Simon Evans
@sevans.bsky.social
Co-founder of Evolutionary Ecology Group. Loves Dartmoor, Sweden, XC skiing, fell running, sunsets, knitwear, teaching & cream teas. And evolutionary ecology, obvs.
Watching through my fingers as the department's favourite child overdoses on self-confidence and throws a bucketload of sarcasm at a professor.
a close up of a man 's face with his eyes closed
ALT: a close up of a man 's face with his eyes closed
media.tenor.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Watching through my fingers as the department's favourite child overdoses on self-confidence and throws a bucketload of sarcasm at a professor.
Looking through hundreds of hummingbird photos and it's impossible to escape the conclusion that they are, in essence, a syringe that can hover.
February 11, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Looking through hundreds of hummingbird photos and it's impossible to escape the conclusion that they are, in essence, a syringe that can hover.
If current trends continue, by 2030 most men in their 30s will be commuting in a transcontinental HGV.
February 11, 2026 at 8:40 AM
If current trends continue, by 2030 most men in their 30s will be commuting in a transcontinental HGV.
Reposted by Simon Evans
Nature is metal. Carrying the decaying skull of your vanquished enemy as a hat.
From a Wildlife photographer of the year contest. www.popsci.com/environment/...
From a Wildlife photographer of the year contest. www.popsci.com/environment/...
February 8, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Nature is metal. Carrying the decaying skull of your vanquished enemy as a hat.
From a Wildlife photographer of the year contest. www.popsci.com/environment/...
From a Wildlife photographer of the year contest. www.popsci.com/environment/...
I’ve always thought it would be really cool to compare individuals in a long-term nestbox study with those beyond human interaction, to look for a ‘domestication’ effect. Would you see these differences? Sequence differences?
New paper: in urban great tits, epigenetic changes in the DRD4 gene help explain tolerance to human disturbance, influencing vigilance and return behavior after disruption
➡️ vist.ly/4qssv
#ornithology #birds #urbanization #epigenetics #behaviour
➡️ vist.ly/4qssv
#ornithology #birds #urbanization #epigenetics #behaviour
February 8, 2026 at 6:39 PM
I’ve always thought it would be really cool to compare individuals in a long-term nestbox study with those beyond human interaction, to look for a ‘domestication’ effect. Would you see these differences? Sequence differences?
Reposted by Simon Evans
The oldest known image of an owl:
More than 30,000 years ago, someone skillfully scratched the figure of a long-eared owl (Asio otus) into the soft outer layer of the walls of Chauvet Cave, France. The owl is looking backward over their wings, head turned 180 degrees
carnegiemnh.org/ancient-owl-...
More than 30,000 years ago, someone skillfully scratched the figure of a long-eared owl (Asio otus) into the soft outer layer of the walls of Chauvet Cave, France. The owl is looking backward over their wings, head turned 180 degrees
carnegiemnh.org/ancient-owl-...
February 8, 2026 at 6:08 PM
The oldest known image of an owl:
More than 30,000 years ago, someone skillfully scratched the figure of a long-eared owl (Asio otus) into the soft outer layer of the walls of Chauvet Cave, France. The owl is looking backward over their wings, head turned 180 degrees
carnegiemnh.org/ancient-owl-...
More than 30,000 years ago, someone skillfully scratched the figure of a long-eared owl (Asio otus) into the soft outer layer of the walls of Chauvet Cave, France. The owl is looking backward over their wings, head turned 180 degrees
carnegiemnh.org/ancient-owl-...
Reposted by Simon Evans
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) averaged about 429 ppm in January 2026
10 years ago January averaged about 403 ppm
Data available at gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/
10 years ago January averaged about 403 ppm
Data available at gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/
February 7, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) averaged about 429 ppm in January 2026
10 years ago January averaged about 403 ppm
Data available at gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/
10 years ago January averaged about 403 ppm
Data available at gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/
Reposted by Simon Evans
Imagine wearing a #jellyfish as a helmet!?!
Well, that’s exactly what this juvenile jack is doing! Mostly immune to its sting, the jack has taken the jellyfish prisoner.
Shot using #scuba, out over the deep abyss, drifting at night.
#blackwater #blackwaterdiving #scubadiving #gug
Well, that’s exactly what this juvenile jack is doing! Mostly immune to its sting, the jack has taken the jellyfish prisoner.
