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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · 6d

Nice News & Views by Hussam Zaher on the two new lepidosaur papers in Nature by Marke et al. and Benson et al.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Bonus = a reference to 'The Little Prince' ...

Mix-and-match fossils tell the tale of snake and lizard evolution

Little is known about the early history of lizards, snakes and their kin. New fossil discoveries reveal a complex evolutionary journey.

www.nature.com

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · 13d

Congrats!

(I see Belon’s bird in there…)

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Reposted by Jeff Wilson Mantilla

Ferwen @ferwen.bsky.social · 20d

Florentino Ameghino, the father of Argentinian paleontology, was born #OTD 1854. He became a national icon for his role in creating national science and culture. 🧪⚒️

wp.me/p3ihHu-Af #histsci

Florentino Ameghino, the father of Argentinian paleontology.

Florentino Ameghino was born on September 18, 1854. He came from a family of Italian immigrants who settled in 1854 in the town of Lujan, Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the extraction and exportati…

wp.me

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Reposted by Jeff Wilson Mantilla

Steve Brusatte @stevebrusatte.bsky.social · 25d

New York Times obituary for one of New York’s greatest characters. RIP Mark, and you’d enjoy the Romanian palinka we’re toasting in your honor tonight!

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/s...

Mark Norell, Who Studied Link Between Dinosaurs and Birds, Dies at 68

www.nytimes.com

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · 26d

They are examining part of the backbone of what I'm pretty sure is Omeisaurus tianfuensis. At center is the sacrum (in left lateral view), and on either side of it are the dorsal and caudal vertebrae. My suspicion is that this is specimen T5704 (see He et al., 1988: p. 9, fig. 1).

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · 26d

Thought I'd share this fantastic photo that Hailu You sent me last week of a U.S. paleontological delegation visit to ZIgong Dinosaur Museum in 1984. Some giants of our field here (studying a giant): Jack McIntosh (far right) Dong Zhiming & Sankar Chatterjee (next to JSM) and Philip Bjork (at left).

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · 27d

Link to his ghost lineages paper here: ajsonline.org/article/1241...

ajsonline.org

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · 27d

Joining the chorus of the many lamenting the passing of Mark Norell. We lost a great one! I admired his ability to combine field work, empirical work, and theory (e.g., ghost lineages). And with rock star aura. I also truly coveted his office—one of the greatest imaginable—the turret of the AMNH!

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Reposted by Jeff Wilson Mantilla

Rodrigo Figueroa @rodrigoichthys.bsky.social · Jun 18

If universities anywhere are hiring an Evolutionary Biologist/Paleontologist please let me know! I'm on the market for Tenure Track positions!!

You can find more about my research on fish evolution here: rtfigueroa.wixsite.com/my-site

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · Jul 12

Hagler-Hearns fight in Driver’s Ed

Utopia District @utopiadistrict.bsky.social · Jul 11

Name something you remember watching in this!

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · May 14

perhaps not surprisingly, given his attention to anatomical detail, Schaeffer was a fastidious editor

(from Colbert's 1984 biographical sketch www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...)

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · May 13

Currently enjoying Bobb Schaeffer's 1941 thesis on the evolution of the tetrapod tarsus . . . a really nice piece of work integrating anatomy, development, function, and ichnofossils across a broad range of taxa.

digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstreams/c...

illustrations of tetrapod ankle anlages during development

interpretations of reptilian ankle bones

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · May 9

Huh!
prg.is.titech.ac.jp/papers/pdf/j...

@headlab.bsky.social @macrostrat.org

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · May 7

Lovely new office succulent (Aloe brevifolia) courtesy of the UM Earth’s Mental Health Awareness Month! 👌🏽

Photograph of a small Aloe brevifolia plant

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · May 7

Great interview on WEMU with our own Julie Cole, Chair of Earth & Environmental Sciences at University of Michigan!

www.wemu.org/show/1st-fri...

1st Friday Focus on the Environment: Combatting climate change amid changes in federal policy and funding

Scientists, almost unanimously, cite climate change as an existential threat. There are differing opinions as to when we will reach a tipping point of no return. With the new federal administration at...

www.wemu.org

Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · May 5

those interested in El Eternauta can find pdfs of the original editions @archive.org

archive.org/details/El.E...

El Eternauta [I, II, III], OESTERHELD, H. G. & LÓPEZ, S. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Historieta argentina de ciencia ficción.El Eternauta (I)Publicada en Hora Cero Semanal desde 1957 a 1959.La trama se centra en una invasión alienígena a la...

archive.org

Reposted by Jeff Wilson Mantilla

Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · May 5

Thank you, AG Nessel, for making the right decision here.

www.freep.com/story/news/l...

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel drops all charges against University of Michigan Diag protesters

The case has been politically charged with calls for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to recuse herself.

www.freep.com

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Reposted by Jeff Wilson Mantilla

mariamontesinos.bsky.social @mariamontesinos.bsky.social · Dec 3

«El tiempo es la sustancia de que estoy hecho. El tiempo es un río que me arrebata, pero yo soy el río; es un tigre que me destroza, pero yo soy el tigre; es un fuego que me consume, pero yo soy el fuego. El mundo, desgraciadamente, es real; yo, desgraciadamente, soy Borges».
Jorge L. Borges

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · Apr 25

Congratulations to my friend Diego Pol for his well deserved induction into the Argentine National Academy of Science!

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · Apr 24

Congratulations Rodrigo!

rackham.umich.edu/discover-rac...

@rodrigoichthys.bsky.social

Announcing the 2024 ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Winners » Rackham Graduate School: University of Michigan

The Rackham Graduate School is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards.

rackham.umich.edu

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Reposted by Jeff Wilson Mantilla

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Apr 23

University of Michigan Regents come out squarely and publicly in defense of academic freedom against political coercion and the role of higher education and research in making America prosperous, secure ... and well ... maybe even Great? www.michigandaily.com/opinion/op-e...

In defense of our institutional independence

This University is a proud public university that belongs to all of us and generations to follow. It is a place to test ideas, shape futures and pursue, not prescribe, truth.

www.michigandaily.com

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Reposted by Jeff Wilson Mantilla

Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · Apr 21

Just announced: University of Michigan Faculty Senate resoundingly votes to support Big Ten academic mutual defense compact. 92.8% of over 3,000 votes.

Motion 1: Resolution to Establish a Mutual Defense Compact for the Universities of the Big Ten Academic Alliance in Defense of Academic Freedom, Institutional Integrity, and the Research Enterprise

Option Votes
Yes 2761 (92.8%)
No 214 (7.2%)

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · Apr 15

Excited for TODAY's annual E.C. Case Lecture, which will be delivered by Jenny McElwain (University of Dublin). Her lecture is "Exploring Earth's Dynamic Atmosphere and Ecosystems with Fossil Plants."

The lecture is open to the public, with a reception to follow (see poster). Hope to see you there!

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Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · Apr 11

This morning's episode of The Daily features the right wing activist behind the T administration's attacks on universities. An infuriating but valuable listen if you want to learn more about what U.S. universities are up against.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/p...

The Conservative Activist Pushing Trump to Attack U.S. Colleges

Christopher Rufo has helped inspire Republican messaging and bills on hot-button issues.

www.nytimes.com

Jeff Wilson Mantilla @diapophysis.bsky.social · Apr 10

Great editorial on why India doesn't have a natural history museum by UM Earth/UMMP Ph.D. Devapriya Chattopadhyay (now at IISER Pune).

www.nature.com/articles/d44...

Why does India still not have a natural history museum?

The absence of a national institution for biological and fossil collections threatens conservation in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots

www.nature.com

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