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Reposted by UAntwerp FunMorph

Simon Baeckens @simonbaeckens.bsky.social · Sep 8

Extreme climate events can catalyze rapid evolutionary change! in our new Current Biology (@currentbiology.bsky.social) piece, Colin and I argue it’s time to study their evolutionary consequences systematically — beyond opportunistic observations. www.cell.com/current-biol...

Evolutionary consequences of extreme climate events

Simon Baeckens and Colin Donihue review case studies of rapid evolutionary change in response to extreme climate events and sketch a framework for future studies in the rapidly changing climate of the...

www.cell.com

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Sep 8

You can now also follow us on LinkedIn! 👏 Check out the FunMorph Lab LinkedIn page here: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

#masterstudents #masterinbiology #universiteitantwerpen #biology #stem #science #biomechanics #palaeobiology #evolution #ecology #morphology #herpetology #mammalogy #ornitology #ichthyology | UAntwerp...

New LinkedIn, new academic year, and new master's students. So, let’s kick off this account with a preview of the topics our students will be working on this year! FunMorph is taking on more than a d...

www.linkedin.com

UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Sep 8

To help them with a smooth start, we organised an introduction session where they got the opportunity to present themselves and their project.

Keep an eye out for more updates from our lab, including the student projects, throughout the coming year!

#masterinbiology

UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Sep 8

Let’s kick off the new academic year! 🎉 FunMorph welcomes 12+ @uantwerpen.be master’s students this year, working with a very diverse set of study organisms, just like our lab members: boxfish 🐡, sharks 🦈, cats 🐆, otters 🦦, sealions, hippos 🦛, tapirs 🐱/🐴, snakes 🐍, lizards 🦎, ducks 🦆, canaries 🐤

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Journal of Zoology @jzoology.bsky.social · Jul 29

While both #island & mainland #lizards may recognize their own #scent and that of others — islanders tongue-flick much less, hinting at reduced reliance on chemical cues in island environments zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @uafunmorph.bsky.social @simon.baeckens.bsky.social

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arielcamp.bsky.social @arielcamp.bsky.social · Jul 31

Lukas Hageneder from @uafunmorph.bsky.social is studying how the tongue and skeleton of ducks interact to successfully filter food

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dr. Jamie A. MacLaren @palaeotheoryum.bsky.social · Jul 11

Today is the day!
#SEBExPalaeo will be live at #SEBCONFERENCE

9h30 in Nightingale 1&2
(follow signs for Bird Rooms)

Looking forward to seeing you for plenty of experimental #palaeontology #palaeobotany #3D #modelling and fun discussions!

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Jul 10

A lizard in sight whets the appetite? 🦎 Read how conspecifics influence island and mainland lizards’ foraging decisions in @UAFunMorph's new paper by Ioanna Gavriilidi! Link to the full article: authors.elsevier.com/a/1lPDn1LenM...

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Simon Baeckens @simonbaeckens.bsky.social · Jul 8

Another PhD chapter published for Ioanna Gavriilidi @uafunmorph.bsky.social, now in @jzoology.bsky.social! She finds that island-dwelling lizards tend to rely less on chemosensory cues compared to their mainland counterparts. zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

On the flick of the tongue: male island and mainland lizards' responses to self and conspecific chemical stimuli

We compared the chemosensory recognition abilities of mainland and island Italian wall lizards (Podarcis siculus). Both populations discriminated between self and conspecific scents, but island lizar...

zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Jul 8

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Without the locals’ aid: no evidence for a role of admixture in the colonisation success of Italian wall lizards - Oecologia

The successful establishment of small founding populations introduced into novel environments often represents a paradox, given the genetic challenges they face. Genetic admixture, whether intra- or i...

link.springer.com

UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Jul 8

New paper alert! 💥Check out the paper of FunMorph's Lisa Van Linden exploring the potential role of interspecific admixture during the colonisation of a small island by Italian wall #lizards using population #genomic analyses 🧬💻 Spoiler alert: they did it all by themselves! 🦎🏝️ See link below:

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Hugo Dutel @hugodutel.bsky.social · Mar 20

🗓️ Save the date!

26-28 May 2025 | Université de Bordeaux, France.

Symposium and workshop :
Biomechanical simulation techniques in evolutionary morphology and biomedical sciences.

More info and registration: www.eventbrite.fr/e/1263754958...

