Pascal Abel

Plesiosauria: A Systematic and Taxonomic Overview Comprehensive systematic and taxonomic overview of Plesiosauria, including valid taxa and nomina dubia based on recent data, with detailed taxon listings.

I’m excited to share a new project that I hope will be a valuable resource for the paleo community!

I'm working on a textbook about plesiosaurs and compiled a comprehensive overview of all currently valid plesiosaur taxa and some nomina dubia. 1/3
www.sachspal.de/plesiosauria/

#FossilFriday

Hotter European summers put migratory birds at risk - Durham University

Research from our Biosciences Department and the British Trust for Ornithology shows that hotter European summers are reducing migratory birds’ ability to fuel up for their long journeys. These changes could have serious consequences for bird populations across Europe & Africa.
👉 bit.ly/46eofTf

Skull of a Paleozoic tetrapod in a glass display case. The bone is black and the matrix filling the orbit is gray.

Skull (cast) of the Carboniferous embolomere Neopteroplax on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

I believe papers about extinct charismatic vertebrates should be held to the same publishing standards and norms as other taxonomic groups. It's objectively bizarre that papers describing a single species gets published in Science/Nature as if that's considered of broad paleobiological significance

Ein kleiner Singvogel sitzt auf einem Ast. Text: „Weniger Vögel in unseren Gärten – ein stiller Alarm. Die Zahl der Gartenvögel in Deutschland sinkt seit Jahren deutlich. Bei der „Stunde der Wintervögel“ wurden zuletzt im Schnitt nur noch 32 Vögel pro Garten gezählt – vor 15 Jahren waren es 46.“

Ein Schottergarten mit Steinen und wenigen Pflanzen vor einem Wohnhaus. Text: „Unsere Gärten werden immer lebensfeindlicher: Schottergärten statt Natur, Exotische Pflanzen statt heimischer, Pestizide zerstören, Nahrung und Lebensräume, Mähroboter töten Insekten und Kleintiere, Zu wenig Nistplätze für Jungvögel.“

Ein naturnaher Garten mit vielen blühenden Pflanzen. Text: „Das kannst du tun: Heimische Pflanzen statt sterile Deko, Laub liegen lassen, Wilde Ecken zulassen, Seltener mähen, Nistkästen aufhängen, Keine Pestizide verwenden.“

Ein aufgeklappter gelber Ratgeber mit dem Titel „Dein Bienengarten“ liegt auf hellem Hintergrund, dekoriert mit kleinen Illustrationen von Bienen und Pflanzen. Text: „Was Bienen hilft, hilft auch Vögeln. Naturnahe Gärten schaffen Nahrung und Lebensraum. Unser Bienenratgeber zeigt, wie einfach das geht.“

Immer weniger Vogelstimmen vor unserer Haustür: In Deutschland wurden bei der „Stunde der Wintervögel“ zuletzt nur noch 32 Vögel pro Garten gezählt – vor 15 Jahren waren es 46. Selbst einst häufige Arten wie Grünfink oder Haussperling verschwinden vielerorts.

One of the earliest pelagic crocodylomorphs.

The Mediterranean Sea a) The Mediterranean Sea, bathymetry (GEBCO 2024 Grid), thermohaline circulation, gyres, intermediate- and deep-water formation zones and labelled-location of analysed sedimentary records. Orange-doted arrows represent the dispersal pathway for West African species in the northern-east Atlantic and Mediterranean basin (Albano et al., 2024). AW: Atlantic Water. MAW: Modified Atlantic Water. AIS: Atlantic Ionian Stream. ATC: Atlantic Tunisian Current. LIW: Levantine Intermediate Water. EMIW: Eastern Mediterranean Intermediate Water formation zone. WMDW: Western Mediterranean Deep Water formation zones. MOW: Mediterranea Outflow Water. b) Station MedSeA-S3 in the Alboran Sea. WAG: Western Alboran Gyre. EAG: Eastern Alboran Gyre. c) Station MedSeA-S7 in the Strait of Sicily. Meandering surface current encircling two cyclonic vortices with a pronounced anticyclonic meandering in between. ABV: Adventure Bank Vortex. MCC: Maltes Channel Crest. IBV: Ionian Shelf Break Vortex. d) Monthly sea surface temperature (SST) and e) surface chlorophyll-a concentration from 2002 to 2020 CE at the Alboran Sea (purple line) and the Strait of Sicily (red line) core sites. Data was retrieved from AQUA-Modis, Level 3 sensor, and is centred at the exact core location, covering 16 km2. f) SST and g) Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) from Mediterranean Sea Physics Reanalysis for the year 2000 (Escudier et al., 2020). h) Surface chlorophyll-a concentration and i) surface pH (total scale) from Mediterranean Sea Biogeochemistry Reanalysis for the year 2000 (Teruzzi et al., 2021).

