Simon Maddock
@simonmaddock.bsky.social
Ecology, evolution and conservation of reptiles and amphibians • Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution at Newcastle University • Scientific Associate at Natural History Museum, London • He/Him
Reposted by Simon Maddock
Over 41% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. The challenges they face are huge—but so are the successes. I'm honored to contribute to this new paper offering a rare optimistic look at amphibian conservation.
👉rdcu.be/eQPL7
👉rdcu.be/eQPL7
November 21, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Over 41% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. The challenges they face are huge—but so are the successes. I'm honored to contribute to this new paper offering a rare optimistic look at amphibian conservation.
👉rdcu.be/eQPL7
👉rdcu.be/eQPL7
Reposted by Simon Maddock
🚨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 Simon Maddock
New and improved! (as of today, now with page numbers and an issue number ;)
"Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers"
Led by Dr. Libby Natola:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
"Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers"
Led by Dr. Libby Natola:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers
Abstract. Genomic differentiation usually accompanies speciation, but that differentiation is often highly heterogeneous across the genome. Understanding w
doi.org
November 6, 2025 at 6:59 PM
New and improved! (as of today, now with page numbers and an issue number ;)
"Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers"
Led by Dr. Libby Natola:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
"Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers"
Led by Dr. Libby Natola:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Reposted by Simon Maddock
Day three of the #30DayMapChallenge - Polygons. This map shows the earths tectonic plates. I have overlayed all of the earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 4.0 over the last 20 years, coloured according to their magnitude (blue (smallest) - red (largest).
November 3, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Day three of the #30DayMapChallenge - Polygons. This map shows the earths tectonic plates. I have overlayed all of the earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 4.0 over the last 20 years, coloured according to their magnitude (blue (smallest) - red (largest).
Reposted by Simon Maddock
Here is the link to the open access article academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
Island-hopping anurans: diversification dynamics in a widespread frog family
Abstract. Examining diversification patterns associated with dispersal, vicariance, and local adaptation is critical in elucidating drivers of speciation.
academic.oup.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Here is the link to the open access article academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
Awesome work by @deepakveerappan.bsky.social on this paper. Here we explore "Island-hopping anurans: diversification dynamics in a widespread frog family". The article is Open Access so go and check it out!
Hot off the press. Our study on the #biogeography of Ceratobatrachid #frogs is now out in @ZoolJLinnSoc.bsky.social
I had a chance to present this work at the World Congress of #herpetology last year. I tried to compile the highlights from this study. Read the open access paper for more details
I had a chance to present this work at the World Congress of #herpetology last year. I tried to compile the highlights from this study. Read the open access paper for more details
November 3, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Awesome work by @deepakveerappan.bsky.social on this paper. Here we explore "Island-hopping anurans: diversification dynamics in a widespread frog family". The article is Open Access so go and check it out!
Reposted by Simon Maddock
📢 We're excited to launch our AaRCademy Workshop Series kicking off October 7th online!
🧬Our first session, "aDNA Data Processing", will be led by Nikolay Oskolkov from Lund University.
📅 Registration closes September 7th! Sign up via the QR code or link below.
#aDNA @aarc-community.bsky.social
🧬Our first session, "aDNA Data Processing", will be led by Nikolay Oskolkov from Lund University.
📅 Registration closes September 7th! Sign up via the QR code or link below.
#aDNA @aarc-community.bsky.social
August 19, 2025 at 10:35 AM
📢 We're excited to launch our AaRCademy Workshop Series kicking off October 7th online!
🧬Our first session, "aDNA Data Processing", will be led by Nikolay Oskolkov from Lund University.
📅 Registration closes September 7th! Sign up via the QR code or link below.
#aDNA @aarc-community.bsky.social
🧬Our first session, "aDNA Data Processing", will be led by Nikolay Oskolkov from Lund University.
📅 Registration closes September 7th! Sign up via the QR code or link below.
#aDNA @aarc-community.bsky.social
Reposted by Simon Maddock
Thrilled that Rachel Gray had a successful viva today! 🐢🐢🧬🧬
My first PhD student #ProudPI
Major thanks to @simonmaddock.bsky.social and Axel Barlow for being examiners
@sciencesncl.bsky.social
My first PhD student #ProudPI
Major thanks to @simonmaddock.bsky.social and Axel Barlow for being examiners
@sciencesncl.bsky.social
July 4, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Thrilled that Rachel Gray had a successful viva today! 🐢🐢🧬🧬
My first PhD student #ProudPI
Major thanks to @simonmaddock.bsky.social and Axel Barlow for being examiners
@sciencesncl.bsky.social
My first PhD student #ProudPI
Major thanks to @simonmaddock.bsky.social and Axel Barlow for being examiners
@sciencesncl.bsky.social
Reposted by Simon Maddock
I'm not procrastinating.... making #Pride caecilian DNA stickers is a requirement of my dissertation. Schistometopum thomense and S. ephele, the iconic duo of my PhD work.
July 1, 2025 at 12:48 AM
I'm not procrastinating.... making #Pride caecilian DNA stickers is a requirement of my dissertation. Schistometopum thomense and S. ephele, the iconic duo of my PhD work.
