Laura Cooper
@transitionalform.bsky.social
PhD student in Devonian Palaeobotany at the University of Edinburgh
Pinned
🎊We are very pleased to announce that our paper investigating what we think Prototaxites, the mysterious giant of the Devonian landscape, actually was is now available as a pre-print on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Cellularly preserved chlorophyte from the 518 million year old Chengjiang biota onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Cellularly preserved chlorophyte from the 518 million year old Chengjiang biota onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
The number of natural history specimens collected has fallen off a cliff in the 21st century.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Global sampling decline erodes science potential of natural history collections - Nature Communications
Natural history collections hold over two billion specimens representing Earth’s biodiversity, but their scientific value depends on continued specimen collection and digitisation. This study demonstr...
www.nature.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:13 AM
The number of natural history specimens collected has fallen off a cliff in the 21st century.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
A 13-year search for one of the world's rarest flowers in Indonesia ends in a 'magical experience'
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Researcher cries after finding rare flower in Indonesia
A team of researchers describe the "magical" experience of finding a rare species of flower in bloom deep in the Sumatran rainforest after a 23-hour trek.
www.abc.net.au
November 26, 2025 at 12:13 AM
A 13-year search for one of the world's rarest flowers in Indonesia ends in a 'magical experience'
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
🚨🦜🐧Cover reveal! Thrilled to show off the cover of my upcoming book: The Story of Birds!
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
November 21, 2025 at 1:51 PM
🚨🦜🐧Cover reveal! Thrilled to show off the cover of my upcoming book: The Story of Birds!
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Congratulations to @jeremywyman.bsky.social et al 2025 for the publication of their Oxroadia paper! And thanks for bringing me onboard to do some restorations of this relative of Lepidodendron and Isoëtes from the Carboniferous of Scotland.
academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
#FossilFriday #paleobotany
academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
#FossilFriday #paleobotany
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Congratulations to @jeremywyman.bsky.social et al 2025 for the publication of their Oxroadia paper! And thanks for bringing me onboard to do some restorations of this relative of Lepidodendron and Isoëtes from the Carboniferous of Scotland.
academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
#FossilFriday #paleobotany
academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
#FossilFriday #paleobotany
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Check our paper with @paleobotanist.bsky.social on root suckering in a Permian glossopterid from Antarctica 🌳⛏️🇦🇶 It's the 1st report of root suckering in this group & the oldest in the fossil record
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... 🧵1/5
#paleobotany #botany
@umramap.bsky.social @cnrsecologie.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... 🧵1/5
#paleobotany #botany
@umramap.bsky.social @cnrsecologie.bsky.social
Production of root suckers in Glossopteridales from the late Permian of Antarctica
Premise
The Glossopteridales are an extinct group of seed plants that dominated mid to high latitude floras of the supercontinent Gondwana during the Permian (298–251 million years ago). Reconstruct.....
doi.org
November 20, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Check our paper with @paleobotanist.bsky.social on root suckering in a Permian glossopterid from Antarctica 🌳⛏️🇦🇶 It's the 1st report of root suckering in this group & the oldest in the fossil record
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... 🧵1/5
#paleobotany #botany
@umramap.bsky.social @cnrsecologie.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... 🧵1/5
#paleobotany #botany
@umramap.bsky.social @cnrsecologie.bsky.social
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Earlier on the expedition we found the most beautiful flower, and here, my friends, is the biggest: Rafflesia arnoldi seen in full bloom today in the Sumatran jungle. This is the largest flower on earth and one of the greatest wonders of the natural world.
November 20, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Earlier on the expedition we found the most beautiful flower, and here, my friends, is the biggest: Rafflesia arnoldi seen in full bloom today in the Sumatran jungle. This is the largest flower on earth and one of the greatest wonders of the natural world.
Reposted by Laura Cooper
The Marsh Palaeoart Award nominations for artwork depicting fossil fauna from Britain and Ireland, close soon. It is your last chance, send artworks in!
November 20, 2025 at 6:40 AM
The Marsh Palaeoart Award nominations for artwork depicting fossil fauna from Britain and Ireland, close soon. It is your last chance, send artworks in!
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Why did I only just find out that that there are water striders that live IN (ON!!) THE OPEN OCEAN? 🧪
OCEAN STRIDERS!!
OCEAN STRIDERS!!
Why did only one genus of insects, Halobates, take to the high seas?
Oceans cover over 70% of the earth’s surface and house a dizzying array of organisms, including five species of the peppercorn-sized ocean-skater Halobates, which live exclusively at the ocean surface...
journals.plos.org
November 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Why did I only just find out that that there are water striders that live IN (ON!!) THE OPEN OCEAN? 🧪
OCEAN STRIDERS!!
OCEAN STRIDERS!!
