Jessica Light (she/her)

It's time for March Mammal Madness! I hope you're all ready to play!
libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM...
#2026MMM

Decorative Image Array of the Bracket Guide, the Combatant Logo and the 2026 Bracket. Screen-reader materials available at the LibGuide.

BRACKET DROP DAY!!!!
Get yours now at the LibGuide! libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM...
Pick your portal: Players, Learners, or Educator!
#2026MMM

Image array of 3 MMM-themed, science-based Valentines with an Eagle Owl, Asian Elephant, & Lynx. Screen-reader valentines also available at the LibGuide. We got you, Boo.

You know what's better than science-themed March Mammal Madness Valentines of #2026MMM Combatants!?!

Science-themed March Mammal Madness Valentines of combatants that carry ear-worms. They're INFECTIOUS!

Download in color or greyscale at the LibGuide libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM...

A round brown rodent pops its head out of its burrow to look and listen for danger. Image Credit: Bernie CC 1.0 Source: Wikimedia Commons

As per always on this most holy of mammal holidays, Groundhog's Day, March Mammal Madness launches our annual tournament page! #2026MMM @mmmletsgo.bsky.social libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM...

The Worm Dance GIF Alt: An awesome dancer does The Worm Dance on top of a bookshelf in the stacks of a library

In honor of 10 tournaments of the March Mammal Madness LibGuide at ASU Library, #2026MMM Celebrates LIBRARIES!

More than books, and definitely more than admonishments to shush, libraries are incredible collections of human knowledge, information, imagination, & creativity @mmmletsgo.bsky.social

a colorful background with the words stay tuned Alt: a colorful background with the words "stay tuned"

Divisions will be announced on Darwin Day February 12th & the full bracket drops on Feb 19th, but follow the official account @mmmletsgo.bsky.social for regular announcements and combatant clues. #2026MMM

a man with glasses says it 's a clue in front of a hulu logo Alt: White-haired, bespectacled Steve Martin says "it 's a clue"

The first "combatant clue" is 9780316585835. @mmmletsgo.bsky.social #2026MMM

Educator Materials Request for March Mammal Madness #2026MMM WELCOME EDUCATOR!!! Thank you & your students for participating in, as one twitter user phrased it, this "delightfully bonkers" science education outreach where the motto is always "if you're learning...

EDUCATORS who use #2026MMM
Please follow the link below to the request form for free educator materials for 2026 March Mammal Madness Tournament and an optional educator survey. @mmmletsgo.bsky.social forms.gle/PNTRw4CbndMT...

a strike that reverse it thank you meme with a man in a top hat Alt: Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka says "Strike that. Reverse it. Thank you."

#2026MMM "Combatant Clue" #2! @mmmletsgo.bsky.social

8002 3A 36M.13LQ

How to lead a journal club you won’t be embarrassed by later One of the jobs facing an early-career scientist, and a developing writer, is to learn what their field’s literature looks like. One of the best tools to that end is the journal club. If you’ve nev…

Love this from @stephenbheard.bsky.social on how to prioritize learning and useful discussion over tearing apart papers, and look forward to using some of these question prompts in future lab meetings: scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2026/01/13/h...

Flier advertising an informational session about summer courses at the University of Michigan of Biological Station.

Anyone looking for opportunities for summer courses? @Umich Biological station has spring and summer courses. Attend an informational session or check out more info at this link: lsa.umich.edu/umbs #ecology #evolution

Panelists for the Future of Natural History Collections at the SSB breakout meeting: Brian Smith, Prosanta Chakrabarty, Kory Evans, Corrie Moreau, Ixchel Gonzalez Ramirez, Alison Davis-Rabosky, Jessica Light, Laura Lagomarsino, and Vicens Vila-Coury

Had such a great time hosting the Future of Natural History Collections panel at the #ssb2026 meeting this weekend. Big thanks to @jembrown.bsky.social sky.social for organizing the meeting for @systbiol.bsky.social and for all the amazing panelists who shared so much knowledge and great ideas!

Great work led by Natalie Hamilton! @tamueccb.bsky.social

Guimaraesiella (Guimaraesiella) impiger sp. nov.

