Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 4d

Best part (besides the fossils)? Horses and ranch hands pitching in to move the fossil-rich rock matrix!
Fieldwork was led by co-author Michael Newbrey (Columbus State University, pictured in the second image pointing to the matrix). Images credit: Michael Newbrey
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 4d

Those shifts stacked up distinct layers: tough sandstone from the swift flows, and softer mudstone from calm water. Think of it like pages in a rock history book. Here’s the cool part: the best, fully connected fish fossils often appear exactly where a sandy layer meets a muddy one.

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 4d

Excavated from the Pisces Point locality of Scollard Formation in Alberta, Canada, ~67 million years old, Acronichthys maccognoi, newly reported in @science.org, was recovered from ancient water body that flipped seasonally between fast-flowing channels and quiet, still pools.

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

Here you go!

Marine origins and freshwater radiations of the otophysan fishes

Otophysans, known for their enhanced hearing enabled by the complex Weberian apparatus, comprise two-thirds of extant freshwater fish species. Previously, they were thought to have originated in fresh...

www.science.org

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

artwork by Ken Naganawa

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

Juan Liu et al. ,Marine origins and freshwater radiations of the otophysan fishes.Science390,65-69(2025).DOI:10.1126/science.adr4494

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

This tiny fossil helped rewrite the evolutionary timeline of 2/3 extant freshwater fish thanks to my collaborative US-Canada team @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social @ucmpberkeley.bsky.social @ualberta.bsky.social @michiganstateu.bsky.social @westernu.ca, Royal Tyrrell Museum, Columbus State University

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

Otophysans dispersed into fresh water at least twice. During the incursions, two parts of a Weberian ossicle fused into one, just like in modern otophysans. Computational models show this system was already functional back then, boosting hearing and paving the way for otophysans’ global success.

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

Until now, the story was: otophysans originated once, in freshwater, a long time ago — before Pangea even split apart.
But our study tells a different story. Our new data suggest otophysans actually originated ~150 million years ago — and in the ocean 🌊.
More data on @datadryad.bsky.social

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

Using synchrotron & microCT scans at the FAVE lab @tsengzj.bsky.social, @mcgilluniversity.bsky.social, and @CanadianLightSource, we saw something extraordinary: a set of tiny bones called the Weberian ossicles, part of the modified vertebral column to enhance hearing capbility.

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

The name:
🔹 Acro- = sharp, for its sharp hearing ability
🔹 ichthys = fish
🔹 maccagnoi honors volunteer John Maccagno, who spent countless hours sorting fossils at Royal Tyrrell Museum where the fossil specimens are housed.

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 5d

New in @science.org, meet Acronichthys maccagnoi, a new species from Late Creatacous Canada that changes what we know about the origins and evolution of one of the most successful fish groups on Earth.

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 11d

Student’s life is not getting easier!

Science Magazine @science.org · 11d

NSF today released instructions for the next round of applicants to its Graduate Research Fellowship Program. A key group—second-year Ph.D. students—is no longer eligible, and students who are still able to apply will face an unusually narrow timeframe. https://scim.ag/3KlQkQk

‘Completely shattered.’ Changes to NSF’s graduate student fellowship spur outcry

The announcement comes months later than usual, leaving many would-be applicants stranded

www.science.org

Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · 27d

what an extraordinary way to remember Mark!

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · Aug 22

Fascinating catfish and a great report!
Make sure to turn on the sound when you play the video. You won’t regret it! 😉

Science Magazine @science.org · Aug 22

Researchers have filmed thousands of climbing catfish scaling waterfalls, providing a rare insight into the daring migration of an enigmatic fish.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/4lDlFux

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Reposted by Juan Liu

University of California Museum of Paleontology @ucmpberkeley.bsky.social · Mar 11

Support science and the UCMP this Thursday during #CalBigGive! Pledge to support our Education & Outreach Program! Read more about our dedication to science and our diversity of STEM Ed resources on our blog:https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/2025/03/support-science-and-the-ucmp-during-cal-big-give/

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Reposted by Juan Liu

joeymaier 🌊 @joeymaier.bsky.social · Feb 13

Further coverage, this time from @smithsonianmag.bsky.social

www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/s...

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Reposted by Juan Liu

Z. Jack Tseng @tsengzj.bsky.social · Feb 12

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology issues statement on the recent Executive Orders and their impact on the SVP community.

We are now facing unprecedented, systemic challenges to scientific enterprise, its infrastructure, and the diverse people and communities that make it possible. The recent executive orders issued by the Office of the President of the United States threaten to directly harm our discipline and the people in it.

