobbits-of-flores-evolved-to-be-small-by-slowing-down-growth-during-childhood-new-research-on-teeth-and-brain-size-suggests-261257

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Aug 4

Paleontology, botany, and birthing. All my favorite things in Zurich!

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Jun 27

Check out our new Primate Evolution Lab website! Made by students, featuring students. You can keep up with our antics, check out our teaching resources (including 3D scans and models) and learn more about our programs! https://wp.wwu.edu/primate/2025/06/27/students-shine-at-scholars-week/ @wwu.edu

Students shine at Scholar’s week. News and Updates from the PEL website.

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · May 26

Just returned from an epic sisters’ trip to Sedona, complete with archaeology, cave art, and javelina skulls! And pregnancy, the topic of my book, was never far away — this beautiful petroglyph has been described as a woman giving birth to creation (Hopi). #sedona #pregnancy #archaeology #history

Petroglyphs in Sedona. Animal figures gather around a woman; a vortex spiral sits beneath them.

A three story archaeological dwelling made of bricks remains up against the water and wind smoothed cliffs of Sedona

A javelina cranium with large canine teeth

A sunset vista looking at the red rock formations of Sedona

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Apr 15

@wwu.edu @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social
@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social
@ucmpberkeley.bsky.social

Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Apr 15

New paper out today! The evolution of facial length and molar proportions in cercopithecid monkeys: Third molars are relatively longer in species with longer faces, and prognathism is convergent. Fossils tell a great story!

Read more to find out! Funded by NSF, Leakey, PAST, HERC and WWU

Figure 1. A phylogeny of primates in the study with photos of their crania

Figure 3. Comparison of extant and fossil primate tooth and palate lengths

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Mar 26

Another shoutout for the AABA meetings this year. It was great to be immersed in science! And super fun to have such a great @wwu.edu crew! @bioanth.org
See you next year!

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Feb 15

Science communication has always been one of my passions. My Uni recently asked me to write a piece for faculty explaining the benefits of publishing sci-comm with an outlet like @us.theconversation.com - check it out here!

5 reasons for faculty to write for The Conversation

Five reasons for faculty to write for The Conversation

news.wwu.edu

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Feb 9

Thanks to Sapiens for picking up our sci-comm piece on the evolution of twinning! https://www.sapiens.org/biology/twins-primates-human-evolution/ w/ @primatesjack.bsky.social funded by @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social

Were Twins the Norm in Our Primate Past?

New research uncovers how the last common primate ancestors typically birthed twins until evolutionary pressures began to favor singletons.

www.sapiens.org

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Jan 11

This is one of those desk papers that requires extra celebration upon release into the ether! Congrats everyone!!

MU-Peter Shimon 🀄️ @mu-peter.bsky.social · Jan 8

A hypothesis-based approach to species identification in the fossil record: a papionin case study 🧪
Marianne Brasil, @paleotesla.bsky.social , @hlusko.bsky.social et al
www.frontiersin.org/journals/eco...

This approach to taxonomy carries substantial implications for the taxonomy of Parapapio.

ParapaThese sequences, along with published data, suggest mtDNA haplogroup continuity in Iberia throughout the Solutrean/Last Glacial Maximum period.pio crania seriated from generally most robust (right cranium at center top) clockwise to least robust (left cranium at center top). Scale is the same for all crania. See Methods for details on seriation criteria. Specimen IDs clockwise from top right to top left: BF 43, MP 239, MP 223, MP 221, MP 76, MP 2, MP 75, M 3070, SWP 389, STS 565, STS 397, and STS 254A. Consensus taxonomic identifications are adjacent to each cranium. Each specimen is assigned a color to facilitate visualization of seriation results for multiple morphological features (see Figure 3).

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Jan 4

Beautiful figures from our new paper, a work of epic proportions that spanned a decade. For anyone interested in African paleontology, taxonomy, evolution, or monkeys, I present….a papionin case study

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1481903/full

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Dec 18

It’s great to see so many people excited about the science of twins!

