🧪 🐟 at bed recovering from a cold and spend the last 7h watching Pluribus to find out that zebrafish research showed an evolutionary conserved role for oxytocin as a key regulator of basic empathic behaviors across vertebrates 🙌🏼 Now I won't feel that bad about all these hours I spent watching TV 😬
Evolutionarily conserved role of oxytocin in social fear contagion in zebrafish
Oxytocin plays an evolutionarily conserved role for as a regulator of basic empathic behaviors across vertebrates.
www.science.org
December 30, 2025 at 2:50 AM
🧪 🐟 at bed recovering from a cold and spend the last 7h watching Pluribus to find out that zebrafish research showed an evolutionary conserved role for oxytocin as a key regulator of basic empathic behaviors across vertebrates 🙌🏼 Now I won't feel that bad about all these hours I spent watching TV 😬
More #invertfest fun, here's Antos! Also Mort, but rats are definitely vertebrates. Lol.
December 29, 2025 at 8:55 PM
More #invertfest fun, here's Antos! Also Mort, but rats are definitely vertebrates. Lol.
found competition in the forms of Riojasuchus, equal in size to Powellvenator, it might have been a Facultative biped, meaning it ran not on 4 legs but on 2, allowing it to keep up with the smaller vertebrates it preyed on, to escape it's own predators, and to dart in and steal from the kills of-
December 28, 2025 at 10:09 PM
found competition in the forms of Riojasuchus, equal in size to Powellvenator, it might have been a Facultative biped, meaning it ran not on 4 legs but on 2, allowing it to keep up with the smaller vertebrates it preyed on, to escape it's own predators, and to dart in and steal from the kills of-
It took me surprisingly long (in retrospect) to realize that the Triassic is quite different from the Jurassic and Cretaceous in terms of which are the dominant vertebrates on land.
December 28, 2025 at 9:38 PM
It took me surprisingly long (in retrospect) to realize that the Triassic is quite different from the Jurassic and Cretaceous in terms of which are the dominant vertebrates on land.
That first pic is my favorite. RE pic #2: I've long found it interesting that nonhooman vertebrates can move their ears independently of each other. Hoomans can't do that; we don't have the requisite ear flaps. But just imagine being able to move one ear forward & the other backward simultaneously!
December 28, 2025 at 4:23 PM
That first pic is my favorite. RE pic #2: I've long found it interesting that nonhooman vertebrates can move their ears independently of each other. Hoomans can't do that; we don't have the requisite ear flaps. But just imagine being able to move one ear forward & the other backward simultaneously!
A cone snail is of course also an animal – that should read four of five *vertebrates*.
iucncongress2025.org/newsroom/all...
iucncongress2025.org/newsroom/all...
December 28, 2025 at 1:15 AM
A cone snail is of course also an animal – that should read four of five *vertebrates*.
iucncongress2025.org/newsroom/all...
iucncongress2025.org/newsroom/all...
It makes the "if" rather more unlikely, in that our experience of consciousness is innately bound up with being - as a species, if not each one of us - mortal individuals that reproduce.
Pain, love, grief, fear, joy - likely the basic hardware for those evolved early on in vertebrates.
Pain, love, grief, fear, joy - likely the basic hardware for those evolved early on in vertebrates.
December 27, 2025 at 4:15 PM
It makes the "if" rather more unlikely, in that our experience of consciousness is innately bound up with being - as a species, if not each one of us - mortal individuals that reproduce.
Pain, love, grief, fear, joy - likely the basic hardware for those evolved early on in vertebrates.
Pain, love, grief, fear, joy - likely the basic hardware for those evolved early on in vertebrates.
Guo et al. (2025, 10月 Oct., Heliyon)（オープンアクセス open access）
「隠された繋がりを明らかに：半索動物と脊椎動物は驚くべきミトコンドリアの類似性を共有する」
Unveiling the hidden connection: Hemichordates and vertebrates share surprising mitochondrial similarities
doi.org/10.1016/j.he...
「隠された繋がりを明らかに：半索動物と脊椎動物は驚くべきミトコンドリアの類似性を共有する」
Unveiling the hidden connection: Hemichordates and vertebrates share surprising mitochondrial similarities
doi.org/10.1016/j.he...
December 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Guo et al. (2025, 10月 Oct., Heliyon)（オープンアクセス open access）
「隠された繋がりを明らかに：半索動物と脊椎動物は驚くべきミトコンドリアの類似性を共有する」
Unveiling the hidden connection: Hemichordates and vertebrates share surprising mitochondrial similarities
doi.org/10.1016/j.he...
