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Abby Williams

@abbyevewilliams.bsky.social
240 followers 418 following 9 posts

PhD student studying bird evolution 🦜🦋🧬islands, genomics, conservation

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Reposted by Abby Williams
Patrick Lewin @plewin.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Excited to share my second published PhD chapter out now in Current Biology! @cellpress.bsky.social 🧵 below but tldr: birds are known to use the magnetic field to navigate. But is magnetism the whole story? We find that an amazing avian navigator doesn’t seem to rely on magnetic cues at all.
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Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Hi all, putting feelers out: folks looking for a job ASAP in the 🇬🇧 in Cornwall, or willing to move? Collaborating group hiring a couple roles with skills in any of: - insect injections (incl. gene edits) - machine learning for image analysis - experience with 🦋 a plus! Can email me at link below.
experts.exeter.ac.uk
Discovery
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Erik Postma @erikpostma.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
📣 Spread the news to any recent graduates who dare to dream big: Only 10 days left to apply to join #Mast-EER, a cohort of MbyRes students based at the @uniexecec.bsky.social in #Cornwall funded by @aria-research.bsky.social. Places are limited, so apply now!
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Thibault (Tibo) Leroy @tiboleroyinen.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Happy to share that Maëva Gabrielli's latest work on Zosterops borbonicus is now published in Evolution! Interested by identifying barrier loci with genomic data? I hope you will find this piece of work interesting! ⬇️ academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
academic.oup.com
Accounting for recombination rate variation improves inference of barrier loci and reveals the role of both natural and sexual selection in an incipient bird radiation
Abstract. Examining genomic patterns of differentiation across lineage pairs at different stages of the speciation continuum, in combination with recombina
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Abby Williams @abbyevewilliams.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
I’ll be presenting a poster at #SMBE2026 on hybridisation between island endemic birds. Come say hello! (Poster 6, session A) 🏝️🦤🧬
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Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
It's 13 years that I've been shouty about queer folks in STEM. It's amazing how much we've achieved, and how much we've lost (especially in recent years). If you're after some Pride Month reading, here's a compilation from the archive labandfield.wordpress.com/queer-in-stem/
labandfield.wordpress.com
Queer in STEM
As an out scientist, I’ve written extensively on issues around being LGBTQ+ in science. Now collected in one convenient place! You can also read more articles over at LGBTQ+ STEM The gap in q…
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Abby Williams @abbyevewilliams.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Excited to share the first chapter of my PhD thesis as a preprint! We investigated the genomic consequences of secondary contact between passerines on a remote oceanic island, finding evidence of three-way hybridisation and spooky “ghost introgression” 🏝️🪶🧬 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
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Edward Grey Institute @egioxford.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
We've uploaded recordings of many of our seminars over the last few months to our You-tube channel, including from @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social, Kristen Ruegg, Daniel Field, @jon-slate.bsky.social, Paul Acker, @thelabandfield.bsky.social & @kokkonut.bsky.social - Enjoy! www.youtube.com/@EGIOxford
Screenshot of the EGI seminars You-tube Channel
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José Cerca @naturalselection.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
We have published a preprint entitled “Island species as models for small population biology and conservation.” 🏝️🩵🌍 1/3 ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
ecoevorxiv.org
Island species as models for small population biology and conservation
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Integration of Speciation (ESEB Special Topic Network) @speciation-network.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
The integration of speciation seminar series is restarting, with the first session coming up on *Tuesday March 3rd @ 5pm CET*, featuring two talks by @naturalselection.bsky.social and @andreaestandia.bsky.social + career Q&A with @markravinet.bsky.social as part of the ECR in Speciation theme.
seminar announcement with photos of speakers and talk titles
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Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
Oxford friends! I'm giving the @egioxford.bsky.social seminar on Friday. Pop along! egioxford.web.ox.ac.uk/event/adrift...
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Association of Field Ornithologists @fieldornith.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Attention, Latin American community! The North American Banding Council (NABC) is soliciting applications for small grants that support the development and certification of Latin American and Caribbean bird banders. Apply here: www.animalecology.org/grants
SMALL GRANTS FOR LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN BANDING CERTIFICATION SESSIONS

Grants are restricted to applicants from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Deadline: March 31, 2026