Reposted by Simon Maddock
Returning from another amazing field course hosted at Leshiba Wilderness in South Africa. Wonderful students, great colleagues @simonmaddock.bsky.social and Marion! Highlight was the honey badger on the camera trap! @sciencesncl.bsky.social
June 24, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Returning from another amazing field course hosted at Leshiba Wilderness in South Africa. Wonderful students, great colleagues @simonmaddock.bsky.social and Marion! Highlight was the honey badger on the camera trap! @sciencesncl.bsky.social
Reposted by Simon Maddock
DICE is advertising an additional four PhD studentships through our Leverhulme ‘Space for Nature’ Doctoral Scholars programme.
All have a deadline of Deadline 23/04/25.
www.kent.ac.uk/durrell-inst...
All have a deadline of Deadline 23/04/25.
www.kent.ac.uk/durrell-inst...
Leverhulme Scholars
Leverhulme Scholars
www.kent.ac.uk
April 14, 2025 at 8:57 AM
DICE is advertising an additional four PhD studentships through our Leverhulme ‘Space for Nature’ Doctoral Scholars programme.
All have a deadline of Deadline 23/04/25.
www.kent.ac.uk/durrell-inst...
All have a deadline of Deadline 23/04/25.
www.kent.ac.uk/durrell-inst...
Reposted by Simon Maddock
Online map of non-woodland trees in England published by @forestresearchuk.bsky.social
England’s non-woodland trees mapped and available freely for the first time - Forest Research
www.forestresearch.gov.uk
April 14, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Online map of non-woodland trees in England published by @forestresearchuk.bsky.social
New paper led by Miranda Sherlock on "Submerged Corridors of Ancient Gene Flow in an Island Amphibian". In this paper we found that populations of the Seychelles #caecilian Hypogeophis rostratus would have been connected by palaeo-islands across Seychelles
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
🧪🐸🐍
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
🧪🐸🐍
April 8, 2025 at 10:22 AM
New paper led by Miranda Sherlock on "Submerged Corridors of Ancient Gene Flow in an Island Amphibian". In this paper we found that populations of the Seychelles #caecilian Hypogeophis rostratus would have been connected by palaeo-islands across Seychelles
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
🧪🐸🐍
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
🧪🐸🐍
Reposted by Simon Maddock
March 27, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Simon Maddock
JOB ALERT Exciting opportunity for a Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor) in #PhysicalGeography specialising in #peatland science to join our #Geography department at @uniofmanchester.bsky.social.
Full details for the job can be found here: www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Full details for the job can be found here: www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Lecturer in Physical Geography :Oxford Road
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk
March 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM
JOB ALERT Exciting opportunity for a Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor) in #PhysicalGeography specialising in #peatland science to join our #Geography department at @uniofmanchester.bsky.social.
Full details for the job can be found here: www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Full details for the job can be found here: www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
An awesome evening for the launch of the new Adder Pilsner label from Allendale Brewery. Beer and adder talks (the work going on in the North Pennines). What is not to like?!
Lucy and Samuel did a fantastic job presenting the work we have been doing on Conservation Genomics of adders in the region.
Lucy and Samuel did a fantastic job presenting the work we have been doing on Conservation Genomics of adders in the region.
March 7, 2025 at 10:54 PM
An awesome evening for the launch of the new Adder Pilsner label from Allendale Brewery. Beer and adder talks (the work going on in the North Pennines). What is not to like?!
Lucy and Samuel did a fantastic job presenting the work we have been doing on Conservation Genomics of adders in the region.
Lucy and Samuel did a fantastic job presenting the work we have been doing on Conservation Genomics of adders in the region.
Reposted by Simon Maddock
New paper alert! 🚨- My final PhD chapter is finally out!
What happens to different eDNA components in water? 🌊💧
We tested particle size (small vs. large) and DNA molecule length (86 vs. 387 bp) in recirculating streams—and what we found might surprise you! 🧵👇
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
🔗 Read more:
What happens to different eDNA components in water? 🌊💧
We tested particle size (small vs. large) and DNA molecule length (86 vs. 387 bp) in recirculating streams—and what we found might surprise you! 🧵👇
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
🔗 Read more:
Comparing the Fate of eDNA by Particle Sizes and Molecule Lengths in Recirculating Streams
The detection of environmental DNA (eDNA) has revolutionized aquatic species monitoring, yet interpreting eDNA data remains challenging due to gaps in our understanding of eDNA ecology (i.e., origin,...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
March 4, 2025 at 4:43 PM
New paper alert! 🚨- My final PhD chapter is finally out!
What happens to different eDNA components in water? 🌊💧
We tested particle size (small vs. large) and DNA molecule length (86 vs. 387 bp) in recirculating streams—and what we found might surprise you! 🧵👇
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
🔗 Read more:
What happens to different eDNA components in water? 🌊💧
We tested particle size (small vs. large) and DNA molecule length (86 vs. 387 bp) in recirculating streams—and what we found might surprise you! 🧵👇
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
🔗 Read more:
Reposted by Simon Maddock
Looking for a PhD in birds and woodlands? We have a funded project available to those eligible to apply as a domestic student (in Australia) @uq-cbcs.bsky.social - message me if interested!
