Leilton Luna

My lab is hiring a 2-yr hummingbird evolution and genomics postdoc and a 1-yr salaried research and lab tech. Both with full U. Wyoming benefits. Please spread the word! Info below. Best consideration date Nov 1, start dates early Spring 2026.

🥳 My latest digest for Evolution is now available online!

Digest: Postzygotic isolation barriers stabilize a hybrid zone between two grosbeak species
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...

Original paper: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...

#ornithology

Digest: Complex influences on an adaptive trait in birds Abstract. Ausprey et al. (2025) investigated the relationship between vision, an adaptive trait in birds, and nest construction. Eye size was correlated wi

academic.oup.com/evolut/artic...
Correlated evolution between nest architecture and the visual system of Passerine birds
#nesting #evosky #ecology #ornithology

The Running Novelist If I wanted to have a long life as a writer, I needed to find a way to stay in shape.

Haruki Murakami was about to turn 30 when a thought occurred to him: “You know what? I could try writing a novel.” Then he realized, “If I wanted to have a long life as a novelist, I needed to find a way to stay in shape.”

The hidden effects of genetic purging in Galápagos Mockingbirds Exploring patterns of genetic load across island populations.

New story on the Avian Hybrids blog!

The hidden effects of genetic purging in Galápagos Mockingbirds
avianhybrids.wordpress.com/2025/10/01/t...

Based on the Molecular Ecology study by Jakub Vlček, Sebastian Espinoza-Ulloa and their colleagues | #ornithology

Are you a PhD student ready to publish a paper? Submit your research to our journal today & enter one of our new journal prizes, celebrating PhD student work in #Botany or #Biology !🧪🌍👇
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/p...
@linneansociety.bsky.social

Wild bird numbers continue to fall in UK with some species in ‘dramatic freefall’ Species index fell by 4% between 2019 and 2024 – although data shows woodland populations beginning to stabilise

Not good. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Now published in Cell! We found that ~15% of SNPs from divergent refs did not liftover as SNPs in the gray fox ref—half mapped to monomorphic sites, half failed to map. Co-authored with Matthew Genchev, @elliecat.bsky.social, and @jazlynmooney.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Insect populations are declining at an unprecedented rate The most diverse group of organisms on the planet are in trouble and the consequences could be dire.

I still think this #SciComm deserves a #Pulitzer.

#InsectApocalypse
www.reuters.com/graphics/GLO...

@gamaevo.bsky.social

Please share!🙏
🚨 PhD Oportunity in Avian Behavioural Ecology in Spain
The BirdBond Project (MNCN & IREC) studies how pair bonds form, change & affect reproduction/survival in the spotless starling 🐦

Umbrella, keystone, or flagship? An integrated framework for identifying effective surrogate species The global biodiversity crisis demands targeted conservation strategies that maximize impact despite limited resources. Surrogate species approaches, …

Umbrella, keystone, or flagship? An integrated framework for identifying effective surrogate species
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Conservation Genetics of the Reintroduced Giant Tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) in Madagascar The Aldabra giant tortoise is the only surviving lineage of Malagasy megafauna, eradicated by human activities over the last millennium. In 2018, the first rewilding project was launched in the Anjaj...

Conservation Genetics of the Reintroduced Giant Tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) in Madagascar
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Wow! Congrats Dave, you’re an inspiration!! Time to move this book up on my reading list 🤓

David Toews standing in front of a table with a book displayed.

The promotion and tenure celebration tradition at Penn State includes profs choosing an important book that has a deep, personal and professional meaning. I chose ‘The Beak of the Finch’ by Jonathan Weiner. Definitely check it out if you haven’t yet!
@psubiodept.bsky.social

In the early 1980’s, we began preparing separate spread wings to help illustrate features of birds that had never been accurately drawn.

Today our collection of spread wings is the largest in the world, preserving more than 40,000 specimens.

