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Richard Butler

@richardjbutler.bsky.social

1.1K followers 270 following 200 posts

Dinosaur researcher, Professor of Palaeobiology & Director of Research, University of Birmingham. Co-chair #2025SVP Host Committee. Mostly in meetings; would rather be on fieldwork. Current projects in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇲🇦 🇷🇸 🇰🇬 🇺🇸 🇷🇴 🇭🇺 .. more

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Richard James Butler is a vertebrate palaeontologist at the University of Birmingham, where he holds the title of professor of palaeobiology. His research focuses on ornithischian dinosaur evolution, dinosaur origins, and fossil tetrapod macroevolution. .. more

Environmental science 39%

Geology 28%

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 11h

In this era of ever advancing quality in anatomical imaging, how is it possible to publish a taxonomic revision and name a new dinosaur species without showing a single image of the fossils? Not even one photograph.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 19h

Paul, G. S. (2025)
Stratigraphic and anatomical evidence for multiple Titanosaurid dinosaur taxa in the late Late Cretaceous of southwestern North America. Geology of the Intermountain West 12: 201-220.
doi.org/10.31711/giw...

Stratigraphic and anatomical evidence for multiple titanosaurid dinosaur taxa in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of southwestern North America | Geology of the Intermountain We...

doi.org

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 12h

Sort of incredible to publish a taxonomic revision and name a new species without figuring an actual fossil.

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 13h

New candidate for hardest to pronounce dinosaur species name:

Utetitan zellaguymondeweyae

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 19h

Stratigraphic and anatomical evidence for multiple titanosaurid dinosaur taxa in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of southwestern North America | Geology of the Intermountain We...

doi.org

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 19h

Stratigraphic and anatomical evidence for multiple titanosaurid dinosaur taxa in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of southwestern North America | Geology of the Intermountain We...

doi.org

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Hana Morel @hanamorel.bsky.social · 2d

Philip Nelson from the UK’s @greenparty.org.uk outlining very welcome understandings of #heritage. Also positive for #climateheritage contributions to sustainability as well.

www.linkedin.com/pulse/greene...

A Greener Future for Heritage and Tourism

Putting People, Nature and Place at the Heart of the Conversation The Green Party this weekend adopted a comprehensive new Heritage and Tourism Policy at its Autumn Conference — setting out a bold vis...

www.linkedin.com

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 2d

#Fossil Files podcast fans!! Today sees the release of Fossil Fails II: The tiny dinosaur with the massive flaw... Get our take on that whole Oculudentavis thing - available now on libsyn and wherever you get your podcasts! @thefossilfiles.bsky.social fossils.libsyn.com/fossil-fails...

The Fossil Files: Fossil Fails: The tiny dino with a massive flaw

Discovery of the smallest ever dinosaur acheived quite a splash when it was publised on the front cover of Nature in 2020. The new critter, Oculodentavis, was the size of a hummingbird and reconstruct...

fossils.libsyn.com

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Robert Sansom @fossilrob.bsky.social · 6d

How do you select a name for a new dinosaur? Sneak peek on #FossilFriday of the next @thefossilfiles.bsky.social episode out on Tuesday with @tweetisaurus.bsky.social youtube.com/shorts/5Cbz9...

How do you choose a name for a new #dinosaur ? #thefossilfiles #taxonomy

YouTube video by The Fossil Files Podcast

youtube.com

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 8d

It’s either April 1st or this is a sign of the impending apocalypse.

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler, Marta Mìrazón Lahr, Aidan O’Sullivan

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 9d

AMAZING JOB ALERT!!! Dorset Council are recruiting a World Heritage Officer to support the management of the Jurassic Coast! Would suit an Earth Science graduate with an interest in digital comms and content: deets here: www.jobs.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/vacancies/32...

World Heritage Officer in Dorchester | Dorset Council

View details and apply for this World Heritage Officer vacancy in Dorchester. Join a passionate and collaborative team at the heart of Dorset's environmental and heritage work. As part of the Dor...

www.jobs.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler, John R. Hutchinson

Stephan Spiekman @stephanspiekman.bsky.social · 9d

PhD position available at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin on avialan ontogeny (birds and their closest non-avian dinosaur relatives)!

jobs.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/jobposting/e...

42/2025 Research Associate with the goal of a doctorate (f/m/d)

jobs.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 10d

I’ll miss watching Chris Woakes - a wonderful cricketer & a great Brummie.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/s...

Farewell the Wizard: Chris Woakes could cast spells but let his cricket do the talking | Ali Martin

Chris Woakes always put the team first and hit the heights for England with an enviable Test career and two World Cup wins

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Prof Susie Maidment @tweetisaurus.bsky.social · 10d

I had an amazing time on the University of Birmingham palaeo field course to Utah last week. God I love you America... please don't break...

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

fesshole 🧻 @fesshole.bsky.social · 10d

Years ago I learned how to use em dashes appropriately, and using them in my writing has been a point of personal pride. Oh how the mighty have fallen — now everyone thinks I'm using ChatGPT.

