Jeff DaCosta

The data is in: the NIH goalposts have shifted.

What were once almost certain fundable scores have become coin flips and what used to be likely grants have become aspirational, leading to fewer awards.

Another manifestation of how HHS policies have led to fewer awards and less science.

Elevational constraints on flight efficiency shape global gradients in avian wing morphology Wings with an elongated shape or larger surface area are associated with increased flight efficiency in a wide range of animals from insects to birds.…

And another study of HWI and elevation by @jyang19.bsky.social @josephtobias.bsky.social - Elevational constraints on flight efficiency shape global gradients in avian wing morphology. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Ecological drivers of global gradients in avian dispersal inferred from wing morphology - Nature Communications In birds, the hand-wing index is a morphological trait that can be used as a proxy for flight efficiency. Here the authors examine variation of hand-wing index in over 10,000 bird species, finding tha...

Next pair of papers were comparative studies of flight. This instant classic from @sheardcat.bsky.social @sclaramunt.bsky.social @josephtobias.bsky.social - Ecological drivers of global gradients in avian dispersal inferred from wing morphology www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The NGC is dedicated to promoting grassland conservation in the Neotropics by empowering local people and launching careers in conservation. The application deadline for our annual memorial grants is Sunday, March 1st! More details here: conservegrassland.org/our-programs/

Adaptive and non-adaptive convergent evolution in feather reflectance of California Channel Islands songbirds Abstract. Convergent evolution is widely regarded as a signature of adaptation. However, testing the adaptive consequences of convergent phenotypes is chal

On the feather theme, this was paired with a paper describing convergent feather evolution (exploring camouflage and thermal regulation mechanisms) for species on the California Channel Islands. From the lab of @ecophysiology.bsky.social
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

Feather function and the evolution of birds The ability of feathers to perform many functions either simultaneously or at different times throughout the year or life of a bird is integral to the evolutionary history of birds. Many studies focu....

First, a great review on the function and evolution of feathers by @enicurus.bsky.social and @ajshultz622.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Teaching ornithology this semester to mostly pre-health students, and it's probably my favorite class to teach. It's nice to review some of the recent literature, and here I'll post the papers that we discuss in class.

Black-capped Chickadee - eBird This tiny, plump-bodied, big-headed bird is a familiar woodland resident and backyard visitor in the northern U.S. and Canada. Gray overall with light buffy flanks and a contrasting head pattern: black cap, white cheek, and black throat. Short, stubby bill is used for hammering open seeds. Often the core of mixed flocks of songbirds. Visits feeders. Nearly identical to Carolina Chickadee, but range barely overlaps. Especially note voice, brighter white on wings, and buffier flanks on Black-capped. Beware that hybrids occur frequently in the overlap zone and some are best left unidentified.

Took my ornithology class on a bird walk for the first time yesterday. It's so great to see reactions of awe and joy when somebody looks at a bird through binoculars for the first time. Thanks to the trio of black-capped chickadees who hung out by us for a bit! ebird.org/species/bkcchi

MAJOR NEWS! We just launched an awesome new tool! The illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer lets users trace any bird’s lineage, compare species relationships, and explore major evolutionary milestones with a click of a button. SHARE and EXPLORE! birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/phy...

Congrats to Remzi Foresto Zárate and Enrique Ricardo Flores for their publication on vicuña ecology in the Pampa Galeras National Reserve of Peru. This work was supported by NGC's Peter Rittenhouse Kellogg, Jr. Memorial Fund Grant. oiccpress.com/jrs/article/...

Doing research related to the conservation of neotropical grasslands? The application deadline for our annual memorial grants ($2000-10000) is coming soon on March 1st. More details here: conservegrassland.org/our-programs/

It was a pleasure to play a small role in this project! Some of the population re-sequencing of whole genomes was done through my undergraduate advanced experience genomics lab at Boston College @bostoncollege.bsky.social

For people teaching biodiversity in intro biology, which topology do you use for animals?

1️⃣ Sponges-sister
2️⃣ Ctenophores-sister
3️⃣ Polytomy

📊 Show results

For people teaching biodiversity in intro biology, which topology do you use for animals?

1️⃣ Sponges-sister
2️⃣ Ctenophores-sister
3️⃣ Polytomy

📊 Show results

For people teaching biodiversity in intro biology, which topology do you use for animals?

1️⃣ Sponges-sister
2️⃣ Ctenophores-sister
3️⃣ Polytomy

📊 Show results

7 basic science discoveries that changed the world Ozempic, MRI machines and flat screen televisions all emerged out of fundamental research decades earlier — the very types of study being slashed by the US government.

Scientists point to a long list of findings that emerged out of fundamental research, the type of studies the US government is cutting, and went on to change the world. Nature lists a few of their examples. 🧪

In the Boston area and interested in teaching Biostatistics? We are looking for a part-time person to teach the course this spring. This is a great opportunity to gain university-level teaching experience! apply.interfolio.com/172818

An impressive study that was partially funded by the Neotropical Grassland Conservancy. Learn more about the organization at conservegrassland.org

On Sunday, Messina College welcomed its second class to the Brookline Campus as new Eagles moved in and had Orientation.

Welcome to the Heights! 🦅
Photos 📸 on.bc.edu/4lzt9iO

NEW: Under Trump, the National Science Foundation is awarding grants at the slowest pace in decades. We took a detailed look at every area of science affected by the funding lag. Here's a gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Full Time Visiting Professor in Anatomy and Physiology - HigherEdJobs Jobs in higher education. Faculty and administrative positions at colleges and universities. Updated daily. Free to job seekers.

My department at Boston College is seeking a full time visiting professor to teach anatomy and physiology next year, mainly geared toward first-year nursing students. www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?...

Completely agree that students need to actually read papers, but not that LLMs are useless. Novice students might not be able to fully grasp a paper, and LLM "summaries" can potentially help. Students can also get some training on the tools, and understand their shortcomings.

A reminder that applications for our Memorial Grants program are due tomorrow!. These $2000-10000 USD grants provide unrestricted funds (direct or indirect costs, including salary) to promote conservation research in Neotropical grasslands. conservegrassland.org/our-programs/

A reminder that applications for our Memorial Grants program are due soon on March 1st. These $2000-10000 USD grants provide unrestricted funds (direct or indirect costs, including salary) to promote conservation research in Neotropical grasslands. conservegrassland.org/our-programs/

Welcome to the newest Eagles! Messina College has begun accepting its second class to the Heights 🦅

Full disclosure: I use ppt and riff with case studies or chalkboard, but since covid most rooms have recording capability and I post all lecture videos to our LMS. For a ~200 person intro class it's an excuse for many to skip, but I also think it's helpful for many that do attend to review.

I also do this, but first/second year students have a harder time conceptualizing how teaching decisions affect learning. For my large intro class, I have (more senior) undergrad TAs give testimonials about study habits and learning, which I think helps a bit.

These were the top animal stories on NPR in 2024, including a boy's pregnant octopus This year, the animal kingdom was filled with triumph, loss and new discoveries. Here is a look at NPR's top animal stories of 2024.

www.npr.org/2024/12/18/n...

In the Boston area and interested in adjunct work teaching microbiology or A&P labs? My department at Boston College has two openings for the spring.
apply.interfolio.com/157621
apply.interfolio.com/157617

Conducting conservation research in Neotropical grasslands? Our Student Grant Program provides grants ($1500) towards transportation and consumables, and our Research Equipment Program provides basic research equipment ($100-2000). The next application deadline is December 1st! conservegrassland.org