「隠された繋がりを明らかに：半索動物と脊椎動物は驚くべきミトコンドリアの類似性を共有する」
Unveiling the hidden connection: Hemichordates and vertebrates share surprising mitochondrial similarities
doi.org/10.1016/j.he...
Makes you wonder if the meds ran dry, or he got some extra.
Meanwhile, nothing says peace prize like dropping bombs on Christmas.
Somehow, congress is cool with this, and we the people haven't recalled those muppets, and replaced them with vertebrates.
Meanwhile, nothing says peace prize like dropping bombs on Christmas.
Somehow, congress is cool with this, and we the people haven't recalled those muppets, and replaced them with vertebrates.
December 27, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Makes you wonder if the meds ran dry, or he got some extra.
Meanwhile, nothing says peace prize like dropping bombs on Christmas.
Somehow, congress is cool with this, and we the people haven't recalled those muppets, and replaced them with vertebrates.
Meanwhile, nothing says peace prize like dropping bombs on Christmas.
Somehow, congress is cool with this, and we the people haven't recalled those muppets, and replaced them with vertebrates.
Given that distribution across vertebrates, I am going with "this is probably a trait we inherited from the last common ancestor of all.yhosr species", which puts the evolution of that trait at least as far back as amphibians, maybe as far back as the emergence of tetrapods!
December 27, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Given that distribution across vertebrates, I am going with "this is probably a trait we inherited from the last common ancestor of all.yhosr species", which puts the evolution of that trait at least as far back as amphibians, maybe as far back as the emergence of tetrapods!
This covers *checks notes* most vertebrates.
Seriously, not only is "not taking the L gracefully" a nearly universal human trait - especially in those who do not actively practice this muscle - but in my experience cats, crows, bearded dragons, bears, horses, and dogs have the same problem.
Seriously, not only is "not taking the L gracefully" a nearly universal human trait - especially in those who do not actively practice this muscle - but in my experience cats, crows, bearded dragons, bears, horses, and dogs have the same problem.
Some people are just constitutionally incapable of taking the L gracefully lmao
December 27, 2025 at 3:24 AM
This covers *checks notes* most vertebrates.
Seriously, not only is "not taking the L gracefully" a nearly universal human trait - especially in those who do not actively practice this muscle - but in my experience cats, crows, bearded dragons, bears, horses, and dogs have the same problem.
Seriously, not only is "not taking the L gracefully" a nearly universal human trait - especially in those who do not actively practice this muscle - but in my experience cats, crows, bearded dragons, bears, horses, and dogs have the same problem.
I did not pick one and I also could not fit all the stickers I got onto the laptop so I have more in reserve 🦋🐦🌿
December 26, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I did not pick one and I also could not fit all the stickers I got onto the laptop so I have more in reserve 🦋🐦🌿
Sumatran slow lorises (Nycticebus hilleri) consume insects, nectar, and tree gums supplemented with fruit and small vertebrates. Threatened by habitat loss; tree loss exposes them, making them vulnerable to illegal collection for the pet trade. Endangered. Photo: ©Royle Safaris/iNaturalist/CC4.0.
December 26, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Sumatran slow lorises (Nycticebus hilleri) consume insects, nectar, and tree gums supplemented with fruit and small vertebrates. Threatened by habitat loss; tree loss exposes them, making them vulnerable to illegal collection for the pet trade. Endangered. Photo: ©Royle Safaris/iNaturalist/CC4.0.
All it takes is a few billion vertebrates having a moment of joy or just not utter misery, and it brings out the Elder Thing in him. A satisfying solstice to you and yours. Big year ahead, no doubt.
December 26, 2025 at 4:40 AM
All it takes is a few billion vertebrates having a moment of joy or just not utter misery, and it brings out the Elder Thing in him. A satisfying solstice to you and yours. Big year ahead, no doubt.
Predation risk-induced stress in vertebrates: Are ungulates equally susceptible? HormBehav
Predation risk-induced stress in vertebrates: Are ungulates equally susceptible?
Publication date: January 2026
Source: Hormones and Behavior, Volume 177
Author(s): Cecilia Tomasulo, Maria Losada, Marta Kołodziej-Sobocińska, Krzysztof Schmidt
dlvr.it
December 26, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Predation risk-induced stress in vertebrates: Are ungulates equally susceptible? HormBehav
Pentastomida is a bizarre group of respiratory parasites sometimes called "tongue worms"–for a long time their taxonomy was unclear, but recent studies point to them being crustaceans (as un-crustacean-like as they appear)! Most infect reptiles (especially snakes), but some infect other vertebrates.
