Sign in

Caroline VanSickle (she/her)

@cvansickle.bsky.social
2.2K followers 584 following 228 posts

Feminist, paleoanthropologist, anatomists, previously known as cvans. I write my own posts without AI and will do my best to not share AI content. My Website: carolinevansickle.com.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Caroline VanSickle (she/her)
Ellie Mae O'Hagan @elliemaeohagan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I love the dedication in My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinhem
10385241964
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
My colleague, Heather Garvin, and I both previously conducted research on the sex differences of #HomoNaledi, only for a recent study to show that all of the fossils were female. While we weren't involved with the new study, it has implications for our future research. www.dmu.edu/blog/2026/08...
dmu.edu
DMU Faculty Help Shape Understanding of Ancient Human Relatives | News | Des Moines University
Two Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences researchers are helping unravel one of the most intriguing mysteries in human evolution.
022
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Today in #WomensHealth: Often, ovarian cancer is actually fallopian tube cancer. Removing the tubes prevents the cancer and can be done with any abdominal surgery (including c-sections). Part of why we're bad at finding ovarian cancer early enough to treat is that we're looking in the wrong organ!
nytimes.com
There’s a Way to Prevent Ovarian Cancer. Few Know About It. (Gift Article)
The vast majority of cases begin in the fallopian tubes — and removing them can reduce the risk by nearly 80 percent.
1135
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Forgot to attach their protein paper: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
cell.com
Proteomic analysis of dental enamel from 20 Homo naledi individuals shows no male markers
The morphological homogeneity of the middle Pleistocene hominin Homo naledi is reflected in its dental proteome, with no evidence supporting confident identification of male individuals, and the detec...
031
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I'm therefore very excited about @palaeoprotpalesa.bsky.social and team's discovery that these teeth all lack male markers. I'm excited to reevaluate the pelvic fossils knowing they are likely all female. There's still a lot of good science to be done!
121
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Preservation! The image shows the best pelvic fragments from #Homonaledi. They represent multiple individuals, including kids and adults, but are so broken it's difficult to tell which are which. Unable to distinguish age and sex differences, we couldn't say much about sex!
Photographs of 23 pelvic bone fragments, brown in color, on a black background with a white bar representing 1 cm. Some elements (e.g., the left ischium) are repeated. The largest fragment in the center is a segment of the iliac blade. Photos taken by John Hawks and assembled by Caroline VanSickle. For educational use only.
110
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Preview: All the #Homonaledi (with teeth) are female. I study the #evolution of sex differences in the #hominin skeleton, particularly in the pelvis, and literally wrote the paper on the naledi pelvis. So why didn't I figure out that the entire sample from this cave was female?
120
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I'm super excited to give this talk at my local public library tomorrow. In light of the news earlier this month, I'm going to focus on the wild story that is Homo naledi. #paleoanthropology #HomoNaledi #scicom #scicomm #HumanEvolution 🧪 waukee.librarycalendar.com/event/discov...
waukee.librarycalendar.com
Discoveries Unearthed From Ancient Human Bones | Waukee Public Library
How do scientists know when a fossil bone fragment belongs to an ancient human relative? What methods do they use to reconstruct not just anatomy, but behavior from incomplete skeletons? Join paleoant...
183
Reposted by Caroline VanSickle (she/her)
Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 19/07/2026
Could Excel be conscious? We surveyed more than Jan 1 1900 people to find out.
114137692877
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
I did once miss my exit driving to an airport because I forgot which exit my paper map said to take. I ended up pulling over many miles later to call my mom, who looked up directions for me on Mapquest so I could get back on track. It was a different time!
010
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
I still ask strangers for help. 2004: Got lost in Kyoto with a paper map. A shop clerk who didn't speak English helped me find a stranger who did to get directions. 2024: Got lost in Addis Ababa with a phone. A local student helped me find my hotel. 100% recommend talking to strangers when lost!
230
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
If you ever wonder if you work in a low-diversity field, Google Image search your job title. Of the first 33 images returned for "paleoanthropologist", 2 are women, 3 are non-white, and 7 are Lee Berger (not surprising given his commitment to outreach). #Paleoanthropology we can surely do better!