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 11d

Guess we'll see what dupe pays a few million for what looks like a few limb bones and a lot of plastic? And like, we know what juvenile Triceratops skulls look like and it isn't that. news.artnet.com/art-world/ph...

Rare Baby Triceratops Fossil Poised for Mammoth Sale

The auction house renowned for selling contemporary art says its responding to "client demand" with the sale of a juvenile Triceratops.

news.artnet.com

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 13d

Coming to the end of another University of Birmingham Palaeontology undergraduate fieldtrip to Utah & Colorado. Thanks to the incredible @jlivelypaleo.bsky.social & @prehistoricmuseum.bsky.social team - we had an amazing time digging dinosaurs in the Cedar Mountain Formation.

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 21d

There was an error earlier today apparently - I understand it has been fixed and the early rate should be available until 11:59 pm Eastern Time. If people have paid the wrong rate then I'd suggest they drop the Business Office a message ([email protected]).

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 21d

Unfortunately this is simply the reality of what it costs to run a conference of this scale. It’s not making money!

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 22d

Sorry to hear it Bill - you’ll be missed!

Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 22d

Birmingham is built on the Triassic and our main logo for this year's conference features a Triassic reptile, a rhynchosaur, first described by Richard Owen in 1842 from Shropshire, just west of Birmingham.

We will be running two Triassic field trips this year, although both are now sold out

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 22d

Check out the provisional programme for #SVP2025 #2025SVP - the Triassic symposium was so popular they are running it for the entire day!

vertpaleo.org/wp-content/u...

vertpaleo.org

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 22d

This is one of those fossil specimens that when I saw it for the first time at SVP it literally made me gasp. A beautiful and very important specimen.

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 22d

Due to their bizarre dome-like skulls, pachycephalosaurs are among the most famous groups of #dinosaurs. Yet their fossil record is puzzling.

A remarkable new fossil from Mongolia is shedding light on the group's beginnings.

Latest for @sciam.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/olde...

Meet the Oldest Dome-Headed Dinosaur Ever Found

A newly discovered dinosaur species has been identified from a fossil unearthed in Mongolia that represents the most complete pachycephalosaur specimen yet found

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 22d

Meet the Oldest Dome-Headed Dinosaur Ever Found

A newly discovered dinosaur species has been identified from a fossil unearthed in Mongolia that represents the most complete pachycephalosaur specimen yet found

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Mark Witton @markwitton.bsky.social · 22d

A reminder about the #SVP2025 workshop "Palaeoart Past and Present: the view from the UK" for those last-minute early-bird [=cheap] conference registrants! It's shaping up to be a great one-day pre-conference event: please come along if you're a #paleoart fan attending SVP!

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Richard Butler @richardjbutler.bsky.social · 24d

Early registration (and the best possible rates) still open for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology annual meeting 2025 in Birmingham, but it closes on Thursday. Register now if you haven't already! #SVP2025 #2025SVP

vertpaleo.org/2025-registr...

2025 Registration Information – Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

vertpaleo.org

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler, Julie L. Lockwood

Brandon Samuel Whitley @brandonswhitley.bsky.social · 24d

Please share widely! The Natural History Museum Denmark @nhmdk.bsky.social is offering a PhD fellowship in collection-based Natural History Research, focused on dark taxa & unknown species, pref. including representatives of Danish flora, fauna or geology.

candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationI...

PhD fellowship in collection-based Natural History Research

Natural History Museum Denmark Faculty of SCIENCE University of Copenhagen   Natural History Museum Denmark invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in coll

candidate.hr-manager.net

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler, Elena Litchman

Jennifer Ouellette @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social · 24d

The death of dinosaurs dramatically re-engineered Earth's landscapes www.newscientist.com/article/2496...

The death of dinosaurs dramatically re-engineered Earth's landscapes

Changes in rock formations from before and after the mass extinction event 66 million years ago may reflect how dinosaurs acted as ecosystem engineers, shaping vegetation and even the meandering of ri...

www.newscientist.com

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Katie Collins @spissatella.bsky.social · 24d

If your work involves Big Palaeo Data, you should be *begging* people to publish little local studies of new observational data, jfc. Without that you have absolutely bupkiss. I say this as someone with a foot in both camps:

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Reposted by Richard J. Butler

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social · 25d

Reminder to everyone attending the upcoming annual meeting that the posters are *vertical* this year. Please see the link below for dimensions and design recommendations.

vertpaleo.org/poster-prese....

Poster Presentation Guidelines – Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

vertpaleo.org

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Reposted by Ana S. L. Rodrigues, Richard J. Butler, Margot C. Finn , and 1 more Ana S. L. Rodrigues, Richard J. Butler, Margot C. Finn, Michael H. Whitworth

Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social · 27d

Hey you. Wanna apply for a fellowship on collections? the AHRC Early career fellowships in cultural & heritage institutions are open!

The Natural History Museum priorities are below.

If you wanna talk birds, hit me up. Collectors, colonialism, Canada, Australia & more

www.ukri.org/opportunity/...

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