As paleontologists, we know that in times of upheaval, ecological communities that fare the best tend to be the most diverse. Analogously, our varied backgrounds and perspectives and our willingness to listen to and learn from each other have enabled us to adapt to challenges facing our discipline and our Society in the past. We believe that the best approach to overcoming these new challenges is to turn to our fundamental values and our mission, which includes facilitating the cooperation of all persons concerned with the history, evolution, ecology, comparative anatomy, and taxonomy of vertebrate animals. We take this moment to specifically support and affirm the right of all of our members and our non-member colleagues to conduct science and live their lives in safety and harmony, no matter their gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or citizenship status.

We encourage members in positions of safety and security to advocate for members who are not. Speak out in favor of research funding, evidence-based policies, and policies that ensure people of all identities receive equitable protections and opportunities. SVP leadership is actively working with other scientific organizations to respond to and mitigate the impact of these government actions on our members. We will continue to prioritize building and maintaining a diverse and inclusive vertebrate paleontology community where all feel welcome and are able to thrive.

The mission of our Society is primarily scientific in nature. We seek to advance the science of vertebrate paleontology throughout the world,

and foster the scientific, educational, and personal appreciation and understanding of vertebrate fossils and fossil sites. Several executive actions taken by the current presidential administration are antithetical to this mission, including the pause and audit of federal grant funding, the silencing of federal employees, the stripping of climate history data from government websites, the attempts to downsize the federal workforce, including departments charged with maintaining fossils and fossil sites, and attacks on academic freedom, climate change research, disabled people, transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people, immigrants, and endeavors for diversity, equity and inclusion. These actions, if successful, will impede our ability to carry out our mission and harm the broader practice of science.

The Society would like to gather additional information regarding the effects of recent federal action on paleontologists on the ground. To help us in this task, we ask that you share your experiences. We would like to know if you have been impacted or may be impacted by these executive actions. We recognize that at this point there is uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the federal funding audit, pending legal challenges, and other aspects of these executive actions, so you may not know the full impacts yet. This uncertainty itself is an impact. If you have been or might be impacted by these executive actions, please fill out this survey. Please also provide any ideas or suggestions, including areas of concern on which you believe the Society should focus.

Below we share some resources that you may find helpful when considering ways to support your colleagues and/or take action during these tumultuous times. We appreciate that this is a time full of uncertainty for many of you, especially those located in the United States, and we will do our best to keep you informed of Society actions.

In solidarity,
Stuart Sumida, SVP President, and the SVP Executive Comm.

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · Feb 12

🚨Calling all undergrads!🚨 The IB SURE program at UC Berkeley is a great chance to dive into cutting-edge research in Integrative Biology! 🔬🐟🌿 My lab has hosted two IB SURE students in the past— fun research, hands-on experience, & mentorship! #ResearchOpportunity #IBSURE

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · Jan 21

The remarkably similar-looking Noturus fish exhibit surprising variation in their Weberian ossicles, with significant associations to stem velocity and substrate type. This suggests that their auditory apparatus may adapt to specific microhabitats.

University of California Museum of Paleontology @ucmpberkeley.bsky.social · Jan 21

🐟 New research out today from UCMP PhD student, Jennifer Hoeflich (advised by Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social)! 🐟
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Small fish, large variation: Morphological diversity of Weberian apparatus in Noturus catfishes and ecological implications

The Weberian apparatus is a hearing specialization unique to the otophysan fishes, and an unexpected degree of morphological variation exists in species of the Noturus catfishes. Our aim in this stud...

anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Juan Liu

University of California Museum of Paleontology @ucmpberkeley.bsky.social · Jan 21

🐟 New research out today from UCMP PhD student, Jennifer Hoeflich (advised by Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social)! 🐟
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Small fish, large variation: Morphological diversity of Weberian apparatus in Noturus catfishes and ecological implications

The Weberian apparatus is a hearing specialization unique to the otophysan fishes, and an unexpected degree of morphological variation exists in species of the Noturus catfishes. Our aim in this stud...

anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · Jan 21

@ucmpberkeley.bsky.social @IB @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social @MVZ, @anatrecord.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1002/ar.2...

Small fish, large variation: Morphological diversity of Weberian apparatus in Noturus catfishes and ecological implications

The Weberian apparatus is a hearing specialization unique to the otophysan fishes, and an unexpected degree of morphological variation exists in species of the Noturus catfishes. Our aim in this stud...

doi.org

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · Jan 21

🎉 Published online today! 🐟 Thrilled to share FAM Lab PhD candidate Jennifer Hoeflich's thesis research! Using 3D GMM, she discovered that stream velocity & substrate influence ossicle morphology, suggesting acoustic adaptations to microhabitats. 🌊🪨🔬 #EcoMorphology #Ichthyology #Paleontology

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Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · Jan 15

R.I.P. 💐 obits.csnh.com/william-bill...

William "Bill" N Eschmeyer Obituary 2024 - Cremation Society of New Hampshire

View William "Bill" N Eschmeyer's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

obits.csnh.com

Juan Liu @liujuan.bsky.social · Nov 24

A vertebrate hard at work … dreaming of fish? 🐱💤🐠

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