Hey y’all!

Been very hectic lately in my life, haven’t been able to read as much as I hoped so no book of the month.

I highly recommend not only this book, but the series as a whole. If you feel rightfully terrified about the state of the world please remember, in the words of Suzanne Colins, “snow may fall, but the sun also rises”. Life will be okay, change is slow and scary but we will be okay. 3/3

It stands as a fantastic prequel, shedding light on the other books and makes me want to re-read them in a new way. I genuinely cried through out most of this book, it’s brilliantly written to be very dark for the adult audience but still readable for a young adult audience.
/2

(Belated) Book of the Month: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (spoiler free!)

I adore the Hunger Games serious for a myriad of reasons, but this is a prime example of why. I believe it is a highly important work of fiction in today’s world. Especially America. /1

Met so many amazing people from different degrees and backgrounds, listened to fantastic talks (including one from @stevebrusatte.bsky.social!!!) and went a very exciting field trip. Thank you so much to the people who set it up

SAPS! Had an absolutely wonderful weekend at Edinburgh for the FIRST EVER SAPS CONFERENCE!!! Such an honour to be a part of what will no doubt be an essential event for undergraduate students interested in palaeontology.

It’s a brilliant piece of fiction rivalled solely by its predecessor Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.
Fans of classics, dinosaurs and fiction should all read this book.
3/3

It’s better suited to higher level readers but it’s short and worth the time either way.
The writing is definitely of its time and might be uncomfortable for some but I believe it’s important to read books like this and think about how times have changed.
I recommend reading this iconic book/2

February’s Book of the Month: The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

This is a revolutionary book that ended up giving us the franchise Jurassic Park. Conan-Doyle’s writing is impeccable and his story telling is iconic. I was captivated by every moment and immediately invested in the characters/1

Palaeontologist. My favourite chapter is the one on (spoiler alert) biomechanics and my favourite quote is “Palaeontologists have always been afraid of numbers.”
Truer words have never been spoken 😂 3/3

People of a range of reading abilities.

I’m a huge fan of Benton’s writing style because of his expertise, relatability and inspiration. He expresses ideas clearly and inspiringly. While it’s best for people new to the field (professionally or personally), I’d recommend it as essential to any /2

Book of the Month: The Dinosaurs Rediscovered by Michael J Benton

This book is an excellent introduction to those who are looking to learn about how we make new discoveries in the field of dinosaur based palaeontology. It’s good for people new to the field and is written to be understood by /1

If you’re American please get in contact with your state representatives and whoever in government you can! This is beyond ridiculous

Decided to play Metazooa and guessed it in 7 guesses. It’s a really fun game to play to pass some time and test yourself on your knowledge of relationships between taxa!

For those who don’t know:

His definition is based on what genitalia you have at conception. Which is female. For everyone. The phenotypic male genitalia develops around 7 weeks after conception.

Just realised, Trump’s new definition of female and male (which is NOT the scientific distinction between them) makes him technically the first female president…
This government isn’t something to take lightly but it is laughable

Pride in Nature: LGBTQ+ Bridging Binaries Tour Our volunteer guides share their personal selection of fascinating stories about gender and sex in the animal world at the Museum of Zoology

I just spotted that there will be 4 FREE Pride in Nature guided tours at the University of Cambridge's Museum of Zoology during LGBTQ+ History Month: Sat 1, Sat 8, Sat 15, & Sun 23 Feb . . .

🐧🌈🦒 #queer #PrideInSTEM #LGBTHM #LGBTQHM @zoologymuseum.bsky.social

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pride-in-n...

This is *so* cool on how early, long-tailed pterosaurs stabilised their tails in flight. I love that this evidence has been sitting in the fossils all along, there just hadn't been the technology to see if until now.

THIS!!! Please read, even if you think a book is old and you’re “late”. This is how classics survive, this is how new writers learn, and they are the foundation of most modern media. The book isn’t too old, it’s surviving. You aren’t late, you’re growing.

Additional comment just to personally say thank you to @edyong209.bsky.social for writing this book. It has helped me through something personal and I am forever changed as both a scientist and individual because of An Immense World. 💙

It is arguably one of, if not, the best book I have had the pleasure of reading. The anecdotal insights, the humour, the knowledge, and the brilliant existential weight all tie this book together. My outlook on life has definitely changed for the better. 3/3

I’d argue it’s a worthwhile read for anyone at any level of scientific understanding but might be difficult for those who don’t read a lot. I’d still recommend you try or put it on a reading list for later! It also contains infrequent swearing so may not be appropriate for younger readers. 2

Book of the Month: An Immense World by Ed Yong

It covers the astonishing array of senses that exist and their intricacies. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to expand their view of the world. Every biologist, zoologist and philosopher should read this book. 1

I read a lot. I want others to explore reading too. I’m starting a “Book of the Month” that I’ll post at the end of each month. It will be a book I have read that month, and have a bit of information so you can decide if it’s of interest. Let me know if you decide to read any of them!

Happy Holidays y’all!
Enjoy some REALLY small fossils that I got to look at and photograph. Some photos were from me and some were from @ethanoclinford.bsky.social

40,000-year-old plankton under a scanning electron microscope 🔬

Micro sample: Eocene, Oamuru, New Zealand (diatoms, radiolarians, sponge spicules).

Arguments for interpreting the vertebrate functional neck as an exaptation for terrestriality | Lethaia Idunn is Scandinavian University Press’ (Universitetsforlaget) digital publishing platform for academic journals and books.

Mauro L. Triques and Martin L. Christoffersen (2024)
Arguments for interpreting the vertebrate functional neck as an exaptation for terrestriality
Lethaia 57(4):
doi: doi.org/10.18261/let...
www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261...

Co-option of neck muscles supported the vertebrate water-to-land transition - Nature Communications The evolutionary water-to-land transition involved the separation of the skull from the pectoral girdle, though these musculoskeletal changes have not been deeply characterised. Here they show that th...

Heude, E., Dutel, H., Sanchez-Garrido, F. et al. Co-option of neck muscles supported the vertebrate water-to-land transition. Nat Commun 15, 10564 (2024). doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Here’s a cheetah and dog duo who deserve the world!