Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Kayce Bell

Jeremy M. Brown @jembrown.bsky.social · 1d

Ok, we're down to the last 10 (!) spots available to register for #SSB2026 in Baton Rouge in January.

Who's in?

ssb2026.github.io

@systbiol.bsky.social

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Ted Stankowich @tedstankowich.bsky.social · 1d

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑢𝑠, the black rat. This globally distributed rodent is a classic tautonym and a key species in studies of #urbanecology, invasive biology, and zoonotic disease transmission. #TaxonomyTuesday #Systematics Photo: H. Zell

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Matthew L. Miller @matthewlmiller.bsky.social · 2d

My search for the Cassia crossbill, Idaho's endemic bird.

It's a bird shaped by an absence of squirrels.

A Search for the Cassia Crossbill, Idaho’s Endemic Bird

Endemic birds in Idaho? Meet the cassia crossbill, a bird shaped by lodgepole pine “islands” and an absence of squirrels.

blog.nature.org

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 5d

I love Flag Ponds and I've always had good luck there!

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Holly Moeller @mixotrophe.bsky.social · 5d

🚨GRFP DEADLINE ALERT!🚨 I missed this in my original solicitation read-through, so FYI 📣LETTERS ARE DUE BEFORE PROPOSALS📣 this year!

"Reference letters are due Friday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)."

www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 6d

I think you mean gargo

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Diego Lizcano @dlizcano.bsky.social · 8d

mammalcol is now on CRAN. Get easy access to the List of Mammal Species of Colombia using #mammalcol #R package #rstats
📦 dlizcano.github.io/mammalcol

Access to the List of Mammal Species of Colombia

The goal of mammalcol is to provide easy access to a meticulously structured dataset of Colombian mammal species in R. The 2025 update includes comprehensive, detailed species accounts, and distributi...

dlizcano.github.io

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 9d

Yes! there are almost 600 species of sucking lice that infest mammals.

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 9d

Some of you reached out after seeing this post and it has led to some promising leads! A re-up for this week in case someone with louse samples hasn't seen it yet! Many thanks and I'm happy to answer questions!
🧪

Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 15d

Hi! We need lice for our diversity and adaptation project. Specifically, we need lice from zebras, camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, guanacos) & aardvarks. If you or someone you know might have lice, I'm happy to discuss our inclusive collaboration plans!
sites.google.com/nhm.org/anop...

Mammals & Lice

We are interested in understanding what drives host-parasite relationships. We are using the Anoplura (sucking lice) parasite and mammalian host system to generate a comprehensive sucking louse phylog...

sites.google.com

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Black in Natural History Museums @blackinnhms.bsky.social · 10d

Join our 2025 hybrid BlackInNHMs week, including a 2 day convening at the American Museum of Natural History. Sign up for our BioBlitz, complete our scavenger hunt, share with your colleagues and support us to help power our mission. Event details: tinyurl.com/2025BlackInN..., tinyurl.com/2025BINHMs

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 12d

This application deadline is approaching! Students, apply for $ to collect data in the @nhm.org collections!
(you should contact relevant collections first and I haven't heard from anyone interested in mammals . . . 😢)
🧪

Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · Sep 4

October 1 deadline for @nhm.org Student Collections Study Award. Get some $$ to spend time collecting data in our collections, including @tarpits.org
Open to:
- current undergraduate and grad students
- *not* local to Los Angeles (international applicants welcome)
More:
nhm.org/student-coll...
🧪

Student Collections Study Award

The NHM Collections Study Awards provide funding for undergraduate and graduate students to visit and study the collections of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the La Brea Tar Pits & ...

nhm.org

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 12d

This is a good question, kind of looks like broader impacts?

Anny Chung (鍾彥儀) @yyachung.bsky.social · 12d

The wording of this part of the new #NSFGRFP solicitation is confusing to me. Is this a list of potential BI in addition to IM? Or is this actually a part of IM?

"Factors reviewers will consider in assessing the potential Intellectual Merit of the application and the applicant's potential to advance knowledge and understanding in one or more fields may include (but are not limited to):
- Increase participation in STEM
- Improve STEM education in schools through outreach and mentoring
- Increase public scientific literacy and public engagement with STEM through community outreach
- Increase collaboration among academia, industry, and other types of organizations
- Improve education and educator development - at any level - in STEM
- Improve the well-being of individuals in society
- Develop a globally competitive STEM workforce
- Improve national security
- Increase the economic competitiveness of the US
- Enhance infrastructure for research and education"

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Dr. Elizabeth Santos @lizmillermacroevo.bsky.social · 12d

2nd year grad students are no longer eligible to apply. Currently enrolled grad students must be in their first year, whether in a MS, BS-MS, or Ph.D.

