First PhD paper out!π
Dive in here to see how past frugivores and present human pressure jointly shape seed size distributions on Madagascar: doi.org/10.1111/ele....
Huge thanks to Alexander Zizka and my supervisor Renske Onstein @renskeonstein.bsky.social
. Excited to keep going on this journey!
Posts by Renske Onstein
Very proud of @acabral-bio.bsky.social and @yuansoup.bsky.social for defending their PhD theses at Leipzig Uni. Both experts in #frugivory, and #trait-based #ecology and #evolution! @idiv-research.bsky.social
Photo of a pair of fleshy seeds of ginkgo hanging in the tree, not yet dispersed. Photo by Scott Zona CCBYNC2.
The fleshy sarcotesta of Ginkgo biloba smells really nasty. Some biologists suggest that the stench evolved to attract scavenging dinosaurs (or ancient mammals), which dispersed the seeds. π€·ββοΈ Maybe. If so, that vile smell is the aroma of Jurassic death. π #dispersal #Ginkgoaceae #Botany πΎπ§ͺπ±
Very proud of @yuansoup.bsky.social on getting this PhD chapter published- a synthesis that started due to travel restrictions from COVID-19 but turned out to be very insightful, highlighting the botanical consequences of defaunation π¦π¦£π₯π₯
A new @natcomms.nature.com study led by iDiv alumna @adrianaalzate.bsky.social @naturalis.bsky.social uncovered that across >26,000 species evolutionary age is positively linked to range size, except in marine mammals.
#Biodiversity #Evolution #iDivResearch
www.idiv.de/older-specie...
Ever wonder about what spatial scale of biodiversity #eDNA 𧬠samples capture?
We did. So we used data from the 16-ha Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot π΅π· to investigate the spatial scale of soil eDNA samples for treeπ΄π³ diversity.
(Please share with #eDNA folks!)
www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
Weβre hiring a postdoc (2+ years) in macroecology and macroevolution in my new lab at CZU Prague: www.researchgate.net/job/1021667_...
Different scenarios on co-phylogenies.
Interesting for epidemiology as well as macroevolution and biogeography.
Rates of species interactions from co-phylogenies.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
π§ͺ βοΈ #Paleobio #EvoBio
*** Academic BFD alert ***
We just published a new global bird phylogeny. It synthesizes the work of thousands of researchers before us, and it will grow and improve over time. @snacktavish.bsky.social @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Ever wondered what explains the amazing fruit diversity in the custard apple family (Annonaceae)?
See what we found: nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@renskeonstein.bsky.social @hsauquet.bsky.social @ingolfkuehn.bsky.social @josephtobias.bsky.social @tlpcouvreur.bsky.social, and others!
A conceptual framework figure from Cabral et al. 2025 Seed-dispersing vertebrates and the abiotic environment shapefunctional diversity of the pantropical Annonaceae. New Phytologist
Heads-up for fans of trait-based models & trophic interactions! A fresh & fruity paper led superbly by Andressa Cabral & Renske Onstein @naturalis.bsky.social investigates the role of seed-dispersing animals in shaping pantropical plant diversity.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
In my latest interview for @botany.one, I present you the work of @renskeonstein.bsky.social, a researcher always looking for the "big picture" of plant evolution and biogeography #Botany #PlantScience #SciComm π§ͺπ
Renske's research is something you don't want to miss! botany.one/2025/03/rens...
A figure from a paper shows a DNA tree of palms in Asia - each part of the tree is colour coded to the area of Asia that those families are found. There are also pictures of two species of large palm, and pollen fossils both ancient and modern
Using 90-million-year-old pollen fossils and DNA from a vast collection of global herbarium specimens, @benkuhnhaeuser.bsky.social has been able to map the spread of rattan palms across Asia, and understand the drivers that led to their astonishing diversity π΄ποΈ
π www.kew.org/read-and-wat...
Itβs been a while since I shared some updates, but here we go! New place, new grant, and successful PhD defenses. Check out my (forgotten and lost) blog at onsteinison.wordpress.com
Zet hem alvast in je agenda: over een maand is het weer Schelpenteldag. Op 20 Nederlandse stranden (meer dan ooit!) kun je strandschelpen verzamelen en op naam laten brengen bij de Schelpdesk. Leuk, leerzaam, en je helpt de wetenschap.
www.naturetoday.com/intl/nl/natu...
Weβre hiring again! Our new Leader Systematic Botany role at Botanic Gardens of Sydney is an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive team of 15 scientists working on systematics, phylogenomics, and macroevolution of the Australian flora.
iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/leader-s...
Happy to share we have a new postdoc position in "Biogeography of genetic diversity changes or Macrogenetics" at @utu.fi to work on large-scale patterns of genetic diversity using Lepidoptera= moths and butterflies π¦π¦ Applications are open until March 10!
ats.talentadore.com/apply/tutkij...
π¦Job!π¦
#Postdoc integrating South East Asian butterfly collections with machine learning & ecological modelling!π
Join us @naturalis.bsky.social
Unlock the power of museum collections and drive innovation in biodiversity scienceππ¦
#butterflies #AI #ecology
πInfo: shorturl.at/xCM0t by 3 Mar 2025
if you are looking for a PhD opportunity in paleobiology, check it out here!
www.senckenberg.de/en/career/sc...
Our review is out in Nature Reviews Genetics! rdcu.be/d5AY2
We show how phylogeny-based methods can resolve the problem of non-independence in genomic datasets.
These methods must be considered an essential part of the comparative genomics toolkit.
@lauriebelch.bsky.social @stuwest.bsky.social
Me please!