Apply here: www.animalecology.org/grants

Pictures: AFO and NABC logos
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Edward Grey Institute @egioxford.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
This week's EGI seminar will be given by Prof Jon Slate @jon-slate.bsky.social of @sheffielduni.bsky.social at 3.30 on Fri 30 Jan in LT1 in LaMB @biology.ox.ac.uk. OK, it's not quite birds, but our colleagues' work on @soaysheep.bsky.social has much in common with what we do. All welcome: details ⬇️
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Ignacio Juarez @penguinacho.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
I am very happy to announce that my first PhD paper has been published today at the Journal of Animal Ecology!!! It is on how three penguin species have been shifting their breeding times in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic in response to climate change. They are the fastest birds in doing so!
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Andrea Estandía @andreaestandia.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
New preprint! We explore how bird migration shapes parasite dispersal 🐤 🦠 Led by PhD student Sarah Nichols. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Life cycle complexity shapes parasite sharing amongst migratory and resident hosts
Migratory animals are potentially important parasite dispersers. However, understanding the impact of host migration on parasite distributions is challenging because variation in parasite life histori...
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Edward Grey Institute @egioxford.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Looking forward to an excellent series of seminars for the forthcoming term - programme now full till late March & will share programme very soon when we have a few last details. All seminars will be at 3.30 on Fridays in the Life & Mind Building (and usually streamed live)
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Abby Williams @abbyevewilliams.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Had a fab time this week at Pop Group @popgroup2026.bsky.social and stoked to have won a prize for my poster on hybridisation in island birds! 🧬🐦‍⬛🏝️ #pgg59
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Abby Williams @abbyevewilliams.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
So exciting to see this out as a preprint (and proud to have played a small part during my undergrad thesis!) 🐛
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Sicily Fiennes 🍉 @sicilyfiennes.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Proud to have my photo essay out in the publication Current Conservation. I got really into photography during my PhD including using a film camera. I hope it conveys some of the visual experience of being in a bird market and the sense of place. Enjoy 🐦 www.currentconservation.org/visual-stori...
currentconservation.org
Visual stories from a bird marketplace | Current Conservation
Current Conservation Visual stories from a bird marketplace
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Edward Grey Institute @egioxford.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
This week’s seminar will be given by Prof Daniel Field of @zoologymuseum.bsky.social & @cambridge-earthsci.bsky.social on the origins of modern birds. 3.30pm Friday 28 Nov in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building @biology.ox.ac.uk - all welcome & see below for live streaming joining information
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Biology LGBTQ+ Journal Club @oxfordbiologylgbtq.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
We are delighted to announce our upcoming LGBTQ+ seminar given by Dr Ross Brooks who will be talking about his upcoming book, Darwin and the Queer Origins of Life! 2nd December @ 4pm in the Life and Mind Building, open to all members of Oxford university 🥳🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rossb-brighton.bsky.social #QueerBiology
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Jordan Bestwick @jordanbestwick1.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
The geology department at the University of Leicester, where myself and countless others did our palaeontology PhDs, is at serious risk of closure Please show your support by signing the below! c.org/KtYyZB8dHk
c.org
Save Geology at the University of Leicester
Can you spare a minute to help this campaign?
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Sushma Reddy @sushred.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
1/ 🧵 I'm at #BOUasm25 A day at the museum to talk about using natural history collections to build inclusive community. Natural history #museums are undergoing a renaissance of novel research. However -who has access to collections? -who is being left out of biodiversity research? #ornithology
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Abby Williams @abbyevewilliams.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Had a fab time at #BOUasm25 learning about how we can use avian museum collections in research and engagement 🐦‍⬛🧬🌱 @bou.org.uk
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Natural History Collections and Museomics @nhcm.pensoft.net · 14/11/2025
The tangled history of Liverpool’s White-eye bird collection illustrates the impacts of war, imperialism, and scientific legacy on museum archives and taxonomy. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/nhcm...
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Biology LGBTQ+ Journal Club @oxfordbiologylgbtq.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
LGBTQ+ Journal Club is turning 1! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈To celebrate, here's a bit about what we've been up to over the past year: a thread of interesting papers in queer biology (1/n) ⬇️🧵
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Edward Grey Institute @egioxford.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
We're all looking forward to this week's seminar, being given by Kristen Ruegg from Colorado State University on the power of avian landscape genomics in the Genoscape Project. Seminar at 3.30pm on Friday 7 Nov in Lecture Theatre 1 in LaMB. Welcome in person or to join online - details ⬇️
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Barbara J. King @bjking.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
"The project that was terminated was on this hummingbird, the white-necked jacobin....I suspect that it has something to do with studying a species that doesn’t fit the binary." Researcher @jjinsing.bsky.social interviewed by @carlzimmer.com #birds #nature #science #fundscience #nonbinary 🧪
nytimes.com
He Studied Why Some Female Birds Look Like Males
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Edward Grey Institute @egioxford.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
Now that we're properly moved in & set up in the new Life & Mind Building, we're pleased to restart our tradition of Friday afternoon seminar speakers, kicking off with Alex Thornton of @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social at 3.30pm on 31 Oct. Also live streamed: see below for details. Corvid-themed for 🎃
