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@evolsara.bsky.social

When I'm not handling brains or old bones, you can find me lost in a book or getting inked with my favorite animals. @paleo, @brains, @evolution

207 Followers  |  189 Following  |  37 Posts  |  Joined: 17.07.2024
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Posts by (@evolsara.bsky.social)

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Extinct Hawaiian ibis with strangely small eyes suggests a shift to nocturnal life Islands are famous for producing some of the world's strangest creatures, and now a new international study shows that the evolution of bird species on Hawaiian islands includes an ibis with unusually...

Check out the brief summary of our newest paper on Phys org phys.org/news/2026-02...! πŸ¦β€β¬›πŸŒ΄
@evoneuro.bsky.social @aub-birdy.bsky.social

11.02.2026 18:54 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Our new paper is out! @evoneuro.bsky.social @aub-birdy.bsky.social

21.12.2025 19:02 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A straw necked ibis, a large bird with a long slightly decurved beak, bald black head, glossy black wings, back and tail, and white neck and belly, is walking along the green grass of roadside. Behind it is a large fencepost and the foot and wing of another ibis standing on the road.

A straw necked ibis, a large bird with a long slightly decurved beak, bald black head, glossy black wings, back and tail, and white neck and belly, is walking along the green grass of roadside. Behind it is a large fencepost and the foot and wing of another ibis standing on the road.

@evolsara.bsky.social got an early Christmas present: minor revisions for a manuscript! Keep an eye out for her paper in 2026 on Apteribis, the extinct Hawaiian ibis. And shout out to our coauthors @aub-birdy.bsky.social and @weisbeckerbblab.bsky.social
#birds #anatomy

03.12.2025 02:14 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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#2025SVP has begun! Starting strong with the awesome Paleoart Workshop πŸŽ¨πŸŒ΄πŸ¦•

If you’re around, come check out our poster about an extinct ibis that basically tried to be a kiwi 🐦πŸ₯
@evoneuro.bsky.social @aub-birdy.bsky.social

#2025SVP #paleoart #birds #extinct

11.11.2025 18:23 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This talk is tomorrow. It would be good to see you all there. bsky.app/profile/te-a...

13.10.2025 07:01 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A little chubby Quetzal 🎨

13.10.2025 15:56 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Bridges - Documentary Trailer
YouTube video by Alberto Alessi Bridges - Documentary Trailer

Check out the trailer for the new documentary by amazing Elisabetta Palagi's team. It's a wonderful story of collaboration in the name of science 🦍🦧
youtu.be/Oy679UwNh_g?...
#Palagi #gelada #animal #behaviour

29.09.2025 17:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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23 years after this (amazing) book has been published, the Spix's Macaw is still not safe.
It is a story of hope and relentless dedication, but also a hard truth about how far humans will go to take what isn’t theirs.
#science #book #conservation #parrot #endangered

29.09.2025 02:54 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Advertisement for two online events on 22nd August and 19th September. The upper one shows Mirasaura and 3D reconstructions. The panel speaker are Astrid O'Connor, Rick Stikkelorum, maybe Stephan Spiekman, and nova_studios. The lower one shows the cover of the upcoming book MesozoicArtII. Panel speaker are Darren Naish, Steve White and other artists

Advertisement for two online events on 22nd August and 19th September. The upper one shows Mirasaura and 3D reconstructions. The panel speaker are Astrid O'Connor, Rick Stikkelorum, maybe Stephan Spiekman, and nova_studios. The lower one shows the cover of the upcoming book MesozoicArtII. Panel speaker are Darren Naish, Steve White and other artists

πŸ¦• Let’s talk #MesozoicArtII!

I'm thrilled to announce a special online panel + virtual exhibition ahead of the book’s release! Join @tetzoo.bsky.social , @sharkbitesteve.bsky.social , featured artists, and myself on 19 September.

I am so excited already!