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 13d

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but he's done some work on cutthroat and rainbow hybrids
www.isu.edu/biology/peop...

Ernest Keeley

Ernest R. Keeley, Ph.D. Professor Fish Ecology, Office number, phone number, email address, research, Teaching, Biographical Sketch, Research Sketch

www.isu.edu

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Anne Hilborn @annewhilborn.bsky.social · 14d

CA Biology job alert
My unit at the CA Dep of Fish and Wildlife is hiring a permanent position to write 5 year reviews for species listed under the CA Endangered Species Act.
Based in West Sacramento, currently 2x week in office.
I am happy to answer questions
calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/...

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 14d

Thank you! Shipping requires some paperwork, but the tariff stuff does not apply.

Reposted by Kayce Bell

RJ Millena @entomolrj.bsky.social · Jul 8

Our big review paper on strepsipteran systematics for Insect Systematics and Diversity is out! Hoping it's a helpful resource for anyone who needs it.

Strepsiptera systematics: past, present, and future

Abstract. The twisted-wing parasites (Strepsiptera Kirby) are among the most obscure and enigmatic orders in the Insecta. Strepsipterans are endoparasites

academic.oup.com

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 15d

Hi! We need lice for our diversity and adaptation project. Specifically, we need lice from zebras, camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, guanacos) & aardvarks. If you or someone you know might have lice, I'm happy to discuss our inclusive collaboration plans!
sites.google.com/nhm.org/anop...

Mammals & Lice

We are interested in understanding what drives host-parasite relationships. We are using the Anoplura (sucking lice) parasite and mammalian host system to generate a comprehensive sucking louse phylog...

sites.google.com

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 16d

Welp here we are again, fresh out of Archaeologists for Skype a Scientist matches.

This fall, we have matched 248 groups with Archaeologists for online Q&As. I have 38 more groups who need a match, but I'm out of Archaeologists!

Archaeologists! Please volunteer
www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html

a woman is smiling and holding a cup that says help me .

Alt: a woman is smiling and holding a cup that says help me .

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Dr. Stepfanie Aguillon 😷 @s-m-aguillon.bsky.social · 26d

The first Aguillon Lab paper is officially out in early view at Evolution!! Led by postdoc @devonderaad.bsky.social, we’ve explored the hybrid zone between black-headed and rose-breasted grosbeaks in the Great Plains. #ornithology #hybridization #speciation #evolution doi.org/10.1093/evol...

Figure 1A from the paper shows the distribution of black-headed (western) and rose-breasted grosbeaks (eastern) throughout North America. Small illustrations of males of each species are shown. Black-headed has a rusty orange breast and black head, while rose-breasted has a small reddish bib with a bright white belly. There is an inset map of South Dakota showing the transect across the hybrid zone

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Kayce Bell @kaycebell.bsky.social · 27d

Check out our new paper about digitizing the physical trait data from western North American mammals!
academic.oup.com/jmammal/adva...

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 27d

🦇 Outlined in a new paper published online in the Journal of Mammalogy, our Ranges Digitization Network will bring even more detail to digitized mammal collections in western North America, including biodiversity hot spots like L.A.: go.nhm.org/digitized-ma...

A work study student helps prepare specimens for digitization. There are many folks at the Museum that make Ranges possible, and there are even more volunteers helping out online at Zooniverse.

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Gwen Pearson @bug-gwen.bsky.social · 27d

Need a distraction from current events? I Got U.
Apparently pubic lice fluoresce under UV light! Link to research paper: www.cureus.com/articles/413... I need some EntoFriends to head to their collections with a UV light to confirm this 🤔🧪

A photo of 5 eerily glowing blue pubic lice on some poor man's crotch, taken by curious dermatologists.

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Reposted by Kayce Bell

Ted Stankowich @tedstankowich.bsky.social · 29d

It’s #TautonymTuesday! Meet Martes martes, the European pine marten. This agile #mustelid roams woodlands across Europe, known for its chestnut fur, bushy tail, and creamy throat patch. A classic tautonym in mammalian #taxonomy! #MartesMartes #CarnivoreEcology Photo: Dani Kropivnik

Pine marten standing at the base of a tree or log.

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