Michael Haslam

A realistic illustration of a West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) on a white background.

Throwback #illustrations (while I make new art)
#ProjectAnimalia Day 83: West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)

#sciart #medart #dailyart #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #biodiversity #manatee #oceanart

Material matters: raw material influences stone tool performance in capuchin monkeys Identifying the conditions that facilitate and shape tool use is a central focus in the field of human evolution and animal behaviour. Particular inte…

New paper! Material matters: raw material influences stone tool performance in capuchin monkeys 🐒 🔨🌰 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
@mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social @neoprego.org 🧪

A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls.

Our ape ancestors’ taste for fermenting fruit may have paved a boozy evolutionary path Eating fallen fruit—or “scrumping”—plays a bigger part in many apes’ diets than scientists realized

Wrote this, out today: Our ape ancestors’ taste for fermenting fruit may have paved a boozy evolutionary path | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Excited to share that we have just been awarded a NERC Pushing the Frontiers grant to work on between-group cooperation in the Shark Bay dolphins. We will soon advertise a 3 year post-doc to join the team - drop me an email if you might be interested! Pls share widely 🙏🏻

Soooo happy to finally see Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age has a streaming date: November 26!

I’m so happy for you all to see this amazing show and I am super proud to be once again among the amazing group of talented people who put this show together!

😍😍😍

Brain Surfaces of 70 primate species

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To predict the behaviour of a primate, would you rather base your guess on a closely related species or one with a similar brain shape? We looked at brains & behaviours of 70 species, you’ll be surprised!

🧵Thread on our new preprint with @r3rt0.bsky.social , doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Cultural transmission of animal tool use driven by trade-offs: insights from sponge-using dolphins | Royal Society Open Science Although tool use offers obvious benefits to the user, the role of costs in the spread of tool use has received scant attention. Sponge tool use is a foraging technique restricted to a small subpopula...

“we examined the impact of sponge tools on one of the most exquisite sensory-cognitive skills in the animal kingdom, dolphin echolocation…

[Distortion caused by tools may] help explain the challenges of learning to sponge and the unique pattern of cultural transmission observed in sponging.” 🐬🛠️🧽🐠

Cultural transmission of animal tool use driven by trade-offs: insights from sponge-using dolphins | Royal Society Open Science Although tool use offers obvious benefits to the user, the role of costs in the spread of tool use has received scant attention. Sponge tool use is a foraging technique restricted to a small subpopula...

“we examined the impact of sponge tools on one of the most exquisite sensory-cognitive skills in the animal kingdom, dolphin echolocation…

[Distortion caused by tools may] help explain the challenges of learning to sponge and the unique pattern of cultural transmission observed in sponging.” 🐬🛠️🧽🐠

Innovation Strikes In The Field Of Chimpanzee Rectum Adornment | Defector Fifteen years ago in a sanctuary in Zambia, inspiration struck a chimpanzee named Julie. She plucked a stiff blade of grass, stuck it inside her ear, and left it there. There the grass dangled as Juli...

I blogged about fashion
defector.com/innovation-s...

Yellow daises amid tall grass beside a stone-walled monument

These yellow flowers at Skara Brae are Common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea).

Ragwort is the ‘herb of St James’ in parts of Europe - that’s where its species name comes from - and 25 July is St James’ feast day. It’s toxic to cattle, one of the many reasons we don’t let cows graze on the ancient site 🏺

You deserve better than that. Thank you for all the great stories.

Important News about SAPIENS

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THREAD: It’s with deep regret we share the news that SAPIENS will halt publication of new content by the end of this year. We are so proud of everything SAPIENS has achieved and for our role in furthering public anthropology. Wenner-Gren’s letter to our community. wennergren.org/important-ne...

Colour photo of a sandy beach beside a bay with a green headland in the distance. On the left is a stone wall protecting the Neolithic Skara Brae village. On the beach on the right is an indistinct tangle with trailing bits. Is it an octopus?

Closer view of the tangled thing from the first photo. It’s a jumble of thick ropes used on boats, with tendril-like rope ends emerging from a central mass. It is not an octopus.

Was a bit concerned this morning that a large octopus had washed up on the shore below Skara Brae. Looking closer we can see that it has cleverly camouflaged itself as a pile of old marine ropes.

Nature truly is wonderful 🐙🏺🌊

“Food processing has been a part of human adaptation since deep in the past.”

Read more: www.sapiens.org/biology/huma...

Random morning thought while I drink my first cup of tea:

It's really, really common for people to confuse "knowledge" with "intelligence." You'd think people who work on AI would have thought about what "Intelligence" is but no, they think it means "knows all the stuff."

The Sea Slug Defying Biological Orthodoxy Symbiosis may be more important to evolution than scientists once thought.

I got to write about my favorite sea slug, can you even believe this thing www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...

Colour photo of a sandy beach beside a bay with a green headland in the distance. On the left is a stone wall protecting the Neolithic Skara Brae village. On the beach on the right is an indistinct tangle with trailing bits. Is it an octopus?

Closer view of the tangled thing from the first photo. It’s a jumble of thick ropes used on boats, with tendril-like rope ends emerging from a central mass. It is not an octopus.

Was a bit concerned this morning that a large octopus had washed up on the shore below Skara Brae. Looking closer we can see that it has cleverly camouflaged itself as a pile of old marine ropes.

Nature truly is wonderful 🐙🏺🌊

Thalassodromeus ~ sea runner 🌊🏃🏽‍♀️
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The pterosaur collection is complete!
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This guy is the conclusion of my first series of pterosaurs…and I think it’s my favourite design!

Animals Are the Original Wellness Influencers Long before TikTok and probiotics, animals were teaching each other tips on feeling better, from swallowing leaves to get rid of parasites to using icebergs for exfoliation.

last month @harmancipants.bsky.social asked me to go out and gather the latest and freshest animal wellness tips. is this the year we all get into leaf swallowing and iceberg exfoliation? www.wired.com/story/animal...

How to Study Animal Minds Cambridge Core - Philosophy of Science - How to Study Animal Minds

A personal favourite, from @kristinandrews.bsky.social

Philosophy of Biology Welcome to Cambridge Core

The Cambridge elements series ‘Philosophy of Biology’ includes short, accessible books by experts. Everything from humans to slime moulds, selection to minds.

And they’re all free to read and download this week! 🧪📚

Man Australia has some great lizards. Just hanging out in the sun. Being cute. Eating bugs. Living the good life. 🧪🦎 #auswildlife

Skara Brae Neolithic village near sunset, with ancient stone houses under a carpet of green grass

Orkney’s hosting of the 2025 international island games has wrapped up. The islands turned on the ideal weather, and Skara Brae looked amazing as usual! 🧪🏺🥇

Skara Brae Neolithic village near sunset, with ancient stone houses under a carpet of green grass

Orkney’s hosting of the 2025 international island games has wrapped up. The islands turned on the ideal weather, and Skara Brae looked amazing as usual! 🧪🏺🥇

Baby Spinosaurus art by @Serpenillus.bsky.social revealed for Surviving Earth!

The series reportedly arrives next year

Foxes find a magical book - the pages float away, turning into rabbits.

The Escape - watercolor, ink, acyrla-gouche

Originally created for the Detroit Festival of Books.
#traditionalart #books #booklover

Breaking: new video from Icarus’ helmet cam during his final flight🪽☀️

Announcement at the British Academy

Fabulous news that @martamlahr.bsky.social has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy 🍾🍾🍾

The worst thing about the kraken was the eye contact 🐙 👁️