Shot using #scuba, out over the deep abyss, drifting at night.
#blackwater #blackwaterdiving #scubadiving #gug
February 4, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Imagine wearing a #jellyfish as a helmet!?!
Well, that’s exactly what this juvenile jack is doing! Mostly immune to its sting, the jack has taken the jellyfish prisoner.
Shot using #scuba, out over the deep abyss, drifting at night.
#blackwater #blackwaterdiving #scubadiving #gug
Well, that’s exactly what this juvenile jack is doing! Mostly immune to its sting, the jack has taken the jellyfish prisoner.
Shot using #scuba, out over the deep abyss, drifting at night.
#blackwater #blackwaterdiving #scubadiving #gug
Utterly stunning. Every. Single. One.
It’s time to vote for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People's Choice Award 2026! 📸 🐻
From a playful lynx to adorable bear cubs, which of the 24 breathtaking images is your favourite?
You can vote until 18 March 2026: brnw.ch/21wZqLT
From a playful lynx to adorable bear cubs, which of the 24 breathtaking images is your favourite?
You can vote until 18 March 2026: brnw.ch/21wZqLT
February 4, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Utterly stunning. Every. Single. One.
Reposted by Simon Evans
Only 10 cases of Guinea worm disease were recorded *globally* last year.
It may become the second human disease we eradicate, after smallpox.
It may become the second human disease we eradicate, after smallpox.
February 4, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Only 10 cases of Guinea worm disease were recorded *globally* last year.
It may become the second human disease we eradicate, after smallpox.
It may become the second human disease we eradicate, after smallpox.
Reposted by Simon Evans
reading about organisms that aren’t your specialty is like
margins of the quorbus eplungulate, ploobular processes bent posteriorly towards the foobulum
define term “eplungulate”
- lacking plungae. synonym: thubulous
margins of the quorbus eplungulate, ploobular processes bent posteriorly towards the foobulum
define term “eplungulate”
- lacking plungae. synonym: thubulous
February 2, 2026 at 10:14 PM
reading about organisms that aren’t your specialty is like
margins of the quorbus eplungulate, ploobular processes bent posteriorly towards the foobulum
define term “eplungulate”
- lacking plungae. synonym: thubulous
margins of the quorbus eplungulate, ploobular processes bent posteriorly towards the foobulum
define term “eplungulate”
- lacking plungae. synonym: thubulous
Reposted by Simon Evans
5️⃣ Watson & Crick 1953 paper was not peer reviewed.
It was not until 1973, when David Davies was hired as Nature's editor, that peer review became a requirement for every paper printed there.
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsnr/article...
It was not until 1973, when David Davies was hired as Nature's editor, that peer review became a requirement for every paper printed there.
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsnr/article...
Credibility, peer review, and Nature, 1945–1990
Abstract. This paper examines the refereeing procedures at the scientific weekly Nature during and after World War II. In 1939 former editorial assistants
royalsocietypublishing.org
January 28, 2026 at 9:34 AM
5️⃣ Watson & Crick 1953 paper was not peer reviewed.
It was not until 1973, when David Davies was hired as Nature's editor, that peer review became a requirement for every paper printed there.
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsnr/article...
It was not until 1973, when David Davies was hired as Nature's editor, that peer review became a requirement for every paper printed there.
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsnr/article...
Reposted by Simon Evans
A Black-capped Chickadee showcasing winter fashion by donning a snowflake accessory.
January 31, 2026 at 11:12 PM
A Black-capped Chickadee showcasing winter fashion by donning a snowflake accessory.
Reposted by Simon Evans
A 400 year old Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) in Fredville Park, the Kingdom of Kent
A standard 6’ 6’’ Oliver as a size guide
A standard 6’ 6’’ Oliver as a size guide
January 31, 2026 at 7:25 AM
A 400 year old Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) in Fredville Park, the Kingdom of Kent
A standard 6’ 6’’ Oliver as a size guide
A standard 6’ 6’’ Oliver as a size guide
Reposted by Simon Evans
When I think about measles I think about the number 1,000. Thats the number that epidemiologists use to explain harm from measles in children. With 1,000 cases, about 200 children will require hospitalization, 50 will develop pneumonia, and one to three will die.
South Carolina is at 789.
South Carolina is at 789.
