Tristan A.F. Long
@thelonglab.bsky.social
Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University 🇨🇦
Evolutionary Genetics & Behavioural Ecology #DrosLife #ScienceDoughnuts #JournalKlatch
ORCID: 0000-0002-8708-2728
Evolutionary Genetics & Behavioural Ecology #DrosLife #ScienceDoughnuts #JournalKlatch
ORCID: 0000-0002-8708-2728
Pinned
Tristan A.F. Long
@thelonglab.bsky.social
· Jun 26
Laurier Biology Seminar Posters
Explore this photo album by Tristan Long on Flickr!
flic.kr
A chronological archive of the ~180ish posters I have made (so far) for #LaurierBiology departmental seminars, since I began in 2014! #SciArt
flic.kr/s/aHBqjCj3BL
flic.kr/s/aHBqjCj3BL
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
Ancient pine trees growing in eastern Spain have quietly recorded more than five centuries of Mediterranean weather. Analysis of tree rings clearly shows that todays storms and droughts are becoming more intense and more frequent than almost anything the region has experienced since the early 1500s.
January 25, 2026 at 11:56 AM
Ancient pine trees growing in eastern Spain have quietly recorded more than five centuries of Mediterranean weather. Analysis of tree rings clearly shows that todays storms and droughts are becoming more intense and more frequent than almost anything the region has experienced since the early 1500s.
January 28, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
Ooh, now with fancy flyer. Zoom link usc.zoom.us/j/96588553185
January 28, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Ooh, now with fancy flyer. Zoom link usc.zoom.us/j/96588553185
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
I'm incredibly saddened by the passing of the Hon. Kirsty Duncan this week. The evening I spoke as a witness to the HoC Standing Committee on Science and Research that she championed and chaired was a pivotal night for me, the creation of @supportourscience.bsky.social, and eventually $ for students
January 28, 2026 at 8:54 PM
I'm incredibly saddened by the passing of the Hon. Kirsty Duncan this week. The evening I spoke as a witness to the HoC Standing Committee on Science and Research that she championed and chaired was a pivotal night for me, the creation of @supportourscience.bsky.social, and eventually $ for students
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
OMG THATS THE PERFECT ANALOGY! AI is like motion smoothing on smart TVs: nobody is asking for it, they only put it in because they figured out how to do it and think it sounds cool, and it’s extremely hard to explain the problem with it to those who just don’t see it
I want AI to improve my life in ways I don't notice or think about. Like satellites or MSG. It would make traffic lights more intelligent. it would diagnose illness more effectively. It shouldnt be forced on me like that stupid feature that no one likes that makes everything look shit on smart TVs
January 28, 2026 at 9:09 PM
OMG THATS THE PERFECT ANALOGY! AI is like motion smoothing on smart TVs: nobody is asking for it, they only put it in because they figured out how to do it and think it sounds cool, and it’s extremely hard to explain the problem with it to those who just don’t see it
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
If you haven't watched the video abstract about Veronika the tool-using cow, you really should, especially the message from her owner at the end! It cleanses the timeline a bit.
🧪
www.cell.com/current-biol...
🧪
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow
Osuna-Mascaró and Auersperg report flexible, multipurpose tool use in a cow, expanding
the known range of mammalian tool users and underscoring overlooked cognitive capacities
in livestock.
www.cell.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:34 PM
If you haven't watched the video abstract about Veronika the tool-using cow, you really should, especially the message from her owner at the end! It cleanses the timeline a bit.
🧪
www.cell.com/current-biol...
🧪
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
New paper from the lab, stemming from @anahvsb.bsky.social's thesis work, captures a weird trait that totally 🤯 my brain
When Oxalis stricta plants are exposed to a sublethal dose of the herbicide dicamba, they produce MOAR flowers than controls.
When Oxalis stricta plants are exposed to a sublethal dose of the herbicide dicamba, they produce MOAR flowers than controls.
January 28, 2026 at 6:04 PM
New paper from the lab, stemming from @anahvsb.bsky.social's thesis work, captures a weird trait that totally 🤯 my brain
When Oxalis stricta plants are exposed to a sublethal dose of the herbicide dicamba, they produce MOAR flowers than controls.
When Oxalis stricta plants are exposed to a sublethal dose of the herbicide dicamba, they produce MOAR flowers than controls.
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
How and when can internal conflicts tear an individual organism apart?
That’s the question at the heart of this new paper.
Great thread by lead author @martijnschenkel.bsky.social below.
That’s the question at the heart of this new paper.
Great thread by lead author @martijnschenkel.bsky.social below.
NEW PAPER with @arvidagren.bsky.social and Manus Patten on evolutionary reversions in individuality now out (as an advance article) at @jevbio.bsky.social (see academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...). Thread below! [1/8]
.
.
Evolutionary transitions and reversions in individuality
Abstract. Biological individuality exists in different forms—unicellular, multicellular, colonial, etc.—which have arisen through evolutionary transitions
academic.oup.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:59 PM
How and when can internal conflicts tear an individual organism apart?
That’s the question at the heart of this new paper.
Great thread by lead author @martijnschenkel.bsky.social below.