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Mar 21

This suggests beak adaptations for strength don’t necessarily reduce efficiency on easier foods. 🐤 Read the full study by PhD student Tim Andries here: doi.org/10.1242/jeb.... @jexpbiol.bsky.social #canaries #kinematics #morphology

Beak dimensions affect feeding performance within a granivorous songbird species

Summary: In canaries, individuals with greater beak depth were faster at dehusking large seeds. Unexpectedly, however, individuals with smaller beaks did not perform significantly better at processing...

doi.org

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Mar 21

Larger beaks generate more force for tough seeds, while smaller beaks move faster. We found that birds with larger beak depths dehusked large seeds faster, but smaller or longer beaks didn’t provide a processing advantage for small seeds. 💪⚡

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Mar 21

How do beak dimensions affect feeding performance in birds? 🐦 In our new study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, we studied 87 domestic canaries to test if beak size affects feeding performance—revealing a trade-off between force and speed. 🧵👇

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Mar 19

Final week of the @UAFunMorph Galápagos expedition! 🎥 Capturing high-speed footage of Darwin's finches while they feed and sing to study beak movement. Best of luck to Irene, Cas, and Jan for the final data collection! 🙌 We are grateful to our helpers and sponsors. #DarwinsFinches #Galapagos

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dr. Jamie A. MacLaren @palaeotheoryum.bsky.social · Feb 11

Two great scientists working on #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience! #PhD student Eleesha Annear and #Masters student Ilke Boutsen @UAFunMorph working on measuring #ungulate necks at the @africamuseumbe - exciting project results coming soon!
#ExPalaeo

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dr. Jamie A. MacLaren @palaeotheoryum.bsky.social · Feb 16

Do you work on experimental #biology to understand past organisms and ecosystems? Could your work be applicable to organisms in the #fossil record?
Perhaps the @sebiology.bsky.social Annual Meeting special session "Experimental Palaeontology" #SEB_ExPalaeo is something for you?! (1/n)

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dr. Jamie A. MacLaren @palaeotheoryum.bsky.social · Feb 1

Something is coming (back) this summer... in Antwerp... in July... 🇧🇪🦣🦕🌿🦠
More details to follow soon!
@narimanechatar.bsky.social
@peterfalkingham.com
@sesamoidstreet.bsky.social
@sebiology.bsky.social

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Maja Mielke @maja-mielke.bsky.social · Feb 6

Hard biting #birds are slow singers - which has more consequences than you might think!

In my newest article, published in The Conversation, you can learn about how beak size affects the singing and #evolution of songbirds. 🪶

theconversation.com/hard-bites-a...

#ornithology #scicomm #science

Hard bites and slow songs: How beak size affects the singing and evolution of songbirds

Researchers have discovered that massive beaks and strong bites hinder the velocity of beak movement in songbirds. The musical differences that result may have consequences for evolution.

theconversation.com

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Feb 6

Follow Maja and her research here: @maja-mielke.bsky.social 🐦🎨

UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Feb 6

[1/2] Hard biting #birds are slow singers - which has more consequences than you might think! 🪶 🐦
In her newest article, published in The Conversation, #UAFunMorph member Maja Mielke writes about how beak size affects the singing and #evolution of songbirds.

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Feb 6

[2/2] This piece features work from her own PhD project as well as that of FunMorph's PhD student Jana De Ridder.
theconversation.com/hard-bites-a...
#ornithology #bird #science

Hard bites and slow songs: How beak size affects the singing and evolution of songbirds

Researchers have discovered that massive beaks and strong bites hinder the velocity of beak movement in songbirds. The musical differences that result may have consequences for evolution.

theconversation.com

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Feb 6

[1/2] Hard biting #birds are slow singers - which has more consequences than you might think! 🪶 🐦
In her newest article, published in The Conversation, #UAFunMorph member Maja Mielke writes about how beak size affects the singing and #evolution of songbirds.

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Feb 6

More information about our labgroup and research topics can be found here: www.uantwerpen.be/en/research-...

FunMorph | Functional Morphology | University of Antwerp

www.uantwerpen.be

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UAntwerp FunMorph @uafunmorph.bsky.social · Feb 6

Hello world! The Functional Morphology Lab of the UAntwerp Biology Department is finally on Bluesky! Let us share with you our research, academic activities, and our passion for #science. 🦎🐦 🐟 🦩 🐓 👩‍🔬 🎓 👨‍🔬

Here are some of the animals that keep us busy at the moment.

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