A short-snouted ‘sphenosuchian’ with unusual feeding anatomy demonstrates that ecological specialization occurred early in crocodylomorph evolution Abstract. The early evolution and diversification of Crocodylomorpha is a key component of vertebrate evolution on land but is somewhat poorly understood a

A short-snouted ‘sphenosuchian’ with unusual feeding anatomy demonstrates that ecological specialization occurred early in crocodylomorph evolution url: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

A new taxon of saurischian dinosaur from the Coelophysis Quarry of New Mexico, USA (Triassic: latest Norian or Rhaetian) highlights herrerasaurian diversity in the latest Triassic The most complete record of the earliest dinosaur lineages is from the Carnian from the higher latitudes of Pangea (e.g. present-day Brazil, Argentina), but dinosaurian assemblages from the upper sta...

A new taxon of saurischian dinosaur from the Coelophysis Quarry of New Mexico, USA (Triassic: latest Norian or Rhaetian) highlights herrerasaurian diversity in the latest Triassic - Srivastava - 2026 - Papers in Palaeontology - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

The axial skeleton of the tuatara (Rhynchocephalia: Sphenodon): insights on intraspecific variability, ontogeny, sexual dimorphism, and remarks on fossil taxa Abstract. As the sole living rhynchocephalian, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) provides important comparative information for fossil rhynchocephalians an

As the sole living genera of an ancient order of reptiles, tuataras are key for fossil comparisons of extinct species & modern lepidosaurs (lizards & snakes). Here, their axial skeleton is described in detail, offering new insights to this unique creature...Tuatar-ya interested? 🌍🧪👇

Infographic showing the main steps in the preparation and publication of 3D datasets.

How should I publish my digital fossil? Recommendations for the publication of comprehensive 3D datasets in palaeontological studies onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @daniajinn.bsky.social @mfnberlin.bsky.social @dfg.de @datadryad.bsky.social #FossilFriday

Lystrosaurus embryo!

Benoit J, Fernandez V, Botha J (2026) The first non-mammalian synapsid embryo from the Triassic of South Africa. PLoS One 21(4): e0345016. doi.org/10.1371/jour...

‼️🚨 Job Alert ‼️ 🚨
Two Post Doc Opportunities:

PDRA in Macroecology / Paleobiology
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

PDRA in Extinction & Conservation / Paleobiology
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Any questions, please get in touch! Closing date May 1st.

A special #fossilfriday, as we were visited by several of our illustrious Univ of Edinburgh paleontology alums!

Paige dePolo, Kim Kean, some scrawny balding guy in a flamboyant purple shirt, Sarah Shelley, @davfoff.bsky.social

What great students we've had & long may it continue!

Universities: get ready for the new normal - LSE Higher Education Research funding is being restructured. Student lives have fundamentally changed. Yet universities continue planning for minor adjustments to a model that no longer exists. Huw Morris examines two str...

Pretty grim reading on the future for
UK academia: blogs.lse.ac.uk/highereducat...

Stellenausschreibung für eine Postdoc-Position (m/w/d) in Temnospondyl-Geochemie am Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart.

The Stuttgart Natural History Museum is offering a postdoc position (m/f/d) in Temnospondyl Geochemistry

E 13 TV-L, 100 %, 2 years

Application deadline: March 8th, 2026

➡ Further information: https://t1p.de/nwrfi

Congrats to Ewan Bodenham @stephanspiekman.bsky.social @tweetisaurus.bsky.social Paul Upchurch & @pdmannion.bsky.social on describing Galahadosuchus, a new crocodylomorph from Triassic Gloucestershire. Reconstruction: @sketchy-raptor.bsky.social

anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Meet Galahadosuchus jonesi, a new crocodylomorph from the Late Triassic of the UK, described by @es-ucl.bsky.social & @nhm-london.bsky.social PhD student Ewan Bodenham (with @stephanspiekman.bsky.social, @tweetisaurus.bsky.social & Paul Upchurch): anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

The billion-dollar case for sustaining palaeontology’s digital databases - Nature Ecology & Evolution The authors survey community palaeontological databases, documenting their contributions to science as well as their vulnerabilities, and provide recommendations for the future of open science databas...

What do we want?
Fossil databases! 🐚🦕
When do we want them?
Forever! 🗓️
Nice new paper highlighting how academic funding systems and digital architecture need to change, to ensure we can protect and sustain our precious fossil data 📚
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Formation, preservation, and interpretation of dinosaur tracks The fossilized tracks of dinosaurs were first reported in the scientific literature in 1836, not long after Buckland's discovery of Megalosaurus. Tracks record aspects of dinosaur locomotion, diversi...

