Two versions of Cynthiacetus peruvianus. One bearing more a more whale-like oral setup, one more like terrestrial mammals.

A whole host of little spider-men? Someone should lock that Spider-MENACE up!!

I was given the honour of illustrating the press release art of the new basal enisferan: Hex hepta! described by 初音＆重音, (2026)

(paper linked at the end of the 🧵) (1/4)

Partial cranium of the balaenid Balaenella brachyrhynus Bisconti, 2005 A. RBINS M.2344 (Kattendijk Formation, Lower Pliocene; Vrasenedok, Belgium), right lateral view: photograph (A1), explanatory line drawing (A2), dorsal view: photograph (A3), explanatory line drawing (A4), posterodorsal (A5) and anterior (A6) views. B. NMB 42001 holotype (Kattendijk Formation, Lower Pliocene, Waaslandkanaal, Belgium), 3D model in right lateral (B1) and dorsal (B2) views provided for comparison. Grey shading indicates main parts covered with sediment; hatching, main break surfaces; red lines, shark bites marks; small blue spot, shark tooth tip interpreted as belonging to the bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788); red rectangles in A, the location of detailed photos shown in Figure 3; red rectangles in B, the corresponding preserved part in RBINS M.2344. Bite mark types (TI–V) follow Collareta et al. (2017a). Scale bars 100 mm.

Fig. 4. A, C, D. Monodontid Casatia sp. (RBINS M.1922) from Kattendijk Formation, Lower Pliocene, Vrasenedok, Belgium. A. Partial cranium in dorsal view (A1), detail of the rostrum base in dorsal view: photograph (A2), explanatory line drawing (A3). C. Fragment of the occipital shield in posterior view: photograph (C1), explanatory drawing (C2). D. Proximal part of a single-headed rib in lateral view: photograph (D1), explanatory drawing (D2). B. 3D model of the cranium of the Recent beluga Delphinapterus leucas Pallas, 1776 (USNM 305071) in dorsal (B1) and posterior (B2) views; to indicate the position of the preserved parts (model downloaded from Phenome10k). Red lines, shark bites marks; small blue spot, shark tooth tip interpreted as belonging to the extinct lamnid shark Carcharodon plicatilis (Agassiz, 1843). Bite mark types (TI–V) follow Collareta et al. (2017a). Scale bars A1, B, 100 mm; A2, A3, C, D, 50 mm.

Reconstructed bite sequence corresponding to the set of parallel bite marks observed on the occipital shield of the balaenid Balaenella brachyrhynus Bisconti, 2005 (RBINS M.2344). The shark tooth best matching the bite marks is the large (first) lower tooth of the bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (RBINS P.968, the Neogene of Antwerp). The proposed sequence includes: (I) contact of the principal cusp and at least five distal cusplets with the supraoccipital bone, followed by a movement of the shark’s jaws towards the right side of the whale cranium and at an angle with the tooth’s mesiodistal axis, (II) break of the tip of the principal cusp, with the tip remaining stuck in compact bone and related local broadening of the main bite mark, and (III) only the truncated principal cusp retains a contact with the bone, together with the more mesial part of the tooth crown, creating an additional mark posterior to the mark made by the principal cusp. The cranium of the holotype of B. brachyrhynus (NMB 42001) is shown in the same orientation to illustrate the position of the bite marks (red rectangle) and the direction of the bite. Large arrows, the proposed direction for the movement of the shark tooth; small arrows, the orientation of the whale cranium; red lines, shark bite marks; blue spot, broken shark tooth tip embedded in whale bone. Scale bar for the cranium 100 mm; interpretive drawings not to scale.

🧵OK it's time for some catch up on recent papers in marine mammal paleontology. First up, out yesterday - bite marks on dwarf baleen whale and a beluga from the early Pliocene (3-4 myo) of Belgium, Lambert et al. 1/ www.app.pan.pl/article/item...

Today I heard Paul Scofield, Senior Curator of Natural History at Canterbury Museum, give a public talk on moa resurrection and the museumʻs partnership with Colossal Biosciences (the “dire wolf” people).

Mammothssss

Fossil Whales of the Pacific Northwest and the Evolution of Baleen YouTube video by Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC)

#worldwhaleday Last week I was invited by @paleowin.bsky.social to give a lecture at her institution (SWOCC) on the evolution of whales. If you want to learn about about the origin of baleen and the importance of fossils from the Pacific Northwest, watch here: 🐬🦖🧪 www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7jg...