That’s the question at the heart of this new paper.
Great thread by lead author @martijnschenkel.bsky.social below.
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
Ever visit an art gallery using #GigaPan technology?
Missed the #ManufacturedEcosystem Exhibition?
Learn about ecosystem services in the context of a failing climate: gigapan.com/galleries/13...
Guide: www.manufacturedecosystems.com/virtual-exhi...
Funded by
@sshrc-crsh.canada.ca
#NewFrontiers
Missed the #ManufacturedEcosystem Exhibition?
Learn about ecosystem services in the context of a failing climate: gigapan.com/galleries/13...
Guide: www.manufacturedecosystems.com/virtual-exhi...
Funded by
@sshrc-crsh.canada.ca
#NewFrontiers
January 28, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Ever visit an art gallery using #GigaPan technology?
Missed the #ManufacturedEcosystem Exhibition?
Learn about ecosystem services in the context of a failing climate: gigapan.com/galleries/13...
Guide: www.manufacturedecosystems.com/virtual-exhi...
Funded by
@sshrc-crsh.canada.ca
#NewFrontiers
Missed the #ManufacturedEcosystem Exhibition?
Learn about ecosystem services in the context of a failing climate: gigapan.com/galleries/13...
Guide: www.manufacturedecosystems.com/virtual-exhi...
Funded by
@sshrc-crsh.canada.ca
#NewFrontiers
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
🚨NEW PAPER OUT🚨
The anatomy of bird lower jaw bones has been understudied...until now! Here, we examine avian mandibular anatomy, answering some and raising more questions about the phylogenetic affinities of key early crown-group birds. Read on!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The anatomy of bird lower jaw bones has been understudied...until now! Here, we examine avian mandibular anatomy, answering some and raising more questions about the phylogenetic affinities of key early crown-group birds. Read on!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Mandibular morphology clarifies phylogenetic relationships near the origin of crown birds - BMC Ecology and Evolution
Background The phylogenetic relationships of fossil birds near the origin of the avian crown group remain debated, in part due to a limited amount of character evidence from incomplete fossils. The av...
link.springer.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:50 PM
🚨NEW PAPER OUT🚨
The anatomy of bird lower jaw bones has been understudied...until now! Here, we examine avian mandibular anatomy, answering some and raising more questions about the phylogenetic affinities of key early crown-group birds. Read on!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The anatomy of bird lower jaw bones has been understudied...until now! Here, we examine avian mandibular anatomy, answering some and raising more questions about the phylogenetic affinities of key early crown-group birds. Read on!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
January 28, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
In 2025 we released 43 endangered Vancouver Island marmots from the conservation breeding program back to the wild, where they are helping their species recover from near extinction.
December 17, 2025 at 10:56 PM
In 2025 we released 43 endangered Vancouver Island marmots from the conservation breeding program back to the wild, where they are helping their species recover from near extinction.
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
Prob 20% of my feed used to be academics stressed about writing, but 100% of them would endorse this sentiment.
They just don’t get it - they’re trying to replace the part of our job we like the *most*.
If they could make an AI tool to vibe-complete travel, reimbursement, and annual reporting paperwork they would make a fucking FORTUNE
If they could make an AI tool to vibe-complete travel, reimbursement, and annual reporting paperwork they would make a fucking FORTUNE
January 27, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Prob 20% of my feed used to be academics stressed about writing, but 100% of them would endorse this sentiment.
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
three nature scenes,
decompiled, the unseen scenes
decompiled, the unseen scenes
January 27, 2026 at 10:52 PM
three nature scenes,
decompiled, the unseen scenes
decompiled, the unseen scenes
Busy day in the #DrosLife lab with behavioural assays of Emily’s dusted flies, lots of #Drosophila culturing a pouring vials/test-tubes! #ScienceDoughnuts
January 27, 2026 at 10:38 PM
Busy day in the #DrosLife lab with behavioural assays of Emily’s dusted flies, lots of #Drosophila culturing a pouring vials/test-tubes! #ScienceDoughnuts
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
Gutted to learn of the passing of Dr Kirsty Duncan.
She was a tireless fighter for the people she served, not only her local community in Toronto but others, especially the science & research &
athletics communities too.
She championed equity, diversity, inclusion and made change happen.
🤍🙏🏻
She was a tireless fighter for the people she served, not only her local community in Toronto but others, especially the science & research &
athletics communities too.
She championed equity, diversity, inclusion and made change happen.
🤍🙏🏻
Former Liberal cabinet minister Kirsty Duncan dies at 59
OTTAWA — Former Liberal cabinet minister Kirsty Duncan has died at the age of 59 following a years-long battle with cancer. Born on Oct.
www.richmond-news.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:28 PM
Gutted to learn of the passing of Dr Kirsty Duncan.
She was a tireless fighter for the people she served, not only her local community in Toronto but others, especially the science & research &
athletics communities too.
She championed equity, diversity, inclusion and made change happen.
🤍🙏🏻
She was a tireless fighter for the people she served, not only her local community in Toronto but others, especially the science & research &
athletics communities too.
She championed equity, diversity, inclusion and made change happen.
