Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥

@jcampbellsmith.bsky.social

1.9K followers 270 following 310 posts

Behavioral ecologist, corvid expert, artist, and all around zoology/behavior nerd. I draw, hunt with pointy birds, teach, science, and explore. Views are my own. 🪶🌿🐕🔬👩🏻‍🏫🧭🎨

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 14h

I would so live in that hole.

1 2

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 14h

I FINALLY saw a wild ringtail with my own eyes. I was unreasonably excited and it was amazing and it was so cute!

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 15h

Big agree

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve been there so many times.

2 1

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 2d

They are probably the closest morphologically. They are really old as a genus.

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 2d

I’m reminded of this @adamtots.bsky.social comic. So freaking true.

1 2 14

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 2d

My field assistants helping investigate the stomach contents, and therefore the diet, of the modern pygmy Allosaurus. These small theropods seem to have a pretty varied diet!

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 3d

@windfalcon.bsky.social

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 3d

My friend Todd’s paper on cassowary casques was published in @amornith.bsky.social’s journal Ornithology, “Species-specific casque shapes in the genus Casuarius and implications for visual display.” He had me do the scientific illustrations for the paper 😊

academic.oup.com/auk/advance-...

6 33 150

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 3d

Thinking about it and doing posters

1 2

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 4d

Every organism on this planet shares a common ancestor 😊

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 5d

See the alt text for each number's name and some short descriptions.

1. Eukaryotic Cell
2. Multicellular Eukaryote
3. First bilateral organism - represented by Ikaria
4. First chordate
5. First bones - represented by Astraspis
6. First jaws - represented by Quinodus
7. First lobed fins - represented by Eusthenopteron
8. First tetrapods - represented by Tiktaalik
9. First land vertebrates - represented by Ichthyostega
10. First amniotes - represented by Archaeothyris
11. First synapsids - represented by Dimetrodon
12. First cynodonts - represented by Cynognathus
13. First mammals - represented by Megazostrodon
14. First placental mammals - represented by Juramaia
15. First carnivorans - represented by a Miacid
16. First canids - represented by Prohesperocyon
17. First canines - represented by Leptocyon
18. First canis - represented by Eucyon
The skulls in the ground represent carnivorous mammal and mammal-like animals of the past whose lineages went extinct, having no descendents alive today.
19. Gorgonopsid skull - the gorgonopsids went extinct about 252 million years ago.
20. Saber-toothed cat skull - the saber-toothed cats went extinct about 10,000 years ago.
21. Hyaenodon skull - the hyaenodonts went extinct about 17 million years ago.
22. Borophagus skull - a Borophagine canid, a group whose extinction about 1.8 million years ago left ecological niches open for the rise of the canines we see today.

23. Coyote - Canis latrans evolved during the Pleistocene epoch around 2 million years ago. Thought to have evolved from Canis lepophagus (“rabbit-eating dogs”) which also gave rise to the golden jackal, these canids roamed North America 1.7 million years before our species, Homo sapiens, even evolved in Africa. Coyotes persist today, despite our species’ altering of the environment and pointed attempts to eliminate them.

4 35

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 5d

"I Contain Multitudes"

This digitally painted piece honors coyote by tracing its lineage from the first cells of life to the animal trotting our cities and the wilderness today.

The thread gives descriptions of all the extinct organisms shown in this piece (not to scale)

This digitally painted piece honors the survivor spirit of the coyote by tracing its lineage from the first cells of life to the animal trotting our landscapes today. Below the horizon, carefully chosen ancestors mark pivotal moments in adaptation, each contributing to the form and survivor we see today. Above the horizon, Coyote stands alert at the center, framed by both Denver’s skyline and a mountain backdrop, symbols of their ability to thrive in cities as well as wilderness. Embedded in the ground are the skulls and bones of carnivores whose lineages ended long ago, emphasizing Coyote’s persistence in contrast.

17 510 1.2K

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 8d

I wonder, if fungi could ever see all the photos we take and admire of them, would they wonder why we are so obsessed with dick picks of them 🤔

“My mycelia are down here 🙄”

1 9 56

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 11d

When they were reconstructed as just “theropods with sorta sail” I was like “eh”. But newt-shaped alligator guy? Love it!

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 11d

I wasn’t interested in them that much until the evidence showed them to be this guy. Now I love them ❤️

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 11d

My 40th birthday present to myself, because I’m an adult and I can buy myself cool dinosaur figures.

7 4 56

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 11d

My birthday happens to be on #WorldCassowaryDay, something that my friend Todd, who researches them, will never let me forget 😂❤️

Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Sep 27

For #WorldCassowaryDay:
Double-wattled #Cassowary recorded in Illustrated Scroll of Birds (Chōrui zukan) Vol.1, Meiji Japan late 19th c. Native to New Guinea/NE Australia/Aru Islands, first imported by Dutch traders in 1646.
Harvard Art Museums 1985.721.1: harvardartmuseums.org/collections/...

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 11d

Last weekend I went fishing with some friends. I took both of the boys and…some fishing DID occur. My friend did a sketch of how it went.

One son was flinging sticks and one was VERY mad I wouldn’t let him get in the deep, cold lake, clothed.

Thank you so much @spainimation.bsky.social 😂😂

An image of a coyote family. The mom trying to fish while one child yells “MOM MOM MOM” while holding a stick. The other child is crying/screaming while clinging to the mom’s legs.

My oldest…collecting sticks to building things, throw, poke, and be a general menace with. I was to watch all of this according to him.

My youngest, who desperately wanted to be IN the very cold, deep lake and who LET ME KNOW he was mad that I wouldn’t let him.

13 89

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 12d

I actually guffawed 😂😂

domi @domi.zip · 13d

I finally cleaned up my messy cablework

2 skeletons, on left with veins, arteries, lymph nodes as they are in the body; on right with them being represented as straight cables like in the arranged neatly next to each other like in a server room

1 11

Reposted by Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥

Rosemary Mosco @rosemarymosco.com · 15d

Irruption.

A four-panel comic. In panel 1, two people are standing outside, facing each other; one is wearing an orange tshirt and one is wearing a green tshirt and a pair of binoculars. The first person says "I heard there's going to be a Red-breasted Nuthatch eruption. Should I be worried?" In panel 2, the second person says "No, it's an irruption - an unusual movement of birds into areas where they aren't usually found. It's great for birders." The first person says "No, I think they said-" In panel 3, both people look alarmed as the ground beneath them begins to rumble. in panel 4, the ground erupts and hundreds of Red-breasted Nuthatches shoot into the sky, lifting the two people into the air.

23 320 1.9K

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 15d

I love everything about this. The shapes, the pose, and the clearly carefully chosen designs. Wonderful work!

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 15d

@sailorrooscout.bsky.social ?

1 2

Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 @jcampbellsmith.bsky.social · 15d

I have an independent study student working on phagocytosis in white blood cells. We need a microbiologist who can help us with details of her methodology (whole blood). Anyone here work with or know anyone who works with culturing white blood cells to monitor their phagocytic activity?

1 3 6

Reposted by Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥

Marjorie James Keenan @unenthusiast.com · 16d

Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart

19 910 2.8K