Filippo Nicolini 🧬

The elusive genomic signature of tadpole shrimps’ ancient morphology Abstract. The tempo of evolutionary change varies widely across the tree of life, with some lineages undergoing extensive morphological diversification whi

NEW PAPER OUT 🖤 another one of pure comparative #genomics

We investigated the molecular & genome #evolution of tadpole shrimps, a group of #crustaceans with a sharp morphological stasis. Also sequenced 2 new genomes 🧬🦐

(the jackdaw picture is unralated)

royalsocietypublishing.org/rsbl/article...

Haplodiploidy has been repeatedly reported as one of the factors promoting altruism & eusociality in #insects 🐝🐜🪳

Well apparently it's not! Different statistical approaches find no relationships between the two, in this brand new phylogenetic work!

#bugsky #phylogenetics

doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

GBE | From Rigid Order to Radical Variation: Mitogenome Evolution in the Main Lineages of a Lesser-Known Animal Phylum (Gastrotricha)

Kosakyan et al. sequenced mitogenomes of species from the two main lineages of the Gastrotricha; they found stable mitogenomes in the mostly freshwater Chaetonotida, but a dynamic pattern in the the marine Macrodasyida.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evag001

#genome #evolution #mtDNA

Genome Biology and Evolution | February 2026 cover

The cover of February's issue of Genome Biology and Evolution features the work of Kosakyan et al. on the evolution of mitochondrial genomes in the Gastrotricha.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evag001

#genome #evolution #mtDNA

Ant-mediated biological control: a global meta-synthesis of antagonistic interactions against pests - Journal of Pest Science Ants’ deep and pervasive ecological impacts on terrestrial ecosystems also translate into several meaningful services and disservices for human activities, whose balance can often be complex to assess...

A gigantic work by some Italian colleagues on how ants have been used as biological control agents all around the globe: more than 180 published papers have been reviewed!

Guess what, also the story of our beloved red wood ant is mentioned 🫶🐜 #bugsky

doi.org/10.1007/s103...

Un viaggio all’origine dei sistemi nervosi Il nuovo progetto GRNevo, finanziato con un grant FIS-3 Advanced da 1,9 milioni di euro, studierà come si formano i neuroni durante lo sviluppo in specie animali molto distanti tra loro: dal moscerino...

Thrilled to share that I’ve been awarded a FIS-3 Advanced Grant (ERC-inspired) to study the evolution of neurogenic GRNs.
Recruiting soon: 4 postdocs + 3 PhDs
Press release in Italian — to decolonise scientific language 😄
magazine.unibo.it/it/articoli/...
Email me if interested in joining the lab

Independent origins of spicules reconcile paleontological and molecular evidence of sponge evolutionary history Sponges have a cryptic Ediacaran history because ancestral sponges were soft-bodied and had low fossilization potential.

Our latest: Independent origins of spicules reconcile paleontological and molecular evidence of sponge evolutionary history, led by @meleonora-rossi.bsky.social with help from friends @bristolpalaeo.bsky.social including @anariesgo.bsky.social @evopalaeo.bsky.social Davide Pisani and many others

Fluorescent microscopy images of several developing embryos of the Mediterranean mussel. In green are labelled sperm mitochondria. On the left column, mitochondria are aggregated near the cleavage furrow and indicate that the embryo will develop into a male. On the right column, mitochondria are sparsed in blastomeres and indicate that the embryo will develop into a female.

2/2🧵In the image below you can see embryos of the Mediterranean mussel🦪 under a fluorescent #microscope 🦑🖥️🧬🔬

In green are sperm mitochondria:
♂️ If they are aggregated (left column), the embryo will develop into a male
♀️ If they are dispersed (right column), the embryo will develop into a female

New insights into mitochondrial segregation from the Doubly Uniparental Inheritance system in bivalves - BMC Biology Background While nuclear genome segregation is well characterized, mechanisms underlying mitochondrial partitioning remain partially obscure, even though its failure can cause developmental arrest or ...

1/2🧵What a way to end 2025! NEW PAPER OUT with ppl from Uni of Bologna & @szndohrn.bsky.social

Did you know that some bivalves🦪 transmit mitochondria through both the maternal and paternal lines? We looked at molecular signatures of this through comp #genomics & #RNAseq 🖥️🧬🦑

doi.org/10.1186/s129...

#DBfeature

Wish our authors and readers a Happy Holiday & a fruitful 2026!🥳🥳🥳

Look mum, I'm famous! 🖥️🧬🐜

Thanks! I must admit that it took me longer to assemble this graphics rather than producing the tree itself 😆

A 3-plot panel with some statistics describing the invertober25 dataset. First plot: proportion of species per taxonomical class. Second plot: relationship between level of difficulty of each invertober species vs level of satisfaction of the final result. Third plot: gene occupancy table of the molecular dataset used fot the phylogeny.