1/n

#Palaeoart #VirtualGallery #SciComm

08.08.2025 10:38 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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A life-sized bronze statue has been unveiled on the island of Papa Westray, Orkney, in memory of the last known Great Auk Pinguinus impennis killed there in 1813. The statue is an exact replica of the preserved remains of the bird, which are held by the Natural History Museum.

19.08.2025 22:15 β€” πŸ‘ 263    πŸ” 81    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 15
A three dimensional reconstruction of the skull and beak of a Great Auk against a black background.

A three dimensional reconstruction of the skull and beak of a Great Auk against a black background.

New project about to kick off in our lab on the Great Auk. We recently acquired CT scans of a beautifully intact Great Auk skull from the @tephrafan.bsky.social lab. Hopefully @evolsara.bsky.social and I will have a cool story for 2026!
#birds #skulls #ornithology πŸͺΆπŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦πŸ§ͺ

11.08.2025 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 26    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Check out this new interview of my PI about bird brains and his new book 🧠 🐦! It's a great look at how amazing these guys really are. πŸ¦β€β¬›

10.08.2025 18:01 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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🌴🐦 Ever heard of an ibis that lived in Hawaii but acted like a kiwi?

Discover the fascinating story of Apteribis, the flightless Hawaiian ibis that adopted a kiwi-like lifestyle. πŸŒ™

πŸŽ™οΈ Check out our talk on Apteribis at #ICVM2025!!
@evoneuro.bsky.social @aub-birdy.bsky.social

07.08.2025 16:51 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The perfect way to celebrate! I am lucky 'cause have the best PI 🦜

26.06.2025 18:31 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A largely grey great horned owl is perched in a tangle of cottonwood tree branches, looking slightly over its shoulder.

A largely grey great horned owl is perched in a tangle of cottonwood tree branches, looking slightly over its shoulder.

A fledgling, still partially fluffy, great horned owl is perched on the trunk of a cottonwood tree and surrounded by green, leafy branches.

A fledgling, still partially fluffy, great horned owl is perched on the trunk of a cottonwood tree and surrounded by green, leafy branches.

Mama and baby great horned owls today!

#Alberta #owls #birds #birding #wildlife πŸͺΆ

19.06.2025 17:58 β€” πŸ‘ 27    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Bearded vulture, pencils on paper πŸ¦…πŸͺΆ
#bird #art #drawing #science #volture

13.06.2025 23:24 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Quick sketch of a channel-billed toucan 🦜

10.06.2025 03:55 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Chicago Archaeopteryx informs on the early evolution of the avian bauplan - Nature Analysis of the 'Chicago' Archaeopteryx, a nearly complete and uncrushed specimen, reveals details of the skeleton, soft tissues and plumage of this taxon, providing information on the evolution to av...

Glad to see the formal description of the Chicago specimen of #Archaeopteryx finally out in @nature.com! Troodontid and early bird features in the palate and evidence of tertiary feathers
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

14.05.2025 15:06 β€” πŸ‘ 25    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2
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The Extinction of Truth Or, a Colossal Pile of Bullshit

I've written a Substack about the #ColossalBioSci #DeExtinction #DisInformation campaign; it's focused on polluting the information landscape, rather than the underlying science (except for species concepts, I talk about them)

open.substack.com/pub/devoevom...

13.05.2025 19:20 β€” πŸ‘ 70    πŸ” 32    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 11

It doesn't get more Canadian than that!

06.05.2025 22:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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a parrot is flying in the air while being held by a person on a balcony . ALT: a parrot is flying in the air while being held by a person on a balcony .

Anxiety was through the roof but I was so happy!

02.05.2025 18:49 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Turns out harriers don't only look like owls, but they hunt like owls too! πŸ¦‰
Check out the short version of our new paper at www.ulethbridge.ca/unews/articl...
Photo by Bob Bowhay
@evoneuro.bsky.social @aub-birdy.bsky.social
#harriers #bird #brain #evolution

01.05.2025 17:13 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
A male Northern Harrier in quartering flight with its beak pointed towards the ground so that it can listen for prey.

A male Northern Harrier in quartering flight with its beak pointed towards the ground so that it can listen for prey.