March 5, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Looking for a PhD in birds and woodlands? We have a funded project available to those eligible to apply as a domestic student (in Australia) @uq-cbcs.bsky.social - message me if interested!
Reposted by Simon Maddock
If you missed the webinar on progress on the NERC ECOMIX project then you can now view it online. In the presentation, the team provide an update on the monitoring, modelling and ecotoxicology work being done on Yorkshire's rivers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSXB...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSXB...
UK Freshwater Quality Programme Webinar, January 2025: A project update from ECOMIX.
YouTube video by wateratleeds
www.youtube.com
February 4, 2025 at 10:31 AM
If you missed the webinar on progress on the NERC ECOMIX project then you can now view it online. In the presentation, the team provide an update on the monitoring, modelling and ecotoxicology work being done on Yorkshire's rivers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSXB...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSXB...
The IUCN Red List and Green Status workshops are going fantastically. Tonight we had a break from the computer and found several of the #amphibians that we have been assessing. Here is a beautiful Gardiner's Seychelles #frog (Sechellophryne gardineri), one of the smallest frogs in the World.
🧪🐍🐸🔬
🧪🐍🐸🔬
January 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
The IUCN Red List and Green Status workshops are going fantastically. Tonight we had a break from the computer and found several of the #amphibians that we have been assessing. Here is a beautiful Gardiner's Seychelles #frog (Sechellophryne gardineri), one of the smallest frogs in the World.
🧪🐍🐸🔬
🧪🐍🐸🔬
The first day of the joint IUCN Red List and Green Status of Species workshop (the first time they have ever run concurrently) was a great success, focussing on the #frogs of the Seychelles. On to the #caecilians tomorrow
January 21, 2025 at 7:41 PM
The first day of the joint IUCN Red List and Green Status of Species workshop (the first time they have ever run concurrently) was a great success, focussing on the #frogs of the Seychelles. On to the #caecilians tomorrow
Today's "SEYCHELLES ENDEMIC AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES: CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND NEXT STEPS FOR CONSERVATION" symposium was a great success, with many fascinating talks. There have been lots of updates since the last time we ran a Seychelles amphibian symposium in 2019.
January 20, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Today's "SEYCHELLES ENDEMIC AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES: CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND NEXT STEPS FOR CONSERVATION" symposium was a great success, with many fascinating talks. There have been lots of updates since the last time we ran a Seychelles amphibian symposium in 2019.
Reposted by Simon Maddock
It was a great pleasure to present Seychelles reptile diversity and my research on the endemic bronze geckos today at the "Seychelles Endemic #Amphibian & #Reptile Symposium". 🦎🐍
@jimlabisko.bsky.social @simonmaddock.bsky.social
@jimlabisko.bsky.social @simonmaddock.bsky.social
January 20, 2025 at 2:46 PM
It was a great pleasure to present Seychelles reptile diversity and my research on the endemic bronze geckos today at the "Seychelles Endemic #Amphibian & #Reptile Symposium". 🦎🐍
@jimlabisko.bsky.social @simonmaddock.bsky.social
@jimlabisko.bsky.social @simonmaddock.bsky.social
Happening now! Don't miss it!
There is a symposium happening on Monday 20th Jan, titled "SEYCHELLES ENDEMIC #AMPHIBIANS AND #REPTILES: CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND NEXT STEPS FOR #CONSERVATION". We will be streaming the talks if you can't be here: Link tinyurl.com/Seychelleshe... or use QR code.
Nb. Schedule is Seychelles time.
🧪🐍🐸🔬
Nb. Schedule is Seychelles time.
🧪🐍🐸🔬
January 20, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Happening now! Don't miss it!
Proud supervisor alert 🚨
@ellensharkey.bsky.social is looking at the impacts of climate change on Seychelles caecilians for her PhD. Today she encountered her first ever #caecilian and it was a beauty ... a large female Stejneger's Caecilian (Hypogeophis alternans)
@seychellesherps.bsky.social 🧪🐸
@ellensharkey.bsky.social is looking at the impacts of climate change on Seychelles caecilians for her PhD. Today she encountered her first ever #caecilian and it was a beauty ... a large female Stejneger's Caecilian (Hypogeophis alternans)
@seychellesherps.bsky.social 🧪🐸
January 17, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Proud supervisor alert 🚨
@ellensharkey.bsky.social is looking at the impacts of climate change on Seychelles caecilians for her PhD. Today she encountered her first ever #caecilian and it was a beauty ... a large female Stejneger's Caecilian (Hypogeophis alternans)
@seychellesherps.bsky.social 🧪🐸
@ellensharkey.bsky.social is looking at the impacts of climate change on Seychelles caecilians for her PhD. Today she encountered her first ever #caecilian and it was a beauty ... a large female Stejneger's Caecilian (Hypogeophis alternans)
@seychellesherps.bsky.social 🧪🐸