January 28, 2026 at 3:11 PM
When I think about measles I think about the number 1,000. Thats the number that epidemiologists use to explain harm from measles in children. With 1,000 cases, about 200 children will require hospitalization, 50 will develop pneumonia, and one to three will die.
South Carolina is at 789.
South Carolina is at 789.
Wow, this is spectacular! Evolution of beak size in an urban population of juncos in response to the loss of supplementary food (bird feeders) during the COVID pandemic, and subsequent regression. Is the UCLA campus the new Daphne Major?
pnas.org/doi/full/10....
pnas.org/doi/full/10....
January 28, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Wow, this is spectacular! Evolution of beak size in an urban population of juncos in response to the loss of supplementary food (bird feeders) during the COVID pandemic, and subsequent regression. Is the UCLA campus the new Daphne Major?
pnas.org/doi/full/10....
pnas.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Simon Evans
A reward structure that favours productivity over quality will always incentivise the use of tools that make it easier to generate papers. Who cares if anyone actually reads them?
“The idea is to put ChatGPT front and center inside software that scientists use to write up their work in much the same way that chatbots are now embedded into popular programming editors.
It’s vibe coding, but for science.”
It’s vibe coding, but for science.”
OpenAI’s latest product lets you vibe code science
Prism is a ChatGPT-powered text editor that automates much of the work involved in writing scientific papers.
www.technologyreview.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:23 AM
A reward structure that favours productivity over quality will always incentivise the use of tools that make it easier to generate papers. Who cares if anyone actually reads them?
Reposted by Simon Evans
27 January 1824: Oxford geologist William Buckland, en route to Lyme Regis and Plymouth, calls on William Conybeare in Bristol to bring news that 'the Annings have discovered an Entire Plesiosaurus', the specimen found by #MaryAnning on 10 December 1823. For more, see doi.org/10.17704/194...
January 27, 2026 at 10:48 AM
27 January 1824: Oxford geologist William Buckland, en route to Lyme Regis and Plymouth, calls on William Conybeare in Bristol to bring news that 'the Annings have discovered an Entire Plesiosaurus', the specimen found by #MaryAnning on 10 December 1823. For more, see doi.org/10.17704/194...
Reposted by Simon Evans
Reposted by Simon Evans
For no particular reason, here's a photo of some pebbles and a coarse-grained, small sand dune on Mars, photographed earlier today.
January 25, 2026 at 8:11 PM
For no particular reason, here's a photo of some pebbles and a coarse-grained, small sand dune on Mars, photographed earlier today.
Of all the animals, it is a king penguin.
January 26, 2026 at 9:20 AM
Of all the animals, it is a king penguin.
Reposted by Simon Evans
On the subject of penguins and madness, did you know that 9 King Penguins were released in 1936 in Arctic Norway by the Norwegian Nature Protection Society? At least a couple possibly survived until 1944. So for a brief period Polar Bears and penguins could in theory have met. #biologicalinvasions
January 24, 2026 at 12:46 PM
On the subject of penguins and madness, did you know that 9 King Penguins were released in 1936 in Arctic Norway by the Norwegian Nature Protection Society? At least a couple possibly survived until 1944. So for a brief period Polar Bears and penguins could in theory have met. #biologicalinvasions
Reposted by Simon Evans
Bit of mammal action locally this morn. This Stoat killing an unusual black rabbit on the beach, a tideline casualty Porpoise, and a Weasel carrying a mouse made up for lack of birds. #Lowcarbonbirding #Northumberland #LocalPatch #Mammals #Springwatch
January 25, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Bit of mammal action locally this morn. This Stoat killing an unusual black rabbit on the beach, a tideline casualty Porpoise, and a Weasel carrying a mouse made up for lack of birds. #Lowcarbonbirding #Northumberland #LocalPatch #Mammals #Springwatch
Reposted by Simon Evans
Some of Saturn’s moons sculpt its rings with gravity.
Here’s Prometheus (right) dragging ripples through the F ring as it passes.
Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
#astronomy
Here’s Prometheus (right) dragging ripples through the F ring as it passes.
Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
#astronomy
January 25, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Some of Saturn’s moons sculpt its rings with gravity.
Here’s Prometheus (right) dragging ripples through the F ring as it passes.
Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
#astronomy
Here’s Prometheus (right) dragging ripples through the F ring as it passes.
Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
#astronomy