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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson
@elinork.bsky.social
2.2K followers 1K following 45 posts
Scientist & artist. Prof at UMass Chan Med School & Broad Institute. Rice U alum. Founder of Zoonomia & DarwinsArk.org. Wants your dog’s DNA. And your cat’s! 🇸🇪🇳🇿🇺🇸
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Sep 6
We had a go at assessing domestication status of some bacteria in our paper and it made my brain hurt.
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Sep 5
We define domestication on the level of populations, not species, although we propose a way extend that to classify species.

We decided to leave the argument about whether dogs are actually a species to someone else, since we’d already spend 4 years on the paper.
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Sep 5
It’s probably still an impossible question to answer, of course, bc of all the absolutely fascinating gray areas. If the ancestral wolf population that was the origin of dogs is no longer around, but a possibly very phenotypically distinct population of grey wolves is, is that a yes or a no?
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Sep 5
This is an impossible question to answer without first coming up with a way to consistently define what you mean by a domestic species. So we did! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
A universally applicable definition for domestication | PNAS
The process of domestication is commonly perceived as a human achievement, and domestic species are typically assumed to be those under human contr...
www.pnas.org
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
neuroethology.org
International Society for Neuroethology @neuroethology.org · Jul 3
Elinor Karlsson kicked off our morning session: ‚Behavior Evolution: Mechanisms and Change‘ and introduced her research on dogs. Her research is driven by questions such as do breeds have distincive behaviors or how did a wolf become a dog?

@elinork.bsky.social

karlssonlab.org/about/people...
Elinor Karlsson, PhD
karlssonlab.org
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
carlbergstrom.com
Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Jun 26
Mass murderer.

(gift link)
Kennedy Withdraws U.S. Funding Pledge to International Vaccine Agency
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
harmitmalik.bsky.social
Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · Jun 23
Attending the GRC in Molecular mechanisms of evolution seems like such a privilege. Thanks to the chairs Dan Jarosz, Shelley Cooley & the vice-chairs Mia Levine and Joe Thornton. Opening session off to a great start with an introduction by @judithberman11.bsky.social that made me proud and cry. 1/
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
ianlmorgan.bsky.social
Ian L Morgan @ianlmorgan.bsky.social · Jun 20
Jay's "support" for early career researchers is breathtaking. It's worth taking a quick look at the list of NIH training grants/fellowships that have been terminated. Thanks to @noamross.net, @scott-delaney.bsky.social, and others for compiling these lists.
Airtable | Everyone's app platform
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airtable.com
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
jrossibarra.bsky.social
Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra @jrossibarra.bsky.social · Jun 5
My HPC team at UC Davis is hiring! Looking for an experienced sysadmin to help build and maintain clusters (hardware and software). HPC experience great, but if you’re an experienced sysadmin and willing to learn, please apply!

careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucdavis/...
An error has occurred.
careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
osteoconnor.bsky.social
Terry O'Connor @osteoconnor.bsky.social · May 16
Great stuff! Above all, the paper firmly nails 'domestication' as a phenomenon of populations, not (sub)species. Loud cheers.
gregerlarson.bsky.social
Greger Larson @gregerlarson.bsky.social · May 16
You know what the world absolutely does not need? Yet another definition for domestication. Get over yourselves people. C'mon!

Ok, maybe just one more. So much fun working with @elinork.bsky.social, Kathryn and Robin. www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
gregerlarson.bsky.social
Greger Larson @gregerlarson.bsky.social · May 16
You know what the world absolutely does not need? Yet another definition for domestication. Get over yourselves people. C'mon!

Ok, maybe just one more. So much fun working with @elinork.bsky.social, Kathryn and Robin. www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · May 15
Many years ago I ventured down a “what is domestication” rabbit hole w Kathryn Lord @gregerlarson.bsky.social & Robin Allaby. This is where we ended up! @pnas.org www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
A universally applicable definition for domestication | PNAS
The process of domestication is commonly perceived as a human achievement, and domestic species are typically assumed to be those under human contr...
www.pnas.org
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
bethstevenslab.bsky.social
Beth Stevens @bethstevenslab.bsky.social · May 9
Let’s get the word out about the importance of federal funding of curiosity -driven science
We all have similar stories to share
harvardbrainsci.bsky.social
Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · May 7
Protecting the Brain Requires Persistence
@bethstevenslab.bsky.social, NIH-supported investigator of Alzheimer’s and other disorders, explains how one discovery can lead to another.
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
Taking the long view on Alzheimer’s — Harvard Gazette %
Beth Stevens' work has built a foundation for new kinds of medicines to treat neurodegenerative diseases. "I was just following the science."
news.harvard.edu
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Reposted by Elinor Karlsson
carlzimmer.com
Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · May 1
Time to catch up on the past week’s news about science and medicine in the US. Whew. 1/10
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scienceunderground.bsky.social
The Science Underground @scienceunderground.bsky.social · Apr 29
Sometimes being uprooted lets you grow something bigger. 🌱

On April 1st, the three of us were laid off from our dream jobs as science communicators for the federal government.

But science communication is still alive and thriving. It’s just growing underground.