Congratulations to you both!!

A portrait of Teratornis merriami in coloured pencils against a blue backdrop.

A simple portrait of Teratornis merriami, done in coloured pencils

Got mine sorted 🫡

DinoCon

#DinoConUK 2026 happens at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on July 25th-26th and early indications are that it's gonna be huge. Tickets go on sale at our website TOMORROW. Be sure to get them early as we're anticipating a big turnout. www.dinocon.co.uk And follow @dinoconuk.bsky.social

This is Messapicetus gregarius from the Pisco Formation, a comically unserious animal.

This is a longirostrine basal Ziphiid (beaked whale) that, alongside the more typical enlarged teeth in the lower jaw tip, preserves a functional toothrow in both jaws!

(The crocodile is Piscogavialis!)

Today, the historic #HighSeasTreaty enters into force.

The majority of the high seas is deep sea.

As the COP process begins, the deep and the threats it faces must be at the center of implementation.

#BBNJ #DefendTheDeep

Vector illustration of Piscogavialis laberintoensis, a marine gharial from Miocene Peru, swooping through the water towards the viewer. The long snouted crocodilian has large, forward facing eyes and narrow, needle like teeth. It is dark grey with a stark white and coppery underbelly, and dark stripes down its back and tail. Text reads: Piscogavialis laberintoensis. Camila Zamora-Vega, Pedro E. Romero, Maria Urbina et al. "Exceptional fossils from Peru and an integrative phylogeny reconcile the evolutionary timing and mode of Gavialis and its kin" Biol Lett (2025) 21 (8): 20250238 Aug 6 2025

#Cenozoicpaleo2025 Meet Piscogavialis laberintoensis!

#paleoart #sciart #gharial

Cynthiacetus, my beloved!!

I see you also went home with one of Katrina's moa skulls?

A picture of green jay feathers (Cyanocorax luxuosus). They are all lined up and organized: primaries, secondaries, coverts, tail feathers. Most of the feathers are gray with a green tip.

I just stumbled upon featherbase, a database of feather pictures from a bunch of bird species.🪶

So pretty!

www.featherbase.info/zh/home

The snows have been surprisingly plentiful here. Hopefully some of it makes its way across the channel!

Like identifying trends in prehistoric animal rosters in games isn't... this feels like a distraction

I can’t believe an albatross just walked right by me… 😭🪶

The 野史 (or maybe actual history?) is that the British released them from the Government House, where they were being kept, right before the Japanese invaded to give them a chance

Congratulations!

Photo montage of Tinamus resonans sp. nov., a new species of tinamou from the montane forests of the Serra do Divisor, western Amazonia, Brazil. The species is distinguished by a unique combination of plumage pattern, vocal repertoire, and ecological characteristics, including a conspicuous dark slate facial mask, vivid rufous-cinnamon underparts, and a uniform brownish-gray back. Its vocalizations are remarkable, consisting of long and powerful songs that echo strikingly across the steep montane slopes, producing a characteristic resonant effect. The species was documented exclusively at higher elevations within a transitional zone between submontane and stunted forests, where the understory is densely structured by root mats. A preliminary population estimate, based on field detections and spatial extrapolation, suggests approximately 2,106 individuals restricted to the Serra do Divisor massif. Although no immediate anthropogenic pressures were observed within its range, the species may be highly vulnerable to climate change and to proposed infrastructure projects that threaten the integrity of this federally protected region. The discovery of T. resonans highlights the biological uniqueness of the Serra do Divisor, reinforces its status as a center of montane endemism, and underscores the critical importance of maintaining its long-term conservation.

Huge News from the Western Amazon: it's the year 2025 and we are still describing entirely new, strikingly-distinctive large-bodied bird species! Behold Tinamus resonans sp. nov. the Slaty-masked Tinamou mapress.com/zt/article/v... #Ornithology @tetzoo.bsky.social 🪶

Sounds like good things on the horizon then!

Not to mention the damage they do to local communities, ecosystems and the climate as a whole!

Updates on Wisdom, the oldest known living bird!

This whole situation has been baffling to watch.

Governments endorse greater protections for sharks amid concerns about overfishing Governments have adopted greater protections for over 70 species of sharks and rays at an international wildlife trade conference.

Governments endorse support for greater protections for sharks, rays | AP News

The Gigantopithecus segment is easily my favourite of the season, and potentially even of the series as a whole. Incredibly convincing GCI, interesting behaviour and a good story on top of it all.