Getting an Instagram account up and running for my banding station. Give us a follow! My students are gonna run it, so it will actually be cool. www.instagram.com/rcbobirds?ig...

Evidence that genetic drift not adaptation drives fast‐Z and large‐Z effects in Ficedula flycatchers The sex chromosomes have been hypothesized to play a key role in driving adaptation and speciation across many taxa. The reason for this is thought to be the hemizygosity of the heteromorphic part of....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

☠️🧬 2-yr Postdoc in in Genomic Simulations and Extinction Risk Modelling!
Let's figure out the Genomic signs of Extinction @DTU in Denmark.

Start: Feb 2026 (flexible)
Application deadline: 24 Oct 2025

For details click here: tinyurl.com/BioExtPD

Reposts appreciated 😁

For @omearabrian.bsky.social, the only one who seems to have wanted videos here... Here's another talk that did well on TikTok. It's Marlene Zuk talking about Prickle Princesses! #DogSky #Evolution #Behavior

Navigating Scientific Publishing: Challenges and Paths Toward Equity Current changes in scientific publishing are among the most radical in over 50 years, with the range of publishing options rapidly expanding. Publisher-owned journals often dominate the landscape, …

Hey, check out this new reflection on the challenges and paths for making scientific publishing more affordable, accessible, and equitable:
peeer.net/2025/09/08/n...

🦣🍖🧬 Fully funded 3-yr PhD in palaeogenomics & bioinformatics! Help me push non-model palaeogenomes beyond their limits @DTU in Denmark.

Start: Feb 2026 (flexible)
Application deadline: 24 Oct 2025

For details click here: tinyurl.com/BioExtPhD

Reposts appreciated 😁

Quaternary Habitat Fluctuations and Demographic Dynamics in Turtles Inferred From Environmental Niche Modelling and Whole Genome Data Quaternary climatic fluctuations had a substantial influence on ecosystems, species distribution, phenology and genetic diversity, driving extinction, adaptation and demographic shifts during glacial...

🐢🧬 New paper on how climate shifts shaped turtle and tortoise populations over time 🐢🧬
Using whole genome sequencing and environmental niche modeling we reconstruct demographic history and suitable habitat for turtles and tortoises 🧵 #popgen #consgen doi.org/10.1111/1755...

"A single gene orchestrates androgen variation underlying male mating morphs in ruffs" New paper featuring @fusanilab.bsky.social out now in @science.org !

www.science.org/doi/full/10....
www.science.org/doi/full/10....

🚨 Postdoc opportunities! 🚨
We’re looking for postdocs in 🌿 biodiversity science, 🧬 genetic indicator assessment, and 📊 ecological statistics.

Join us in unraveling the drivers & consequences of global change on biodiversity — and be part of a supportive & collaborative environment!
DL 24 September

Do rivers promote avian speciation in the subtropics? A recent genetic study tested the riverine barrier hypothesis in the Paraná–Paraguay River system.

Your daily Avian Hybrids story!

Do rivers promote avian speciation in the subtropics?
avianhybrids.wordpress.com/2020/07/07/d...

#ornithology

Sparse genetic data limit biodiversity assessments in protected areas globally Global conservation targets include protecting genetic diversity within species. Yet few studies have assessed whether protected areas (PAs) include genetically diverse populations across species glo....

Sparse genetic data limit biodiversity assessments in protected areas globally
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Why do speciation rates vary across the tree of life?
Some of the best yet most underappreciated places for this investigation are natural hybrid zones.
This preprint takes you to the hybrid zones in the origin of species to find a clue. 👉 shorturl.at/N7FXE
#Speciation #Evolution #hybridization

Let's break down a new #conservation #Wordoftheweek: #Fragmentation

#stem #stemwords

Conservation Biology Awards Click on the article title to read more.

We're proud to celebrate excellence in #conservation science! Each year, @conbiology.bsky.social honors outstanding contributions with our Rising Star Award, most cited papers + highest Altmetric scores.

Congratulations and thank you to all our authors for your vital work!