2/2🧵 Call me a nerd, but my brain goes crazy for #phylogenetic trees: I find them elegant and easy to read! So I couldn't help but to draw one for my #invertober2025 wrap-up 🖥️🧬

I also run a series of basics stats 👀 see them below and find the full explanation on github.com/filonico/inv...

Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of species included in invertober2025, plus figures for each of them

1/2🧵 After >1 month I can finally share my #invertober2025 phylogenetic wrap-up!! Actually it was done weeks ago, but I just didn't have the time to put everything together. #phylogenetics 🖥️🧬

Find the full-size version plus caption and additional content on github.com/filonico/inv...

Title slide of the presentation, with Stevens' plates on the left and text on the right. The title is "Beyond sex chromosomes: how sexual processes shape genomes and molecules". Details about my current affiliation and the seminar are also given.

NM Stevens portrait

Just gave a seminar on the #genomics of #SexDet for students of the uni of Bologna.

I included these wonderful plates by Nettie M Stevens, the scientist who first linked XY chromosomes to SexDet: she was a woman and, guess what, she is rarely acknowledged for her work

#EndViolenceAgainstWomen

Ooow I see, I will consider it for sure 😯

OMG please don't drag me into another invert-based sci art event...what is #InverteFest?!

NEW pub in @science.org 🥳

Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?

For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.

We provide new evidence suggesting that...

🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

​A vectorial digital drawing of an Acherontia atropos, or Death's-head Hawkmoth, viewed from above and set against a pale blue background. The moth has large wings with a pattern of black, dark brown, and orange-yellow markings. The most distinctive feature is the thorax, which is marked with a skull-like pattern in tan, black, and yellow. The large abdomen is segmented with alternating black and orange-yellow bands. The text "invertobter2025 – Day 31" is in the bottom right corner.

This is the end 💥 I approached #invertober with no clear expectations, and now I can say it was exciting+painful+rewarding+exhausting! #SciArt

What's the most appropriate subject for Day 31 of #invertober2025 if not the death's-head hawk moth?

Stay tuned as I'll be publishing a wrap-up soon 👀

Ant systematics: past, present, and future Abstract. The classification of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) has progressed in waves since the first 17 species were described by Linnaeus in the 1758 ed

An impressive review on classification and study of #ants, taken from an historical perspective 🖥️🧬🐜 includes also loads of insightful sections 👀

#bugsky #phylogenetics

academic.oup.com/isd/article/...

MBE | Timing and Pattern of Early Diversification in Drosophilidae (Diptera)

Dias et al. used genetic data from 27 Drosophilidae species and 6 outgroups to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships of fruit flies, recovering Drosophilidae as nonmonophyletic, underscoring the need for taxonomic revision.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf269

#evobio #molbio #drosophila

And now I'm just missing the last invertober 🥹 I can finally rest

a cartoon character says " unacceptable " in front of a turtle ALT: a cartoon character says " unacceptable " in front of a turtle

I know I could've just drawn the head part of the worm coming out from the sand, but that was *unacceptable* for my OCD (see below for how to read this)

Eventually it's me to blame...

Also, that would have not complied with the rest of my invertober and the final project I have in mind 👀

BEHOLD y'all the hecking bloody bobbit worm, who finally decided to get out from their sand burrow for the begone Day 14 of #invertober2025 #MarineLife

This took way longer than I expected (3 sessions of 2+ hours each). The problem was not the body structure itself, but the freaking segments 💀

3/3 🧵 Sometimes I find myself wondering if I'm suited for this work (or maybe if this work is suited for me?), especially for the pace it demands.

I believe we can build a work culture that values both sustainable rhythms and good science. But will the rest of the (reasearch) world accept that?

2/3 🧵 Dont get me wrong, I'm not referring to research itself—which is truly beatiful and rewarding—but to the way we do it.

I was taught that scientific research takes time, that "in-depth thinking is in the end what the academic world is about". But then, how come ppl do the exact opposite??

screenshot of an editorial piece titled "Is it time to slow down? " by Meijer and Webster and published on Information Polity

1/3 🧵 Im entering my 2nd year as a postdoc, & since Ive started my journey in academia I can't help but asking myself:

is this work culture sustainable? is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?

Stimulating editorial with a stimulating book👇
doi.org/10.1177/1570...

[Continues below]

Just gonna put this here for now
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
bsky.app/profile/jlst...

Tote bag with the bust of Medusa watercolour drawing printed on it.

1 – digital drawing of the Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera alexandrae)

2 – watercolours of the European peacock butterfly (Vanessa io)

3 – watercolours of the bust of Medusa, by Bernini (I also printed a tote bag out of this 🥰)

4 – pencils of the bust of Louis XIV, by Bernini

Art train time🚆🎨

Next stops:
@dinoserious.bsky.social
@whistberry.bsky.social
@fossilforager.bsky.social
@hexerite.bsky.social

Ive always been keen on drawing nature-related stuff, but recently I found a very pleasant comfort zone in sculptures too.

Jump to comments for details of the drawings