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Dec 18

Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors − one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages

Twins are pretty rare, accounting for just 3% of births in the US these days. But new research shows that for primates 60 million years ago, giving birth to twins was the norm.

buff.ly

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Dec 16

With @primatesjack.bsky.social

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Dec 16

New article out today in @us.theconversation.com ! Twins were the norm for our primate ancestors - what changed?

https://theconversation.com/twins-were-the-norm-for-our-ancient-primate-ancestors-one-baby-at-a-time-had-evolutionary-advantages-237420

Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors − one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages

Twins are pretty rare, accounting for just 3% of births in the US these days. But new research shows that for primates 60 million years ago, giving birth to twins was the norm.

theconversation.com

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Dec 1

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I would love to hear how the process is going for you! Hanging with fiction writers is awesome, but selling on proposal is a whole different journey. I can’t wait to read your book! Let’s catch up soon plzzzz

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Dec 1

What people think my book is about🫄👶VS what it’s actually about 🦴🩻🦷
#####
When people hear my book is about pregnancy, they immediately think of What to Expect. But it’s more than that. Think Indy, think Sapiens, and get ready to learn a whole lot about teeth 😉😘😜

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Nov 16

Ok, trying this again. And now, student art!

Hand drawn illustration of a fossil skull

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Dec 16

Being hanging out in Germany for the Words Bones Genes Tools workshop. There were xmas markets, Paleo art, parties in castles, and oh so much more

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Nov 16

Can’t wait to see this!

Jack H. McBride @primatesjack.bsky.social · Nov 12

Abstract accepted for AABA '24 in LA! Looking forward to sharing some of what I have been working on and meeting many more anthropologists! #AABA2024
Picture from the Smithsonian NMNH, Summer '23, credit:
@paleotesla.bsky.social

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Nov 12

Meet the lab! From L to R, me! 2nd year MA students Jack and Tristen, UG extraordinaire Laura, and new 1st MA student Jewel! Here we are on our way to get a demo for the new desktop micro-CT that came in recently on our NSF-MRI grant (co-PI).

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Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Oct 9

Last day to apply!

Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Oct 2

One more week to apply before we start reviewing apps. Negotiable start date. Come do science with us!

Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Sep 14

JOB ALERT! Western (WWU)
We are hiring a postdoc to investigate primate craniofacial anatomy. This is a 2-year position. Must be willing to live in beautiful Bellingham + complete 4.5 months paid museum work (2024). The anticipated start date is Jan. 1, 2024.

https://hr.wwu.edu/careers?job=501152

Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Oct 2

One more week to apply before we start reviewing apps. Negotiable start date. Come do science with us!

Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Sep 14

JOB ALERT! Western (WWU)
We are hiring a postdoc to investigate primate craniofacial anatomy. This is a 2-year position. Must be willing to live in beautiful Bellingham + complete 4.5 months paid museum work (2024). The anticipated start date is Jan. 1, 2024.

https://hr.wwu.edu/careers?job=501152

Cherry blossoms outside of Old Main on Western campus

Cascade mountain range towers over downtown Bellingham and the Salish Sea

Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · Sep 27

Perfect for my Skeletons and the Occult class that starts up tomorrow!

Kristina Killgrove @killgrove.bsky.social · Sep 27

I wrote a new piece for Mental Floss on "revenant" burials throughout history, just in time for spooky season. 🧪🏺

CW: Images of human remains when you click through.

www.mentalfloss.com/posts/histor...

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Reposted by Dr. Tesla Monson

Jan Brunson @janbrunson.bsky.social · Sep 26

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa is hiring! Tenure-track assistant professor in biological anthropology. Please share widely #AcademicSky

Career Opportunities at the University of Hawai'i | University of Hawai'i

www.schooljobs.com

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Reposted by Dr. Tesla Monson

Stacy Farina @stacyfarina.bsky.social · Sep 26

Howard University is searching for an Anthropologist to become the Director of the W. Montague Cobb Research Laboratory, which includes several important African American anthropological collections. Please RT to help circulate!

bioanth.org/jobs/3698/

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