Follow us for more updates to come!
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craigandersn.bsky.social
Craig Anderson @craigandersn.bsky.social · Apr 24
@atjcagan.bsky.social it's a true pleasure to have Alex Cagan opening up the session on mutations across the tree of life. #MITS25
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Apr 24
My first Mutations In Time and Space meeting … this is a fantastic conference! #MITS25
craigandersn.bsky.social
Craig Anderson @craigandersn.bsky.social · Apr 24
Elinor Karlsson gets the audience engaged straight away! #MITS25
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umasschan.bsky.social
UMass Chan Medical School @umasschan.bsky.social · Apr 24
Elinor Karlsson, PhD, of @umasschan.bsky.social and @broadinstitute.org teams up with Hill’s Pet Nutrition to establish a comprehensive database of cat genomics: direc.to/nd8t

The Darwin’s Cats database will accelerate research and scientific breakthroughs. #cats #CatGenetics @elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson, PhD Cat, from Shutterstock
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scifri.bsky.social
Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · Apr 18
Scientists are asking cat owners nationwide to submit a tuft of fur and share details about their cat’s appearance, personality, and behavior. Dr. @elinork.bsky.social joins us to discuss the project and what we do and don’t know about #cat genetics.
Investigating Cat Behavior Through Genetics
With the help of cat owners, a new project investigates cats’ biology and aims to link some of their behaviors to their genes.
www.sciencefriday.com
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Mar 27
The Cape Buffalo has undergone major genetic shifts due to recent and ancient events. DNA analysis revealed 3 distinct population clusters, likely shaped by Holocene climate change and more recent human impacts like habitat fragmentation and disease. #2025MMM #RIP link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Geographical representation of the three clusters inferred in the study by Smitz et al. (2014). Blue corresponds to the Northern cluster (N), green to the Central cluster (C) and red to the Southern cluster (S). The sampling localities are: 1. Kruger, 2. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, 3. Niassa, 4. Limpopo, 5. Manguana, 6. Gorongosa, 7. Marromeu, 8. Nyakasanga, 9. Malilangwe, 10. Crooks Corner, 11. Mana Pools, 12. Gonarezhou, 13. Hwange, 14. Sengwe, 15. Victoria Falls, 16. Chobe, 17. Okavango Delta.
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Mar 27
The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) split from its Asian relatives (Bubalus spp.) ~7 million years ago. Fossils and DNA agree ➡️ Bovini arrived in Africa during the late Miocene, giving rise to a new branch of buffalos. #2025MMM link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Figure shows a phylogenetic tree resulting from the analysis of the full mitochondrial genome of 127 ruminants (including Syncerus caffer and other Bovini) using 16 fossil calibration points (indicated by yellow circles).
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Mar 27
Polar bears in the Svalbard Archipelago (Norway) have experienced rapid sea ice loss over the past few decades. Microsatellites from 622 polar bears living in this region in 1995-2016 (2 generations) show ⬇️ in genetic diversity + ⬆️ in relatedness over time. #2025MMM doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1741
Relationship between five time periods positively correlated with loss of sea ice (labelled 1-5 on x-axis; 1: 1995–1999; 2: 2000–2004; 3: 2005–2009; 4: 2010–2014; 5: 2015–2016) and mean observed heterozygosity (HO; top row), unbiased expected heterozygosity (HE; second row from the top), allelic richness (AR; second row from the bottom), and coefficient of relatedness (rw; bottom row). (A) Sampling area by time, (B) time period as a factor, and (C) time as a continuous variable. Colors in (A) and (C) correspond to the four sampling areas across the Svalbard Archipelago in Norway (NES: northeastern Svalbard; NWS: northwestern Svalbard; SES: southeastern Svalbard; SWS: southwestern Svalbard).
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Mar 27
Efforts to protect Saiga have been mixed-- they are susceptible to the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, which tragically killed more than 200,000 individuals in 2015 alone. Very high temp & humidity that year may have contributed to the die off. #2025MMM #RIP www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
2015 MME sites showing dates of onset and the location of the two sites studied in detail in the field. Inset shows the location of the three saiga populations within Kazakhstan (x and y units are longitude and latitude, respectively).
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Mar 27
European populations of Saiga have low variability of microsatellite loci, but highly variable mitochondrial control region and nuclear DNA-- why? Likely due to the overhunting of adult male Saiga in the early 1990s, which caused the loss of paternal lines #2025MMM research.ebsco.com/linkprocesso...
Median-joining network of the mtDNA CR haplotypes (920 bp) of the Northwest Pre-Caspian saiga population. The black circles indicate the samples of 1999–2000 (“Old”); the samples of 2010, 2011, 2016 are given in white (“New”). The red circles indicate the median vectors. The number of mutation positions is indicated above the branches, and the circles’ diameter is proportional to the samples’ number.
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elinork.bsky.social
Elinor Karlsson @elinork.bsky.social · Mar 27
How does puma diversity compare to other wild felids? A study on pumas, jaguars, and ocelots in Belize showed jaguars had the lowest genetic diversity, followed by pumas, then ocelots. Puma pops showed the most structure of the 3 cats across the fragmented landscape. #2025MMM doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Discriminant analyses of jaguar (left) and puma (right) samples across Belize. Different colors represent different populations. Jaguar samples show more overlap (less genetic structure) than pumas.
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