Dr. Annette Evans

This is awesome news! Big congratulations!!! 🎉

🦉🧬🧪

Colour-morph variation in metabolic physiology and oxidative stress match morph-specific life–history strategies in Tawny owl.

A very long process, but great collaboration with Chiara Morosinotto, Natacha Garcin, Patrik Karell and @suviruuskanen.bsky.social !

doi.org/10.1007/s004...

An illustration of three color morphs of the European green crab (red, dark green, and lighter green) alongside grass, clams, and juvenile Dungeness crabs. Text around and below the illustration reads: Impacts: European green* crab has direct and indirect negative ecological impacts on culturally and economically important PNW species. Destroys aquatic vegetation, including eelgrass (Zostera marina)3 while searching for food, degrading habitat for many species, including salmon, shellfish, and waterfowl. Major predator of clams, mussels, & oysters. Eats & outcompetes juvenile Dungeness crabs (Metacarcinus magister). *They’re not always green! Color varies from red and brown to dark green.

The European green crab has known and potential economic, cultural, and ecological impacts in the NW + beyond.

Check our latest NW RISCC Management Brief for information on the ways warming temperatures are influencing this ongoing invasion and management efforts:
bit.ly/NW_RISCC_briefs

A milestone: #kakapo mating calls have been heard on the North Island of NZ for the first time in over a century. At least 2 of the 3 #kakapo males at the fenced sanctuary of Maungatautari have "boomed" this summer. #conservation www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r... Video: www.scienceagency.co.nz

Don't forget to apply for this PhD in lovely Aotearoa! Closes 30th April

Fruit of tree privet - environmental weed in New Zealand

Bangalow palm seedling in forest - invasive weed in New Zealand

FULLY-FUNDED NZ PhD @aucklanduni.bsky.social on role of bird dispersal in weed spread from residential gardens. Great team working on understanding emerging weeds & prevention. Closes 30th April. Full details: stanleylab.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/opportunities/ Funding: Bioprotection Aotearoa 🌏🧪🌱

These NZ geckos may be the 'oldest in the world', DOC says Detailed record-keeping by a herpetologist in the 1960s allowed DOC to accurately date their ages.

Two NZ geckos marked by the legendary Tony Whitaker have been recaptured - some 60 years later. 🌏🧪🦎

An angled-down image of a salamander, tail at the upper left corner and head near the lower right corner. The salamander's primary color is a brownish-orange, and the sides of the body, the limbs, and the tail are dark gray and black. There are small white spots scattered across the tail, body, head and limbs. The substate under the salamander is primarily a brownish orange as well, with small clumps of shiny green moss here and there.

The next #Salamander for this week is the Pigeon Mountain Salamander, Plethodon petraeus from north Georgia. Note how the body color and the small white spots mimic the underlying substrate. #herps #NaturePhotography 🌿

Evolution of Vocal Sacs in Anura Of the many features that make frogs and toads unique, vocal sacs are among the most remarkable. Vocal sacs are inflatable, elastic chambers present in adult males of most anurans and are key elements in their social interactions. Traditionally vocal sacs have been associated primarily with acoustic communication, but their functions are currently being reinterpreted, and there is increasing evidence that they play a wider role in anuran biology. We surveyed the anatomical and histological structure of vocal sacs in all major clades of frogs by examining 777 specimens representing 605 species. Herein we characterize the morphological diversity of the three elements that compose the vocal sac: the gular skin, the superficial submandibular musculature, and the internal mucosa. We describe major anatomical patterns and define characters that we optimize on a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis of Anura. Integrating this anatomical information with images and videos of vocalizing frogs, we produce an updated morphological classification that includes 20 patterns of vocal sac morphology, each of which can be diagnosed by internal and external structures. Applying this classification to 4358 species, we discuss major evolutionary trends, taking ontogeny, homology, and multimodal communication into consideration. A single, spherical vocal sac is the most widely distributed vocal sac shape (present in 63% of known species), but some degree of lateralization (bilobate or paired sacs) has evolved in almost all anuran families. Some groups, such as Hylidae and Ranidae, are particularly diverse and contain more than 10 different vocal sac morphologies. Vocal sacs are absent in 18% of anurans and have been lost between 146 and 196 times, an astounding number considering their biological importance. Lastly, we review the morphological diversity and taxonomic relevance of vocal sac structures for each of the 58 families of recent anurans.