Reposted by Laura Cooper
my new #sciart for @chistinesd.bsky.social: her research in @newphyt.bsky.social reveals arbuscular mycorrhizae in the stem of the early plant Aglaophyton from 407 million years ago, showing that fungal-plant symbioses are as old as the earliest soils. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
November 13, 2025 at 9:18 PM
my new #sciart for @chistinesd.bsky.social: her research in @newphyt.bsky.social reveals arbuscular mycorrhizae in the stem of the early plant Aglaophyton from 407 million years ago, showing that fungal-plant symbioses are as old as the earliest soils. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
NEW pub in @science.org 🥳
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
November 13, 2025 at 8:34 PM
NEW pub in @science.org 🥳
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
New light on old stones: a fossil #fungus in #symbiosis with one of the oldest known land plants
@chistinesd.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@dromius.bsky.social @ffercoq.bsky.social #PlantScience
Summary also available in French and Spanish.
@chistinesd.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@dromius.bsky.social @ffercoq.bsky.social #PlantScience
Summary also available in French and Spanish.
November 14, 2025 at 7:35 AM
New light on old stones: a fossil #fungus in #symbiosis with one of the oldest known land plants
@chistinesd.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@dromius.bsky.social @ffercoq.bsky.social #PlantScience
Summary also available in French and Spanish.
@chistinesd.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@dromius.bsky.social @ffercoq.bsky.social #PlantScience
Summary also available in French and Spanish.
Reposted by Laura Cooper
For brave biologists/ecologists with a penchant for venturing beyond the boundaries of the intellectual comfort zone, I strongly recommend Jan Baedke's recent monograph "The Organism" in the series "Elements in the Philosophy of Biology". An absolute conceptual treat.
doi.org/10.1017/9781...
doi.org/10.1017/9781...
The Organism
Cambridge Core - Philosophy: General Interest - The Organism
doi.org
November 13, 2025 at 9:34 AM
For brave biologists/ecologists with a penchant for venturing beyond the boundaries of the intellectual comfort zone, I strongly recommend Jan Baedke's recent monograph "The Organism" in the series "Elements in the Philosophy of Biology". An absolute conceptual treat.
doi.org/10.1017/9781...
doi.org/10.1017/9781...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Did you know. That the meme-explosion that was the wooden model of Sacabambaspis (an Ordovician jawless fish) held at a Museum in Helsinki, was created by a pioneering Estonian fish paleontologist and palaeoartist, Elga Mark-Kurik. 🧵
November 11, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Did you know. That the meme-explosion that was the wooden model of Sacabambaspis (an Ordovician jawless fish) held at a Museum in Helsinki, was created by a pioneering Estonian fish paleontologist and palaeoartist, Elga Mark-Kurik. 🧵
Reposted by Laura Cooper
💡 Need support to attend your next palaeontology event?
Apply for a PalAss Diversity Bursary! 🌍✨
👉 palass.org/palaeontolog...
💷 Funding available: up to £250 GBP per individual bursary.
📝 What you’ll need:
A short supporting statement
A breakdown of your anticipated expenses [1/2]
Apply for a PalAss Diversity Bursary! 🌍✨
👉 palass.org/palaeontolog...
💷 Funding available: up to £250 GBP per individual bursary.
📝 What you’ll need:
A short supporting statement
A breakdown of your anticipated expenses [1/2]
November 11, 2025 at 4:54 PM
💡 Need support to attend your next palaeontology event?
Apply for a PalAss Diversity Bursary! 🌍✨
👉 palass.org/palaeontolog...
💷 Funding available: up to £250 GBP per individual bursary.
📝 What you’ll need:
A short supporting statement
A breakdown of your anticipated expenses [1/2]
Apply for a PalAss Diversity Bursary! 🌍✨
👉 palass.org/palaeontolog...
💷 Funding available: up to £250 GBP per individual bursary.
📝 What you’ll need:
A short supporting statement
A breakdown of your anticipated expenses [1/2]
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Huge congratulations @jeremywyman.bsky.social @instmolplantsci.bsky.social for publishing the results of your masters thesis @annbot.bsky.social
The work includes a new reconstruction of the Carboniferous isoetalean Oxroadia by the brilliant @palaeojules.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
The work includes a new reconstruction of the Carboniferous isoetalean Oxroadia by the brilliant @palaeojules.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
November 5, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Huge congratulations @jeremywyman.bsky.social @instmolplantsci.bsky.social for publishing the results of your masters thesis @annbot.bsky.social
The work includes a new reconstruction of the Carboniferous isoetalean Oxroadia by the brilliant @palaeojules.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
The work includes a new reconstruction of the Carboniferous isoetalean Oxroadia by the brilliant @palaeojules.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
If you need a professional terrestrial phototroph you need a symbiont of plant+fungi. Lichen (Spongiophyton sp) colonized the land already at least in the Early Devonian:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #EvoBio #Geology
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #EvoBio #Geology
November 3, 2025 at 3:03 PM
If you need a professional terrestrial phototroph you need a symbiont of plant+fungi. Lichen (Spongiophyton sp) colonized the land already at least in the Early Devonian:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #EvoBio #Geology
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #EvoBio #Geology
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Devil's Fingers, Clathrus archeri, on a Dorset heath today. #wildfungihour
November 2, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Devil's Fingers, Clathrus archeri, on a Dorset heath today. #wildfungihour
Reposted by Laura Cooper
What looked like a hearing organ on a tiny stinkbug’s leg turned out to be something far stranger: a fungal nursery that mother bugs use to coat their newly laid eggs in protective symbiotic hyphae, shielding their offspring from parasitic wasps.