![A preserved specimen of Armillifer armillatus, a pentastomid ("tongue worm"). It appears a light orange hue, and the segments of its body look like a corkscrew. Below reads a tag "Coll. Heymons. Armillifer armillatus (Wyman) aus [from] Python sebae".
Credit: José Grau de Puerto Montt, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Armillifer_armillatus.jpg](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bgxcxgp53ail6kazun2ewbvm/bafkreid5mzm56nfozjbomwx24mqw3oe6innu22zhx5yvnbed5b7wfkiq7i@jpeg)
December 25, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Pentastomida is a bizarre group of respiratory parasites sometimes called "tongue worms"–for a long time their taxonomy was unclear, but recent studies point to them being crustaceans (as un-crustacean-like as they appear)! Most infect reptiles (especially snakes), but some infect other vertebrates.
😲😲 I thought we were the only people (oh, including sharks so ... only vertebrates) who light our gingerbread houses on fire!
December 25, 2025 at 4:53 AM
😲😲 I thought we were the only people (oh, including sharks so ... only vertebrates) who light our gingerbread houses on fire!
We can also dispute whether dragons can be described as 'land vertebrates'. Their greater dispersal ability is likely to free them from impacts of localised land-use change.
December 24, 2025 at 11:03 PM
We can also dispute whether dragons can be described as 'land vertebrates'. Their greater dispersal ability is likely to free them from impacts of localised land-use change.
Hagfish olfactory repertoire illuminates lineage-specific diversification of olfaction in basal vertebrates - @cellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
Hagfish olfactory repertoire illuminates lineage-specific diversification of olfaction in basal vertebrates
Evolutionary biology; Genomics; Molecular biology; Zoology
www.cell.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Hagfish olfactory repertoire illuminates lineage-specific diversification of olfaction in basal vertebrates - @cellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
Predation risk-induced stress in vertebrates: Are ungulates equally susceptible? HormBehav
Predation risk-induced stress in vertebrates: Are ungulates equally susceptible?
Publication date: January 2026
Source: Hormones and Behavior, Volume 177
Author(s): Cecilia Tomasulo, Maria Losada, Marta Kołodziej-Sobocińska, Krzysztof Schmidt
dlvr.it
December 24, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Predation risk-induced stress in vertebrates: Are ungulates equally susceptible? HormBehav
but what if the pain is still felt? imagine tanking more bullets than what would kill most hardy vertebrates lol
December 24, 2025 at 7:34 PM
but what if the pain is still felt? imagine tanking more bullets than what would kill most hardy vertebrates lol
The OED says "feet", but later "all vertebrates". It's a little weird for humans to be both tetrapods and bipeds. I guess we have 4 feet in greek and 2 feet in latin.
December 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM
The OED says "feet", but later "all vertebrates". It's a little weird for humans to be both tetrapods and bipeds. I guess we have 4 feet in greek and 2 feet in latin.
my hot take on this fact is that we didn't discover that fish don't exist, or that the other vertebrates aren't fish, we discovered that lobe finned fish aren't fish
(I don't know what this makes non-tetrapodal lobe finned fish)
(I don't know what this makes non-tetrapodal lobe finned fish)
December 24, 2025 at 4:13 PM
my hot take on this fact is that we didn't discover that fish don't exist, or that the other vertebrates aren't fish, we discovered that lobe finned fish aren't fish
(I don't know what this makes non-tetrapodal lobe finned fish)
(I don't know what this makes non-tetrapodal lobe finned fish)
Nope. You’re taking the Latin too literally—the group doesn’t refer to feet, but rather to the ancient evolutionary lineage of vertebrates with four limbs (400 Mya). “Tetrapoda” is a formal group of vertebrates which includes all living vertebrates. Even snakes, which evolved from 4-limbed animals.
December 24, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Nope. You’re taking the Latin too literally—the group doesn’t refer to feet, but rather to the ancient evolutionary lineage of vertebrates with four limbs (400 Mya). “Tetrapoda” is a formal group of vertebrates which includes all living vertebrates. Even snakes, which evolved from 4-limbed animals.
People without an instinctual revulsion to insects are so weird to me. The idea of more than 1 wasp being near me makes me want to literally die. I love wildlife I’ve fed squirrels and rabbits during winter and made friends with them but insects don’t have a social brain structure like vertebrates
December 24, 2025 at 8:29 AM
People without an instinctual revulsion to insects are so weird to me. The idea of more than 1 wasp being near me makes me want to literally die. I love wildlife I’ve fed squirrels and rabbits during winter and made friends with them but insects don’t have a social brain structure like vertebrates