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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 23

We are so proud of you!

Stephan Spiekman @stephanspiekman.bsky.social · Jul 23

I am proud and grateful to present a dream project today in @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Meet #Mirasaura grauvogeli, a #wonderreptilewith skin appendages that rival feathers and hairs, challenging our view of reptile #evolution🪶🦎

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 23

7 minutes to go :)

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 23

Very exciting stuff about to be published by @stephanspiekman.bsky.social from @smnstuttgart.bsky.social and colleagues...watch this space for some major paleo news

a cartoon drawing of triassic island with a wooden gate

ALT: a cartoon drawing of triassic island with a wooden gate

media.tenor.com

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 23

Just a few hours left before the big reveal

Waiting Patient GIF

ALT: Waiting Patient GIF

media.tenor.com

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Stephan Spiekman @stephanspiekman.bsky.social · Jul 23

👀

Gabriel Ugueto @serpenillus.bsky.social · Jul 21

OMG I just got the heads up that later this week a really COOL paper will come out about an AMAZING NEW SPECIES

I did an illustration for it and I am SUPER excited for you to see it!

a cartoon character named spongebob is smiling and holding a shovel in his hand

ALT: a cartoon character named spongebob is smiling and holding a shovel in his hand

media.tenor.com

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

Sometimes one forgets the most obvious...thanks to @quentinwildlife.bsky.social, without whom this analysis would have never taken place! Many more fossil brains are to come, watch this space!

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Abdullah Gohar @gohar.bsky.social · Jul 2

Here is an amazing paloart by Tyler Stone

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

…and the accompanying models on MorphoMuseuM here:
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...

MorphoMuseuM - Articles

morphomuseum.com

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

You can find the paper here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

It was for me a first opportunity to work with @muvp-eg.bsky.social , i.e., @hesham-sallam.bsky.social and @gohar.bsky.social , which was a blast! Thank you as well to @gsferreira.bsky.social and all other co-authors not on Bluesky.

Gabriel S. Ferreira (he/his) (@gsferreira.bsky.social)

🇧🇷 in 🇩🇪, 🐢 virtual paleo, functional morph -researcher at Senckenberg HEP | sci. coordinator of 3D Imaging Lab of the Uni. Tübingen gabrielsferreira.com

gsferreira.bsky.social

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

Regarding the sense of smell, we basically found that no part of the olfactory apparatus was significantly reduced, indicating that these amphibious cetaceans most likely had a good nose (likely much better than ours), and that the reduction of this sense most likely came later in their evolution.

patrick star from spongebob squarepants smells real good up hea

ALT: patrick star from spongebob squarepants smells real good up hea

media.tenor.com

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

Comparing the relative volume of the brain endocast, we found that this early whale was quite brainy, which is a surprise, as the first cetaceans with big brains were so far understood to be the fully aquatic basilosaurids.

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

We addressed two aspects of cetacean evolution: their acquisition of a relatively big brain and the evolution of their sense of smell. As other mammals secondarily adapted to the aquatic environment, cetaceans have been assumed to reduce their sense of smell (which is air-born in this group).

a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open

ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open

media.tenor.com

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity.

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jul 2

Fossil brain 🧠🧟 of a 45-million-year-old cetacean! We are proud to publish‪ @journal-evo.bsky.social l the result of Elena Berger’s Bachelor’s thesis @smnstuttgart.bsky.social. Thread 👇
‬

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Raphael Moreno @stereospondyl.bsky.social · Jun 28

On thursday I successfully defended my PhD thesis on the diversity and ecology of Triassic temnospondyls at the @smnstuttgart.bsky.social and @unihohenheim.bsky.social On to more temnospondyl fun coming in the future.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this moment possible :D #temnospondone ✔️

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Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart @smnstuttgart.bsky.social · Jun 30

We congratulate our @stereospondyl.bsky.social on the successful defense of his PhD thesis! 🥳 We are looking forward to your further work!

Raphael Moreno @stereospondyl.bsky.social · Jun 28

On thursday I successfully defended my PhD thesis on the diversity and ecology of Triassic temnospondyls at the @smnstuttgart.bsky.social and @unihohenheim.bsky.social On to more temnospondyl fun coming in the future.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this moment possible :D #temnospondone ✔️

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Reposted by Eli Amson

Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart @smnstuttgart.bsky.social · May 16

#Science
Ameisen-Alarm! #Tapinomamagnum – wenn kleine Insekten große Probleme machen
Von flinken Krabblern, Citizen Science und der Frage “Ist das jetzt Tapinoma magnum?”

#ScienceBlog von Amelie Höcherl & Dr. Dominic Wanke - Entomologen am #SMNS

www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/forschung/sc...

Science Blog | Ameisen-Alarm! Tapinoma magnum

Informationen und Tipps zu den Problemen, die nicht heimische Ameisenart Tapinoma magnum machen kann und wie sie von anderen Ameisenarten zu unterscheiden ist.

www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Mar 12

The model of the exceptional skull of the extinct pygmy right whale is finally out (and openly accessible)!
www.morphomuseum.com/Articles/vie...

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Ricardo J Pereira @biodiversitysmns.bsky.social · Feb 18

Hello, BlueSky! 🦋 Excited to reconnect, exchange ideas, and build a collaborative space driven by curiosity and innovation.

We’re launching the Dept. of Biodiversity Monitoring at SMNS!🚀 Using museum & monitoring collections, we study genomic diversity 🧬 and species persistence in a changing world.

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Feb 19

If you are creative and want to become a Content Creator in an amazing museum, this 🚨job🚨 is for you @smnstuttgart.bsky.social
www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/stellen/deta...

Jobs | Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart

Offene Stellen

www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Feb 14

Just a few more days to apply :)

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jan 17

PhD position alert: join a diverse team of palaeontologists to study the evolution of temnospondyls! The PhD project @smnstuttgart.bsky.social will focus on bone microanatomy: lots of fun with thin-sections and CT in perspective. Whoever you are: don't hesitate to reach out!
tinyurl.com/msvntnd9

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Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jan 25

I'd be genuinely interested in a reference for the manatees' flatulence :)

Eli Amson @eliamson.bsky.social · Jan 23

and regarding this new paper, I was actually looking forward to it, to see how they constrained their volumetric estimation...I was disappointed to see that it's based on a drawing of what the authors think the silhouette looked like.

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