Learn more in Science: https://scim.ag/4nDrDNm
Learn more in Science: https://scim.ag/4nDrDNm
![(A) An adult female in the field on Sicyos angulatus. (B) Back view of an adult female reared on cucumber, whose hindleg organs are covered with fungal hyphae (arrowheads). (C) Magnified image of the hindleg organ. (D to L) Morphology of hind tibia of adult male [(D) to (F)], immature adult female [(G) to (I)], and mature adult female [(J) to (L)]. [(D), (G), and (I)] Brightfield images. [(E), (H), and (K)] Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. [(F), (I), and (L)] Magnified SEM images. (M to O) Peculiar behavior of egg-laying adult female. After laying each egg (M), the female rhythmically scratches the hyphae-covered hindleg organ with tarsal claws of the opposite hindleg (N) and then rubs the egg surface with the claws in a skillful manner (O). Also see movie S1. (P to R) Egg mass covered with fungal hyphae at 0-day (P), 3-day (Q), and 10-day (R) intervals after oviposition. Reddish color of 10-day eggs reflects the body color of developing nymphs inside.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vqgovau5gkirnk3ss5qwjdmz/bafkreiatozcclrv3q5pr2susooiojtvkwr6kwnd22hwxh3ijzh7lpi276q@jpeg)
November 1, 2025 at 9:14 PM
What looked like a hearing organ on a tiny stinkbug’s leg turned out to be something far stranger: a fungal nursery that mother bugs use to coat their newly laid eggs in protective symbiotic hyphae, shielding their offspring from parasitic wasps.
Learn more in Science: https://scim.ag/4nDrDNm
Learn more in Science: https://scim.ag/4nDrDNm
Reposted by Laura Cooper
✨ Paper spotlight ✨
Mycelial Dynamics in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
(🧵 1/5) Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form vast underground hyphal networks that support plant life.
Mycelial Dynamics in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
(🧵 1/5) Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form vast underground hyphal networks that support plant life.
October 30, 2025 at 12:11 AM
✨ Paper spotlight ✨
Mycelial Dynamics in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
(🧵 1/5) Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form vast underground hyphal networks that support plant life.
Mycelial Dynamics in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
(🧵 1/5) Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form vast underground hyphal networks that support plant life.
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Very excited to announce that our collaborative manifesto for 🌱 #PlantScience #Education has now been published! Educators from >10 countries and 30 institutions have contributed to it and we are incredibly proud of the final output. Here is a short thread 🧵1/4 doi.org/10.1002/ppp3...
A manifesto for plant science education
Plants provide oxygen, food, shelter, medicines and environmental services, without which human society could not exist. Tackling pressing and global challenges requires well-trained plant scientists....
doi.org
October 29, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Very excited to announce that our collaborative manifesto for 🌱 #PlantScience #Education has now been published! Educators from >10 countries and 30 institutions have contributed to it and we are incredibly proud of the final output. Here is a short thread 🧵1/4 doi.org/10.1002/ppp3...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
Dinosaur diversity before the asteroid | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Dinosaur diversity before the asteroid
Evidence for low dinosaur diversity ahead of extinction event grows dimmer
www.science.org
October 23, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Dinosaur diversity before the asteroid | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Laura Cooper
🚨We have exciting new webinar series starting next Wednesday @1730 BST!
Join me as we discuss the #ERCStartingGrant with our panel speakers who have recently obtained this funding.
Anyone is welcome to join this webinar - register here 👇
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Join me as we discuss the #ERCStartingGrant with our panel speakers who have recently obtained this funding.
Anyone is welcome to join this webinar - register here 👇
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
October 22, 2025 at 4:13 PM
🚨We have exciting new webinar series starting next Wednesday @1730 BST!
Join me as we discuss the #ERCStartingGrant with our panel speakers who have recently obtained this funding.
Anyone is welcome to join this webinar - register here 👇
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Join me as we discuss the #ERCStartingGrant with our panel speakers who have recently obtained this funding.
Anyone is welcome to join this webinar - register here 👇
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...