Guimaraesiella (Guimaraesiella) stellana sp. nov.

Managed to sneak in one paper before the New Year with coauthors @flyliceresearch.bsky.social and Daniel Gustafsson (not on Bsky)!

Introducing 2 new species of bird-infesting lice that, despite having no wings, appear to be adept at jumping across bird hosts and continents!

doi.org/10.1111/mve....

Great picture!!

Cryptic species and taxonomic revision of kangaroo mice, the rodent genus Microdipodops Abstract. This study presents the first systematic revision of kangaroo mice, the heteromyid genus Microdipodops, in over 8 decades. The study relies on a

Finally published: #Cryptic species and taxonomic revision of kangaroo mice, the rodent genus #Microdipodops. 4 new species! Integrative taxonomy! Great co-authors! @n8upham.bsky.social @mammalogists.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/jmam...

Haley standing in front of her introductory slide

Post defense picture of Haley & myself standing in front of a screen where her committee members are pictured

Congratulations to my fabulous student Haley! She successfully defended her Master’s thesis yesterday! #Peromyscus #mammals #morphology #ecology #collectionsareessential @tamueccb.bsky.social

#NSF BIO virtual office hour today at 1 EST

Made a site comparing the sizes of living things :)

The great Julius Csotonyi spent 5 months painting over 60 illustrations for the site, no ai used

> neal.fun/size-of-life/

Boxing up the NSF at Eisenhower Av for the forced relocation. Boxes have “Details Matter” signage.

NSF

- Forced reorg

- POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements)

- Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …)

I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing.
“Details matter” 🙃

Do you want to support #student #research & like #mammals & #parasites? Consider donating to the Eckerlin Mammalian Parasitology Award, in honor of Dr. Ralph Eckerlin who passed away in 2024 & was an amazing educator & researchers www.mammalsociety.org/committees/e... #GivingTuesday

Looking for input on rodenticide testing . . .
Colleagues are using a lab that needs 1 gram of liver sample to test, but often has specimens with less than that. Does anyone know if that amount of sample is really needed and/or have leads on labs that might be able to work with less?
🧪

Consider Sharing Health Challenges With Colleagues (opinion) Being open with my colleagues about my cancer diagnosis has allowed me to access an enormous source of support and comfort.

I’m stuck in bed between chemo treatments for metastatic coloncancer, wearing a take-home chemo pump attached to my chest.

I wanted to share my advice that you can benefit from ‘Letting Your Colleagues In’ don’t need to struggle alone
@insidehighered.com

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/care...

Picture of an oak tree showing leaves beginning to brown for fall. Picture taken College Station, Texas.

Job Alert! Please share widely. Tenure-track position in Plant Systematics in the Dept. of Ecology & Conservation Biology at Texas A&M @tamueccb.bsky.social. Job details here: apply.interfolio.com/171016 #plants #botany #herbaria #systematics #ecology #conservation #evolution

Picture of an oak tree showing leaves beginning to brown for fall. Picture taken College Station, Texas.

Job Alert! Please share widely. Tenure-track position in Plant Systematics in the Dept. of Ecology & Conservation Biology at Texas A&M @tamueccb.bsky.social. Job details here: apply.interfolio.com/171016 #plants #botany #herbaria #systematics #ecology #conservation #evolution

Phthiraptera systematics: past, present, and future Abstract. Parasitic lice (Psocodea: Phthiraptera) are small, wingless parasites of birds and mammals that have been at the forefront of coevolutionary stud

🪳 Want to learn all about lice?

Check out Dr. Jessica E. Light’s (@jeclight.bsky.social) new paper on lice classification in Insect Systematics: Past, Present, and Future. This new publication should do the trick!

🔗 academic.oup.com/isd/article/...

#TAMUECCB #InsectSystematics #Taxonomy #Lice

IDEA Award The ASN/SSE/SSB Inclusiveness, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Award was created in 2019 by the American Society of Naturalists (ASN), the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE), and the...

Do you know someone who has contributed to strengthening the evolutionary biology community by promoting inclusion and diversity?

Nominate them for the IDEA award! More info:

www.systbio.org/idea-award.h...

You may self-nominate!!!