Thomas Cullen
@thomascullen.bsky.social
Asst. Prof. of Paleobiology and Curator at Auburn University | Adjunct Prof at Carleton University | RCGS Fellow | PhD from UToronto. Views my own. thomasmcullen.net
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Thomas Cullen
@thomascullen.bsky.social
· Oct 25
Hello! I'm Tom, I'm a palaeontologist & ecologist, working as a prof at Auburn U. I research community dynamics, life history, & biodiversity of organisms in ancient greenhouse environments using a variety of methods. I've also done a fair bit of museum work & exhibit development, & love fieldwork.
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Been looking for her and her husband’s mineral collection, if anyone has any info. #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Mary Somerville, Queen of Science. paleonerdish.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/m...
Mary Somerville, Queen of Science.
Mary Somerville, née Mary Fairfax, was born on December 26, 1780, in Jedburgh Scotland. She has been called “Queen of Nineteenth Century Science.” She was also the first Engli…
paleonerdish.wordpress.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Been looking for her and her husband’s mineral collection, if anyone has any info. #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
This is a skull of one of the biggest duck-billed dinosaur species, Edmontosaurus regalis. #FossilFriday⚒️🧪🦖
November 28, 2025 at 12:24 PM
This is a skull of one of the biggest duck-billed dinosaur species, Edmontosaurus regalis. #FossilFriday⚒️🧪🦖
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Guess the Gem time!! What mineral do you think this gem is? Hint: in the past gems of this mineral were called rubies, though now the term refers to corundum. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
November 25, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Guess the Gem time!! What mineral do you think this gem is? Hint: in the past gems of this mineral were called rubies, though now the term refers to corundum. #GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Great little crystal of bright orange scheelite. It would be surprisingly heavy if you held it due to the tungsten in this mineral. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
November 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Great little crystal of bright orange scheelite. It would be surprisingly heavy if you held it due to the tungsten in this mineral. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 12:49 PM
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
The decisions we make in public policy have consequences. And when regional decisions intersect with global ones, climate change can exacerbate poor choices. The converse is true as well poor global decisions can have negative impacts on regional & local conditions. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋
Amid a deepening ecological crisis and acute water shortage, Tehran can no longer remain the capital of Iran, the country’s president has said. www.scientificamerican.com/article/iran...
Iran’s Capital Is Moving. The Reason Is an Ecological Catastrophe
The decision to move Iran’s capital is partly driven by climate change, but experts say decades of human error and action are also to blame
www.scientificamerican.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:08 PM
The decisions we make in public policy have consequences. And when regional decisions intersect with global ones, climate change can exacerbate poor choices. The converse is true as well poor global decisions can have negative impacts on regional & local conditions. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Here in Canada, our Prime Minister still believes in this fantasy.
australiainstitute.org.au/post/this-ca...
australiainstitute.org.au/post/this-ca...
This carbon policy has been a spectacular failure. Let's put this zombie in the ground for good
Like a reanimated corpse from The Walking Dead, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the boondoggle "technology" that just wont die. As a way for governments to piss public money up the wall, CCS is in...
australiainstitute.org.au
November 21, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Here in Canada, our Prime Minister still believes in this fantasy.
australiainstitute.org.au/post/this-ca...
australiainstitute.org.au/post/this-ca...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think these two gems are? Hint: the blue one is irradiated and heated to get that colour.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
November 18, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think these two gems are? Hint: the blue one is irradiated and heated to get that colour.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Some had difficulties with the link of my previous post. Here is the full link: besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🧪🌿🌎🦊 #wildlife #MovementEcology #uqar
🧪🌿🌎🦊 #wildlife #MovementEcology #uqar
Integrating predator energetic balance, risk‐taking behaviour and microhabitat in functional response to untangle indirect interactions in a multispecies vertebrate community
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Some had difficulties with the link of my previous post. Here is the full link: besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🧪🌿🌎🦊 #wildlife #MovementEcology #uqar
🧪🌿🌎🦊 #wildlife #MovementEcology #uqar
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Have you ever heard of this mineral? Pachnolite was discovered in Greenland and the name translates to frost stone, which is a very cool name. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
November 17, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Have you ever heard of this mineral? Pachnolite was discovered in Greenland and the name translates to frost stone, which is a very cool name. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
🐺 Advantageous snow conditions – in terms of snow depth and density – are among the most important features of the winter landscape for two apex predators, regardless of hunting strategy.