🤍🙏🏻
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
MAJOR NEWS! We just launched an awesome new tool! The illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer lets users trace any bird’s lineage, compare species relationships, and explore major evolutionary milestones with a click of a button. SHARE and EXPLORE! birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/phy...
January 27, 2026 at 1:26 AM
MAJOR NEWS! We just launched an awesome new tool! The illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer lets users trace any bird’s lineage, compare species relationships, and explore major evolutionary milestones with a click of a button. SHARE and EXPLORE! birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/phy...
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
*NEW PAPER*
The comparative method is one of the most powerful tools we have.
Here, we use comparative oncology to show how it can be applied to evolutionary medicine.
Now out in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.
academic.oup.com/emph/arti
The comparative method is one of the most powerful tools we have.
Here, we use comparative oncology to show how it can be applied to evolutionary medicine.
Now out in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.
academic.oup.com/emph/arti
January 27, 2026 at 4:13 PM
*NEW PAPER*
The comparative method is one of the most powerful tools we have.
Here, we use comparative oncology to show how it can be applied to evolutionary medicine.
Now out in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.
academic.oup.com/emph/arti
The comparative method is one of the most powerful tools we have.
Here, we use comparative oncology to show how it can be applied to evolutionary medicine.
Now out in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.
academic.oup.com/emph/arti
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
New paper from the lab! The first of @anahvsb.bsky.social's thesis is now up on bioRxiv.
Hormesis without evolution: plastic compensatory responses to herbicide drift in Oxalis stricta, a common weed of agriculture https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.24.701511v1
January 27, 2026 at 12:29 PM
New paper from the lab! The first of @anahvsb.bsky.social's thesis is now up on bioRxiv.
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
Disentangling the reproductive and metabolic transcriptional responses to diet in Drosophila melanogaster
#Drosophila
#Drosophila
Disentangling the reproductive and metabolic transcriptional responses to diet in Drosophila melanogaster
#Drosophila
PubMed link
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
January 27, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Disentangling the reproductive and metabolic transcriptional responses to diet in Drosophila melanogaster
#Drosophila
#Drosophila
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
"The reason these aspects of our jobs have been so challenging to automate is that they rely on something even more precious than our time: namely, our capacity for scientific decision-making. It is worth considering what we lose when we cede that—and our agency—to machines."
January 27, 2026 at 4:22 AM
"The reason these aspects of our jobs have been so challenging to automate is that they rely on something even more precious than our time: namely, our capacity for scientific decision-making. It is worth considering what we lose when we cede that—and our agency—to machines."
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
The Trump regime got rid of 10,109 PhDs in science and related fields, representing 14% of the total number of PhD scientists in the federal workforce.
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
www.science.org
January 27, 2026 at 1:32 AM
The Trump regime got rid of 10,109 PhDs in science and related fields, representing 14% of the total number of PhD scientists in the federal workforce.
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
Sad news indeed. One of the few Members of Parliament I’ve ever met (never met my own 🙄). A clear voice for good science and health policy. Fuck cancer.
Sad news. She was very much a solo voice in cabinet for science. Even agter she was bumped, she continued to be a voice for the scientific community. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Former Liberal cabinet minister Kirsty Duncan dies at 59 | CBC News
Former Liberal cabinet minister Kirsty Duncan has died at the age of 59 following a years-long battle with cancer.
www.cbc.ca
January 27, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Sad news indeed. One of the few Members of Parliament I’ve ever met (never met my own 🙄). A clear voice for good science and health policy. Fuck cancer.
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
Deeply saddened by news that my friend Kirsty Duncan passed away today. I worked closely with her while she was the Minister of Science and the Chair of the Standing Committee on Science and Technology. I texted her on Saturday when I was at a Robbie Burns dinner—her favourite event of the year.
January 27, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Deeply saddened by news that my friend Kirsty Duncan passed away today. I worked closely with her while she was the Minister of Science and the Chair of the Standing Committee on Science and Technology. I texted her on Saturday when I was at a Robbie Burns dinner—her favourite event of the year.
Reposted by Tristan A.F. Long
January 2026 @ijpsjournal.bsky.social featured cover article
Coulter Review: Coulter Review: Patterning and Evolution of the Land Plant Gametangia
Elissa Suphapun Sorojsrisom, Dennis Wm Stevenson, Barbara A Ambrose
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10....
#PlantScience
Coulter Review: Coulter Review: Patterning and Evolution of the Land Plant Gametangia
Elissa Suphapun Sorojsrisom, Dennis Wm Stevenson, Barbara A Ambrose
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10....
#PlantScience
January 27, 2026 at 12:07 AM
January 2026 @ijpsjournal.bsky.social featured cover article
Coulter Review: Coulter Review: Patterning and Evolution of the Land Plant Gametangia
Elissa Suphapun Sorojsrisom, Dennis Wm Stevenson, Barbara A Ambrose
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10....
#PlantScience
Coulter Review: Coulter Review: Patterning and Evolution of the Land Plant Gametangia
Elissa Suphapun Sorojsrisom, Dennis Wm Stevenson, Barbara A Ambrose
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10....
#PlantScience