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Wellcome Sanger Institute @sangerinstitute.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Immigration is critical for UK research and development. With other leading organisations, we have worked with @sciencecampaign.bsky.social to share insights about how the UK visa system impacts research. Read the full statement, here ⤵️ www.sanger.ac.uk/about/influe...
Quote card with image of Sarion Bowers, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Sanger Institute on right hand side. 
Quote says: At a time when the UK could be strengthening its global leadership through its science, we continue to deter scientists from coming to our country and we damage our global standing.
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Andrea Estandía @andreaestandia.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Excited to share our new paper in Molecular Ecology! Using whole-genome and morphological data from silvereyes, we explore their evolutionary history and find that water barriers are more effective than continental distances in driving population divergence 🐤🧬 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Islands Promote Diversification of the Silvereye Species Complex: A Phylogenomic Analysis of a Great Speciator
Geographic isolation plays a pivotal role in speciation by restricting gene flow between populations through distance or physical barriers. However, the speciation process is complex, influenced by t...
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EvoBio Crash Course @evobiocc.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Please share widely! We are offering the 4th iteration of our free & online crash course in Evolutionary Biology, catered to students in the Global South! Join us this summer for an incredible line of up classes & tutorials from amazing graduate student researchers, covering a vast array of topics!
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Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Get the word out far and wide. New opportunity from the Simons Foundation in the Eco-Evo space. 2026 Simons Graduate Fellowship in Ecology and Evolution Awards, due July 31, 2025, only for incoming PhD students who plan to start their PhDs in Fall 2026. www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
simonsfoundation.org
Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution
The purpose of these awards is to provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in ecology and evolution. While we will consider all projects in ecolo...
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Nat Duffus @natduffus.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Very disappointing to see the govt not only cut funding for nature-friendly farming schemes but ALSO lay out a consultation on changes to BNG which would reduce the requirement for the majority of developments to compensate for their impacts on nature. www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/governm...
wildlifetrusts.org
Government digs grave for wildlife | The Wildlife Trusts
New proposals on Biodiversity Net Gain from UK Government will harm whole communities so that a few can profit more.
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The Oxford Nature Network @biodivoxford.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
We're really looking forward to this seminar next week. More info and to register here: talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/c1b... @amydickman.bsky.social @wildcru.bsky.social @biology.ox.ac.uk
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Jay Jinsing Falk @jjinsing.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
My NSF PRFB on the genetics of female polymorphism in hummingbirds was terminated yesterday. I don't have much to say, I'm just sad. We've discovered so much, and could have gone so much further. If anyone else is in the same boat, esp postdocs, please reach out, it would be good to connect.
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Brilliant news! At last, confirmation that the Govt *will* go ahead with the #NaturalHistoryGCSE 🎉 We have to get to know our fellow travellers on this planet again. Young people who know & love nature are far more likely to protect & restore it - as well as enjoying better physical & mental health
theguardian.com
Department for Education confirms launch of natural history GCSE
Campaigners have been calling for the qualification for years but plan stalled despite a curriculum being drawn up
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Abby Williams @abbyevewilliams.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Highly recommend!
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Will Smith @willjsmith.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Studies of domestic pigeons have taught us lots about cognition, navigation, and genetics. If you’d like to learn why their wild cousins are also worthy of scientific attention, I’ve written a Rock Dove @currentbiology.bsky.social ‘quick guide’: doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.065
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Joe Hanly @hanliconius.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Thrilled to share that this paper is out now in Development! journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
journals.biologists.com
Lepidopteran scale cells derive from sensory organ precursors through a canonical lineage
Summary: The wing scales of butterflies and moths are derived from sensory organ precursors and are homologues of mechanosensory bristles.
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Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
New paper on the demographic drivers of cultural evolution in Great Tit song published today - epic work led by @nilomr.bsky.social with help from @andreaestandia.bsky.social Ella Cole & Sara Keen. Why did we do this, and what did we find? 🧵 follows: 1/n www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
The demographic drivers of cultural evolution in bird song
Social learning can give rise to shared behavioral patterns that persist as culture within animal communities,1,2 such as bird and whale songs and cet…
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Joana Meier @joanameier.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Do you use Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) genomes for your work or grant applications? If so, can you please fill out this form? docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... We are gathering info on how DToL genomes are used. It will help us raise money to continue producing publicly available high-quality genomes.
docs.google.com
Darwin Tree of Life Impact Assessment
This form is used to share information within DToL about case studies, ongoing research, and funding awards that demonstrate the impact the Darwin Tree of Life consortium project has had on Global and...
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