Cool! A systematic review of vocal sacs in amphibians and description of internal and external characters for each type. Vocal sacs, despite their importance in anuran communication, have been lost >100 times! 🐸🌿🧪 bioone.org/journals/bul...

A photo looking up at the blue sky where a large flock of geese are flying in a V pattern above an evergreen tree in the foreground.

One of life’s simple joys is seeing Canadian geese flying north in the Spring.

Every year their return fills me with happiness and excitement for the warmer weather!
#ShowMeYourJoy

A bunch of floatong salvinia leaves on water

Two salvia leaves each holding water drops

A close up of how the hairs holding up water

Another close up of hair holding up water

Whenever I see Salvinia, I'm mesmerized. Not only because it's a float fern (yes, fern), incredibly beautify, also I always try my best to look at those egg beater looking hair clusters that hold up water drops so elegantly. #iamabotanist
#plantjoy 🧪🌸🌱

Fantastic to see this gain traction - well done to the NZ Entomological Society 🌏🧪 And velvet worms are awesome!

an email from the society for integrative and comparative biology that reads "Attn SICB Members: The past few weeks have been a stressful time in our scientific community, and we want to make our position clear: The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology unequivocally condemns recent attacks on scientific integrity, funding for scientific research, and the importance of broadening participation in science."

This is how you do it.

Thank you @sicbjournals.bsky.social

Read their whole email to membership here
mailchi.mp/sicb.org/sic...

Songbirds being killed by pesticides found in pet fur flea treatments Exclusive: Chemical in treatment for pet fleas and ticks is found in nests of blue and great tits, killing chicks

EU Scientists discover songbirds being poisoned by pesticides used in pet flea collars - birds unknowingly use cat fur that is toxic as lining in their nests

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Original scientific paper

pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/271800/AIP/1...

These salamanders get around on ‘lakes of blood’ Controlling blood flow to their toes may help the amphibians stick to, and unstick from, their surroundings

Scientists discover some salamanders control the flow of the blood in their toes when climbing and moving

www.science.org/content/arti...

Fire prevention and fire safety | Fire and Emergency New Zealand Stay safe and reduce the risk of fire over summer. Find out what you need to do before you light a fire outdoors and whether you need a fire permit.

I'm really proud of this project, the culmination of 12 yrs of research on our plant BBQ.

Our plant flammability data are being used in this new Fire and Emergency NZ website to guide decisions about which species to plant around your property.

www.checkitsalright.nz/reduce-your-...

📣 Job Alert! 📣
USJ is looking for a TT assistant/assoc. prof in biochemistry for Fall 2025. We’re looking for someone to teach courses in #chemistry, #biochemistry, #biology & allied health science.

Please share widely. Review of applicants begins Jan 15 2025.

workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/defau...

Photo of an orange eastern newt perched on a moss covered log. The newt is looking directly into the camera

Who else needs a pick me up?!
Please #SendNewts

#easternNewt

In addition to starting a new job this year I also made a human! 👶
Looking forward to connecting with you on science, teaching, and work-life balance

#AcademicMom
#Momademia
#newPI

A yonahlossee salamander with a reddy brown back crawls on some moss in the foreground. A white female in a red beanie shines a head torch to illuminate the salamander

Finally made the switch to bluer skies!
Quick intro - Hi! I’m a kiwi 🇳🇿 in 🇺🇸. I’m currently an assistant prof at USJ and I study how climate change☀️ impacts the distribution & eco-evo dynamics of #herpetofauna 🦎 & #invasive species 🌱🪱🪲

In my spare time I enjoy hiking with my pooch & doing pottery