As the water warms, more tropical species are making their way into the Mediterranean, from Suaz in the east and from Gibraltar in the west. Calcifying phytoplankton and zooplankton are no exception. 🧪🌊

Link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Die Formulierung eines vermeintlichen Anspruch des Staates gegenüber Wissenschaft und Forschung ist übrigens ein Wesensmerkmal autoritärer Staaten.

Es ist unsäglich, dass ein Bundeskanzler diese Parallelen nicht erkennt.

The misuse of colour in science communication - Nature Communications The accurate representation of data is essential in science communication, however, colour maps that visually distort data through uneven colour gradients or are unreadable to those with colour vision...

Keep science accessible 🧪

Die Welt der Plesiosaurier - Paläontologische Abenteuer – Sachs Vertebrate Palaeontology Research Die Welt der Plesiosaurier – Paläontologische Abenteuer ist ein Buchprojekt, das ich gemeinsam mit Achim Schwermann verwirklichen konnte (eine Leseprobe finden sie am Ende der Seite) und das zahlreich...

I just added some information on my new book 'Die Welt der Plesiosaurier' to my website and included a 38-page reading sample that gives you an idea of the content and the illustrations. It's written in German, but maybe still of interest to some of you.
#paleontology
www.sachspal.de/de/publicati...

The Epstein Files and Paleontology This episode is a little different than our normal content. There are several paleontologists mentioned in the latest release of the Epstein files, and the official response to that has been...…

If you are also dealing with a sense of betrayal, I think this is a good listen.

Scientific societies (plural) have failed us because they are, in the end, still behaving like boys' clubs.

Also TW about the incident in SVP24 Minneapolis.

pca.st/episode/d8b6...

Meet Galahadosuchus jonesi, a new crocodylomorph from the Late Triassic of the UK, described by @es-ucl.bsky.social & @nhm-london.bsky.social PhD student Ewan Bodenham (with @stephanspiekman.bsky.social, @tweetisaurus.bsky.social & Paul Upchurch): anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Das mit dem Riesen stimmt allerdings nicht. Im späten Karbon gab es an Land sowohl unter den Gliederfüßern als auch unter den Wirbeltieren viele Arten, die deutlich größer wurden als Tyrannoroter.

Paläobiologie: Früher Pflanzenfresser ähnelte einem Football Schon vor mehr als 300 Millionen Jahren ernährten sich Wirbeltiere von Pflanzen, wie ein Fossilfund zeigt.

So lang wie ein Kochlöffel: Der Pflanzenfresser Tyrannoroter heberti war für heutige Maßstäbe nicht sehr groß – doch zu seinen Lebzeiten vor 307 Millionen Jahren ein Riese.

Carboniferous recumbirostran elucidates the origins of terrestrial herbivory - Nature Ecology & Evolution A new species of pantylid microsaur from the Late Carboniferous of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, has teeth with dental occlusion consistent with herbivory, indicating an early transition to this co...

New cool high-fibre herbivorous pantylid 'microsaur' from the Carboniferous of Atlantic Canada 🍁. Congrats to Arjan Mann, Hillary Maddin, and coauthors (not on bsky apparently).

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A few comments:

1/

Stellenausschreibung für eine Postdoc-Position (m/w/d) in Temnospondyl-Geochemie am Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart.

The Stuttgart Natural History Museum is offering a postdoc position (m/f/d) in Temnospondyl Geochemistry

E 13 TV-L, 100 %, 2 years

Application deadline: March 8th, 2026

➡ Further information: https://t1p.de/nwrfi

Der EU Grassland Butterfly Index wird nun jährlich fortgeschrieben und der Bericht für den Zeitraum 1991-2024 liegt vor (Rückgang von 47%)
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

Podcast mit mir über Plesiosaurier

open.spotify.com/episode/20ve...

Cellular-level preservation of cutaneous spikes in an Early Cretaceous iguanodontian dinosaur - Nature Ecology & Evolution A juvenile iguanodontian from the Lower Cretaceous of China preserves both spikes and scales in its skin that are different from integumentary structures in either non-avian dinosaurs or extant squama...

Huang, J., Wu, W., Mao, L. et al. Cellular-level preservation of cutaneous spikes in an Early Cretaceous iguanodontian dinosaur. Nat Ecol Evol (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Das Buch Die Welt der Plesiosaurier

Mein erstes Buch "Die Welt der Plesiosaurier" ist gestern erschienen.

