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Ammon Perkes

@alltheperkes.bsky.social

1.1K followers 160 following 380 posts

Computational ethologist (I like animals and coding). Ask me about vision based animal tracking. Other topics may include rock climbing, DnD, and parenting. PhD in cowbird courtship. Currently tracking clonal guppies in the Laskowski Lab at UC Davis.

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Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Apr 29

So I know there's a lot going on, BUT my paper just came out in AnBeh, so get in losers, we’re skeeting the science.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

tldr: @katelaskowski.bsky.social and I used Bayesian updating to model the winner effect and it’s a pretty good way to think about it

1/19 🧵

Bayesian updating for self-assessment explains social dominance and winner–loser effects

In animal contests, winners of previous contests often keep winning and losers keep losing. This coupling of previous experiences to future success, r…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 1d

If possible, i would try to get into communication (verbal if possible) with a program officer for the grfp. Not sure how hard that is these days, but i suspect they would be able to speak to what people need to do to “adhere to the administrations priorities” or whatever.

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Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 6d

I got to see Jane Goodall speak in a very small auditorium in Mississippi when I was like 10 years old. In retrospect, I don't know how we got her down there, but I will never forget her pulling out pitch perfect chimpanzee calls. It's honestly one of my most vivid childhood memories.

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 6d

‘A remarkable ability to inspire’: global tributes pour in for Jane Goodall

Barack Obama, Prince William and Tanzanian president among many to mark death of primatologist at age of 91

www.theguardian.com

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 8d

I have never heard someone pronounce FAFO out loud.

There are words never meant to be uttered.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 8d

“To our enemies: FAFO”

(holds for applause that doesn’t come)

Cringey awkward moment as Hegseth summons all 🇺🇸 generals to hear him do a one-man show about how strong we are

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 12d

"Thanks to everyone who asked questions. Let's all give one more round of applause for our speaker, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
...
Also, he still has a couple spots tomorrow, so please fill in your name on the google doc. We hope to see you all next week for *checks notes* the ghost of John McCain."

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 15d

Looking for a PhD? This is a dream opportunity with one of the coolest labs around.

Elizabeth Hobson @elizabethhobson.bsky.social · 15d

**PhD POSITIONS** I am recruiting 1-2 PhD students to work on sociality and cognition in Monk Parakeets, starting Fall 2026. Full ad is here: hobsonresearch.com/index.php/20... (please help spread the word!)

Reposted by Ammon Perkes

Elizabeth Hobson @elizabethhobson.bsky.social · 15d

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Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 16d

He's right tho. Name brand pain-killers? In this economy?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16d

Trump: "I just recommend strongly that you don't use Tylenol ... I just want to say it like it is. Don't take Tylenol. Don't take it! Fight like hell not to take it."

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 16d

It’s the same story every year: fall arrives and campus is crowded with a bunch of turkeys that don’t seem to know how to navigate a roundabout

UC Davis campus. the sidewalk is crowded with a bunch of new students, the street is crowded with about a dozen actual turkeys.

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 19d

Having kids is crazy. I worked on a paper all day today and managed to make the nearly final version of some figures. It was a ok day, productivity-wise.

In less than half that time, my friend gave birth to a child.

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 20d

Me: I wonder if there's a fun story behind this statistical concept...
Wikipedia: Oops, all eugenics!

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 24d

In retrospect, saying yes to my four-year-old standing on top of my head was a mistake.

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Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · 25d

This holiday season, get your kids the meme toy that they probably want? I don’t know.

A rack of skibbidy toilet action figures at Costco.

Reposted by Ammon Perkes

Casey terHorst @ecoevolab.bsky.social · Sep 8

The GRFP lives!! (due end of October)
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

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Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Sep 5

Animal style fries is just SoCal poutine

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Sep 4

As a side note, I’ve realized I have a thing about finishing video games. I’ve been putting off facing the final boss of Tunic for months, and somewhere out there, there’s a 20-year old PS1 memory card where Cloud got to Sephiroths doorstep but is still just faffing about looking for dragons.

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Sep 4

I made a list of all my in-progress academic papers and video games, sorted by expected number of hours to finish.

The fact that I have a paper that’s less than 0.5 Elden rings away from resubmission is actually pretty motivational.

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Reposted by Ammon Perkes

Anna-Liisa Laine @annaliisalaine.bsky.social · Sep 3

🚨 Postdoc opportunities! 🚨
We’re looking for postdocs in 🌿 biodiversity science, 🧬 genetic indicator assessment, and 📊 ecological statistics.

Join us in unraveling the drivers & consequences of global change on biodiversity — and be part of a supportive & collaborative environment!
DL 24 September

Research Centre For Ecological Change @rececochange.bsky.social · Sep 3

📢 Post doc! Want to join our team?

We are looking for 3 post docs in biodiversity science, genetic indicator assessment, and ecological statistics for a fixed term of 2 years!

Come unravel the drivers and consequences of global change on biodiversity with us!

DL 24.9.
#universityofhelsinki

3 Post doc positions in biodiversity science, genetic indicator assessment and ecological statistics

jobs.helsinki.fi

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Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Sep 2

"Well if you believe, you should eat fries with a spoon (fries with a spoooon)."

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Reposted by Ammon Perkes

Kashmir Hill @kashhill.bsky.social · Sep 2

Great story by my colleagues on the constant political realignment of Grok, the generative AI chatbot over on the other site.

This change to Grok’s answer about the greatest threat to Western civilization is particularly ironic/meta.

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/t...

Grok used to say that misinformation and disinformation were greatest threat to Western civilization. Elon Musk changed the answer to something more in line with his personal views: “demographic collapse.”

37 610 1.5K

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Sep 2

Andy Kaufman: Canadian in spirit?

At the very least, there’s decent odds he acted as a Canadian for 9 years or something as a bit.

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Reposted by Ammon Perkes

WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · Sep 2

Here are the Top 5 Dogs of August!

69 720 4.8K

Reposted by Ammon Perkes

Tanja Slotte @tanjaslotte.bsky.social · Sep 2

*Postdoc in Evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University*
We are recruiting a postdoc for a large interdisciplinary project to investigate evolutionary drivers and genomic consequences of pollen evolution in response to pollination mode shifts in flowering plants. 1/5

su.varbi.com/what:job/job...

Purple pollen visible in a dissected flower of Linum grandiflorum, flowering flax, an insect-pollinated species.

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Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Aug 30

Checking bluesky this Friday night:

a close up of a man 's face with water on his face .

Alt: a close up of Hawkeye from End Game, asking black widow not to give him hope.

media.tenor.com

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Aug 30

How many times do I need to preview the PDF, spot some error, and re-uploaded a file before I catch all the mistakes? 8.

Well, at least 8. We'll see what the reviewers come up with.

Ammon Perkes @alltheperkes.bsky.social · Aug 29

Lots of aspects of our checks and balances looking a bit limp-wristed of late, but grand juries were clearly a good idea.

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