Read the full paper here ➡️ buff.ly/pXSMNRK
Read the full paper here ➡️ buff.ly/pXSMNRK
November 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM
🐺 Advantageous snow conditions – in terms of snow depth and density – are among the most important features of the winter landscape for two apex predators, regardless of hunting strategy.
Read the full paper here ➡️ buff.ly/pXSMNRK
Read the full paper here ➡️ buff.ly/pXSMNRK
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Become our colleague! - 2yr Postdoctoral position in Palaeo-population genomics at the Center for the Human Past (UU) @humanpastcenter.bsky.social 🧪
Great place to work at (ok, I am biased), integration with archaeologists and linguists + pretty flexible research topic
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Great place to work at (ok, I am biased), integration with archaeologists and linguists + pretty flexible research topic
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Postdoctoral position in Palaeo-population genomics at the Center for the Human Past - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral position in Palaeo-population genomics at the Center for the Human Past, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
www.uu.se
November 11, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Become our colleague! - 2yr Postdoctoral position in Palaeo-population genomics at the Center for the Human Past (UU) @humanpastcenter.bsky.social 🧪
Great place to work at (ok, I am biased), integration with archaeologists and linguists + pretty flexible research topic
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Great place to work at (ok, I am biased), integration with archaeologists and linguists + pretty flexible research topic
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
The metamorphic mineral staurolite with its distinctive penetration twinning forming a cross. It’s positively delightful!! #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
November 10, 2025 at 12:23 PM
The metamorphic mineral staurolite with its distinctive penetration twinning forming a cross. It’s positively delightful!! #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
As cool and cute as sabre-toothed tigers are, at least I don’t have to fear staring down the maw of Smilodon populator these days. #FossilFriday ⚒️🧪
November 7, 2025 at 12:43 PM
As cool and cute as sabre-toothed tigers are, at least I don’t have to fear staring down the maw of Smilodon populator these days. #FossilFriday ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Ah yes!! Another bacon specimen!! This time it’s banded aragonite. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
November 3, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Ah yes!! Another bacon specimen!! This time it’s banded aragonite. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
BEHOLD the GARgantuan Alligator Gar!!!
This is the largest Alligator Gar I’ve encountered; at over 7 feet 10 inches (240 cm) and approximately 55 inches in girth, its weight is estimated at 300 pounds (136 kg)!
A true river monster, among the largest caught, tagged and safely released! #GarWeek
This is the largest Alligator Gar I’ve encountered; at over 7 feet 10 inches (240 cm) and approximately 55 inches in girth, its weight is estimated at 300 pounds (136 kg)!
A true river monster, among the largest caught, tagged and safely released! #GarWeek
October 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM
BEHOLD the GARgantuan Alligator Gar!!!
This is the largest Alligator Gar I’ve encountered; at over 7 feet 10 inches (240 cm) and approximately 55 inches in girth, its weight is estimated at 300 pounds (136 kg)!
A true river monster, among the largest caught, tagged and safely released! #GarWeek
This is the largest Alligator Gar I’ve encountered; at over 7 feet 10 inches (240 cm) and approximately 55 inches in girth, its weight is estimated at 300 pounds (136 kg)!
A true river monster, among the largest caught, tagged and safely released! #GarWeek
Big congrats to Lindsay Zanno and James Napoli on their Nature paper today demonstrating the presence of small bodied tyrannosaurs in the Hell Creek (distinct from T. rex). Very cool stuff, and some nice histo + growth data supporting the result!
October 31, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Big congrats to Lindsay Zanno and James Napoli on their Nature paper today demonstrating the presence of small bodied tyrannosaurs in the Hell Creek (distinct from T. rex). Very cool stuff, and some nice histo + growth data supporting the result!
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Another Tuesday Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think these gems are? Hint: their streak would be red.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
October 28, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Another Tuesday Guess the Gem!! What mineral do you think these gems are? Hint: their streak would be red.