A figure from our paper showing:
left: scatterplots of auditory nuclei size against brainstem volume for 9 species of hawks, including harriers. In both plots, the harriers have much larger volumes than what is expected based on their brainstem volume.
middle: photos of sections taken through auditory brain nuclei of the Northern Harrier
right: photos of sections taken through the auditory brain nuclei of a Cooper's hawk

A figure from our paper showing: left: scatterplots of auditory nuclei size against brainstem volume for 9 species of hawks, including harriers. In both plots, the harriers have much larger volumes than what is expected based on their brainstem volume. middle: photos of sections taken through auditory brain nuclei of the Northern Harrier right: photos of sections taken through the auditory brain nuclei of a Cooper's hawk

New paper out from our lab today!

@evolsara.bsky.social shows that harriers have expanded their auditory nuclei in a similar way to owls to enable them to calculate the position of prey by sound.

#birds #ornithology #neuroskyence 🧠πŸ§ͺπŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ί

doi.org/10.1111/joa....

30.04.2025 15:48 β€” πŸ‘ 49    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
A female ruffed grouse, brown and grey chicken-like bird, is fluffed up so that she is an almost perfect circle. Only her head and crest break up the circle. She is standing on a a tree trunk that is bent at approximately a 60 degree angle.

A female ruffed grouse, brown and grey chicken-like bird, is fluffed up so that she is an almost perfect circle. Only her head and crest break up the circle. She is standing on a a tree trunk that is bent at approximately a 60 degree angle.

An almost perfectly spherical female Ruffed Grouse. Taken a few years ago near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.

She had flown in to watch a male drumming and left after 20 min (i.e., she swiped left).

#birds #birding #grouse #Alberta #wildlife πŸͺΆπŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦

14.03.2025 17:15 β€” πŸ‘ 80    πŸ” 15    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Avian telencephalon and cerebellum volumes can be accurately estimated from digital brain endocasts | Biology Letters For studies of the evolution of vertebrate brain anatomy and potentially associated behaviours, reconstructions of digital brain endocasts from computed tomography scans have revolutionized our capaci...

New paper out from the lab today! Here we show that digital reconstructions of brains from skulls can be used to estimate cerebral hemisphere & cerebellum volumes in birds.
#birds #paleontology #ornithology
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
@aub-birdy.bsky.social
@evolsara.bsky.social

22.01.2025 16:54 β€” πŸ‘ 39    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Avian telencephalon and cerebellum volumes can be accurately estimated from digital brain endocasts | Biology Letters For studies of the evolution of vertebrate brain anatomy and potentially associated behaviours, reconstructions of digital brain endocasts from computed tomography scans have revolutionized our capaci...

Check out our latest paper validating telencephalon and cerebellum endocast measurements in birds πŸ¦πŸ¦…πŸ¦†πŸ¦ƒπŸͺΏπŸ¦β€β¬› royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... @evolsara.bsky.social @evoneuro.bsky.social

22.01.2025 06:36 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Punks for Pro-Choice Raffle 2025 Pro-Choice YQL needs your HELP!! Last year we were able to support 143 patients access reproductive healthcare. We also hosted 25 public info sessions/workshops/lectures/public outreach events to supp...

Hey friends! A few new rad ways to support the abortion access in #YQL and all of #alberta .

The first option potentially wins you one of six tattoo prizes: www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticket...

The second option looks SO FUN: www.eventbrite.ca/e/punks-for-...

Punks for Choice show on Feb 1 at The Slice

21.01.2025 01:29 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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One of the best books I've read on animals' sensory systems. Loved every page.
#book #science #sensorsystems

10.01.2025 16:52 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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That's a wrap on #SICB2025 with @evolsara.bsky.social

08.01.2025 01:56 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Interested in convergent evolution, raptors and owls? I'll be presenting my first PhD dissertation chapter on Monday, January 6th! Come by to chat and grab some stickers!
#SICB2025 #Atlanta

04.01.2025 02:09 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0