Ever wanted to know what the fossil record of trackways can tell us about past life? Well look no further than this excellent review paper in Palaeontology by the one & only @peterfalkingham.com and the legendary Stephen Gatesy: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Petrified Forest National Park: Route 66 & Park History YouTube video by Safe Travels

youtu.be/KBRFqFpzryY?...

A hidden diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous Europe - Nature New results indicate that rhabdodontids and the previously described Ajkaceratops are actually distinctive European ceratopsians, a group better known from Asia and North America.

Out in @nature.com today, we shake up the ornithischian family tree. Remember those weird Late Cretaceous iguanodontians, the rhabdodontids? Well they're weird because they aren't iguanodontians. They're ceratopsians. Well, at least some of them are... www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Petrified Forest National Park: Dinosaurs, Paleontology & Geology YouTube video by Safe Travels

youtu.be/7YjYd_e67wA?...

The best dinosaur discoveries of 2025 We’re in a golden era for dinosaur science.

I wrote a piece for @theconversation.com about the top dinosaur discoveries of 2025, featuring Zavacephale, Istiorachis, Spicomellus, Nanotyrannus and Huayracursor. Research from @tweetisaurus.bsky.social @valdosaurus.bsky.social, Lindsay Zanno and more:

theconversation.com/the-best-din...

Our first follow up from the Science paper: New paper on tooth morphology in the Grippia Bonebed - the oldest and most diverse Mesozoic marine tetrapod ecosystem. Paper open access here: njg.geologi.no/publications...

Yes, you CAN go back in time! This StoryMap allows readers to experience several hundred million years of Earth history in just minutes with a scroll-driven animation. Happy GIS Day too!
ow.ly/ZjFV50XsVbc

Want to know how the team did it?
ow.ly/gC3k50XsVQY

⚒️ 🧪 #gischat #geogsky #geogchat 🌎 🌍 🌏

Then we have the Triassic symposium in the room with the massive screen... @elsa-panciroli.bsky.social, @stephanspiekman.bsky.social, and @davfoff.bsky.social shown here..

Sign the Petition Save Geology at the University of Leicester

Save Geology at the University of Leicester

PhyloWeaver – Interactive phylogenetic tree editor Edit and visualize phylogenetic trees directly in your browser. PhyloWeaver lets you interactively rearrange tree topologies and export high-quality figures for publications and presentations.

I’ve released a tool to sketch and edit phylogenetic trees!
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/

Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.

An Edinburgh family photo at the @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social meeting.

Soon after we lost my PhD advisor Mark Norell, it was special to be surrounded by the students and postdocs I’ve supervised!

When it comes to dinosaurs, was Orwell right? In his novel Animal Farm, Orwell’s character claims: “Four legs good, two legs bad.” Would the tyrannosaurs agree? Or did...

cordis.europa.eu/article/id/4...

Check out this #CORDIScovery podcast on how we study extinct animals, ecosystem and evolution in deep time. I greatly enjoyed learning and discussing our EU funded projects: #ECODIV, #DINODAWN, #MAPAS with @johnrhutchinson.bsky.social and Sara Varela!

When it comes to dinosaurs, was Orwell right? In his novel Animal Farm, Orwell’s character claims: “Four legs good, two legs bad.” Would the tyrannosaurs agree? Or did...

#CORDIScovery podcast about my #DAWNDINOS Triassic-Jurassic archosaur locomotor biomechanics project, @davfoff.bsky.social's #ECODIV mass extinction/diversity/ecosystems project, Prof. Sara Varela's #MAPAS climate/biogeography/macroevolution project. Nice synergy! cordis.europa.eu/article/id/4...

Thanks to @svp_vertpaleo @uob_gees @unibirmingham @charmouthhcc @lymemuseum @dorsetmuseum to make it all possible!

Pre-SVP Exploring the Jurassic Coast field trip with amazing group of people led by @kirstymedgar.bsky.social & @davfoff.bsky.social. We explored classic fossil, geological and historical sights, fossil hunting and had a full British culinary and weather experience! #SVP2025 #2025SVP

The first #SVP2025 #2025SVP field trip has left, with @kirstymedgar.bsky.social & @davfoff.bsky.social leading a group to the Jurassic Coast of Dorset! I guess it’s too late to have second thoughts about hosting this conference now…

Integrative biodiversity discovery | Natural History Museum An introduction to field collection, laboratory analysis and phylogenomics.

New @nhm-london.bsky.social 5-day course on integrative biodiversity discovery! Learn how to collect specimens, obtain genomic data, and interpret biodiversity using cutting edge phylogenomic analysis. It's free, and aimed at early career researchers: www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/...