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
#GuessTheGem #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪💎
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Another bright mineral!! The element sulphur makes these beautiful crystals. Be careful, sometimes the warmth of your hand can cause these sensitive crystals to crack. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
October 27, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Another bright mineral!! The element sulphur makes these beautiful crystals. Be careful, sometimes the warmth of your hand can cause these sensitive crystals to crack. #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
Bacteria 🦠 🧫 play a crucial role in how animals become fossils!
Read about how decay experiments demonstrate that bacteria from the gut dominate the thanatomicrobiome (the internal microbiome of decay) and probably control fossilisation in our new paper!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Read about how decay experiments demonstrate that bacteria from the gut dominate the thanatomicrobiome (the internal microbiome of decay) and probably control fossilisation in our new paper!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The relationship between microbial community succession, decay, and anatomical character loss in non‐biomineralized animals
A fundamental assumption of hypothesis-driven decay experiments is that, during decay, the loss of anatomy follows a sequence broadly controlled by the intrinsic compositional properties of tissues. ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 15, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Bacteria 🦠 🧫 play a crucial role in how animals become fossils!
Read about how decay experiments demonstrate that bacteria from the gut dominate the thanatomicrobiome (the internal microbiome of decay) and probably control fossilisation in our new paper!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Read about how decay experiments demonstrate that bacteria from the gut dominate the thanatomicrobiome (the internal microbiome of decay) and probably control fossilisation in our new paper!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
first pachycephalosaurid from the Late Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation: effects of the Western Interior Seaway on North American pachycephalosaurid evolution url: academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
#ThunderDome
#ThunderDome
The first pachycephalosaurid from the Late Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation: effects of the Western Interior Seaway on North American pachycephalosaurid evolution
Abstract. During the latest Cretaceous, western North America experienced several regressive and transgressive cycles of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS).
academic.oup.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:34 PM
first pachycephalosaurid from the Late Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation: effects of the Western Interior Seaway on North American pachycephalosaurid evolution url: academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
#ThunderDome
#ThunderDome
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
It’s Geodiversity Day & Mineral Monday!! So I wanted to show you a rare mineral called carletonite, which is usually bright blue but seen here with a pink zonation. It was discovered here in Canada, at the mineral species rich Mont Saint-Hilaire. #GeodiversityDay #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
October 6, 2025 at 11:18 AM
It’s Geodiversity Day & Mineral Monday!! So I wanted to show you a rare mineral called carletonite, which is usually bright blue but seen here with a pink zonation. It was discovered here in Canada, at the mineral species rich Mont Saint-Hilaire. #GeodiversityDay #MineralMonday #GeoscienceBluesky ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
🚨FOUR tenure track positions in my dept @ucalgary.bsky.social @ucalgaryscience.bsky.social in applied & computational geophysics, subsurface geochemistry, sedimentary geology, and sustainable soil science. careers.ucalgary.ca/search/jobs?...
(please reskeet widely!) #academicsky 🧪⚒️🇨🇦
(please reskeet widely!) #academicsky 🧪⚒️🇨🇦
Opportunities
matching 'earth'
Search 4 Careers available at University of Calgary.
careers.ucalgary.ca
October 3, 2025 at 5:57 PM
🚨FOUR tenure track positions in my dept @ucalgary.bsky.social @ucalgaryscience.bsky.social in applied & computational geophysics, subsurface geochemistry, sedimentary geology, and sustainable soil science. careers.ucalgary.ca/search/jobs?...
(please reskeet widely!) #academicsky 🧪⚒️🇨🇦
(please reskeet widely!) #academicsky 🧪⚒️🇨🇦
Reposted by Thomas Cullen
A brilliant palaeontologist, Dr Tsogtbaatar, is facing a tough battle and needs help with medical expenses. Please consider donating or sharing the link: every bit truly helps. Thank you!
Donate to Help Dr. Tsogtbaatar, Icon of Mongolian Paleontology, organized by Lindsay Zanno
Renowned Mongolian paleontologist Dr. Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar is fig… Lindsay Zanno needs your support for Help Dr. Tsogtbaatar, Icon of Mongolian Paleontology
www.gofundme.com
October 4, 2025 at 11:08 PM
A brilliant palaeontologist, Dr Tsogtbaatar, is facing a tough battle and needs help with medical expenses. Please consider donating or sharing the link: every bit truly helps. Thank you!