Gemeinsam mit Achim Schwermann präsentiere ich auf fast 300 Seiten einen allgemeinverständlichen Überblick über die Gruppe der Plesiosaurier, mit der ich mich seit über 20 Jahren wissenschaftlich beschäftige. 1/3
#Buch #Saurier

My first book, "Die Welt der Plesiosaurier," is now officially out!

It has nearly 300 pages and features a state-of-the-art overview of plesiosaurs. The book is also filled with numerous photographs and wonderful illustrations by @joschuaknuppe.bsky.social. 1/3
#book #fossils #plesiosaurs #nature

Das Foto zeigt eine Bekassine (einen Schnepfenvogel), die durch flaches Wasser läuft. Bekassinen brüten in Feuchtwiesen, Mooren und Sümpfen. Überschrift: Tag der Feuchtgebiete - Schutz für bedrohte Ökosysteme

💦 Moore, Sümpfe & Auen sind mächtige Verbündete im Kampf gegen die #Klimakrise. Sie halten Wasser in der Landschaft, sind Lebensräume für viele Arten (wie die Bekassine ⬇️) & Erholungsort für Menschen.
Wir setzen uns für diese bedrohten Ökosysteme ein, z.B. für #Moore: www.nabu.de/natur-und-la...

Email from Leslie Groff to Jeffrey Epstein Subject: Jack Horner to Ranch "Jack Horner says to please tell you he would love to see your ranch and he would be abailable to come any day after July 25th."

Email from Lesley Groff to Jeffrey Epsetin Should I check in with Jack Horner? He believes hens to leave for the ranch on July 26 (2 weeks from today). Do I need to tell him plans are in a holding pattern? Jeffery Epstein responds: delay him one day Lesley Groff responds: Another tid bit! JE is asking me to delay jack horner one day! So this would be an arrival of July 27 depart 29... I have emailed Jack to aske if this would work with his schedule.... :)

Email from John Horner to Jeffrey Epstein 6/29/2012 Hi [redacted] Since i don't really know how long it would take to get from Albuquerque to the ranch and visa versa [sic], and don't know how I'm to get there (would someone be picking me up or should I rent a car) it would probably be best if you just booked the flight for me. Delta Airlines connecting through Salt Lake is the most convenient for me. My official name and frequent number [sic] is: John Robert Horner Delta # [REDACTED] The geology maps are perfect. Jack

email from Lesley Groff to Jeffrey Epstein "Reminder: John Horner and student to visit ranch today... [redacted] =ill [sic] be taking care of them...

Jack Horner being in the Epstein files is not something I had on my bingo card for 2026.... Horner seemingly visited Epstein's ranch multiple times, including apparently with a student.

Verhalten: Wenn Krokodile auf große Reisen gehen Die Reptilien können Tausende Kilometer über das Meer zurücklegen.

Die Tiere können sogar aktiv Salz ausscheiden, wenn sie über den Ozean reisen.

Explore a bird database with 11,500 species Twenty-six years ago, a PhD student's unanswered question sparked a bird data revolution.

BIRDBASE, a new publicly available dataset, brings together "ecological and life history traits for 11,589 bird species across 254 families." #ornithology

Skeletal reconstruction of specimen DMA-JP-2009/001. Like other metriorhynchids its long with a streamlined body, triangular and deep skull with large eyes, long teeth, a tail fluke and very short arms.

The fossil of DMA-JP-2009/001 as it is preserved. The skeleton is complete and posed in a U-shape, with the head curving up to the right and the tail to the left. A scalebar is shown equivalent to 1 meter.

New paper just dropped finally describing a complete specimen of Dakosaurus maximus and what a beauty it is. Some highlights, in addition to this being a long time coming, is the presence of bitemarks on the face and chondrichthyan material in the stomach
doi.org/10.26879/1577

A hidden diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous Europe - Nature New results indicate that rhabdodontids and the previously described Ajkaceratops are actually distinctive European ceratopsians, a group better known from Asia and North America.

Out in @nature.com today, we shake up the ornithischian family tree. Remember those weird Late Cretaceous iguanodontians, the rhabdodontids? Well they're weird because they aren't iguanodontians. They're ceratopsians. Well, at least some of them are... www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Friedrich von Huene’s Megalosaurid Vertebra from the Lower Jurassic of Northern Germany In the 1960s, renowned Tübingen-based palaeontologist Friedrich von Huene was given the opportunity to study an incomplete vertebra from the Lower Jurassic

I wrote a blog post about a tentative megalosaurid vertebra from the Lower Jurassic of northern Germany, described by the late Friedrich von Huene.
www.sachspal.de/friedrich-vo...
#dinosaurs #jurassic #germany #fossil