Google image results for the word "paleoanthropologist". Many photos of white men holding fossils. Seven of the photos feature Lee Berger. Two feature women and 3 feature a non-white person. Others show fossils without a living person in the frame.
161
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
This is particularly concerning. For an academic to deliver a keynote presentation and be unable to answer questions because he's not actually familiar with the works he just discussed (recited?) – wow, just wow at how bad this is.
051
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Wild story. I'm curious if he was paid to be the keynote speaker and if the organizers knew he wouldn't be presenting his own work?
030
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
And don't get me started on the introduction of AI voices and content in these modules. That is definitely not necessary and not improving my comprehension of the content!
010
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
A good quiz question will test only one of the module's learning objectives. Readers should be able to think of the answer before reading the options to confirm their understanding of the concept being tested. Thus, "Which of the following is not true of x?" is a poor question format!
110
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Part of my job involves writing fair exam questions for medical students. I've completed multiple courses/workshops to make sure I'm effective at this aspect of my job. So it really annoys me when I take quizzes for required employee trainings that were written by people who lack this skill set.
1101
Reposted by Caroline VanSickle (she/her)
dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
NEW: Trump's gross Aliens.gov site claims to map where immigrants have been taken into custody, but it includes more 83 spots where Americans alone were arrested. Over 700 locations include citizen arrests. The counter is fake. The music was ripped. And Puerto Rico is listed as a foreign country.
wired.com
The White House’s Aliens.gov Site Brags That ICE Arrested More Than 700 US Citizens
The website, which compares human beings to extraterrestrials, touts arrest numbers from the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown. But some of its details are really out there.
5827081112
Reposted by Caroline VanSickle (she/her)
c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
The first cat to be cloned was a calico female named Rainbow (left). The clone, produced at Texas A&M University in 2001 was named "CC" for Carbon Copy or CopyCat (right). Notice something odd about the "identical copy"? Not very identical is she? But they *are confirmed* genetically identical.
An orange white and black calico cat named Rainbow greeting CC, who is in that late kitten stage, and is a tabby calico, no orange.  They sit on a conference table, and Rainbow looks like she's about to either groom or bite CC.
518851
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Surprised to learn scientists can't agree on a definition of sex? Don't be! To be honest, we can't even agree on a definition of species. Many so-called natural categories are hard to define once we look at the evidence. Biology is too complex for simple definitions, which is a feature, not a bug.
0146
Reposted by Caroline VanSickle (she/her)
Jeremy Yoder says no war @jbyoder.org · 09/04/2026
"The fact that there is no current consensus of biological sex is not antithetical to science... However, the field urgently needs an ethical and reproducible approach for discussing sex" There is No Consensus on Biological Sex
buff.ly
There is No Consensus on Biological Sex
At this critical moment when misinformation about sex is being applied to policy globally, scientific clarification on the definition of biological sex is valuable. Here, we evaluate the primary…
27528
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
My friend started an academic copyediting business! I can confirm that her attention to detail and formatting skills are phenomenal (high praise from me, I'm judgy). Contact her with drafts that need proofreading, copy editing, or formatting. She'll even fix your references! www.misfitediting.com
misfitediting.com
Misfit Editing
044
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
As always, email me if you cannot access the article and would. like to read it.
010
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Our results challenge ideas about the necessity of #c-sections, especially after age 35, at least based on skeletal data. Additionally, Alisha, Paige, @nmlaudicina.bsky.social, & I found interesting birth canal differences in individuals who were post #menopause or had previously given #birth.
111
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
New at @anatrecord.bsky.social: Skeletal remodeling of the pelvis and the obstetric risks of advanced maternal age. We found no skeletal changes to explain higher c-section rates in so-called "geriatric" pregnancies. #obstetrics #pregnancy #TeamPelvis #ReproductiveHealth doi.org/10.1002/ar.7...
doi.org
Skeletal remodeling of the pelvis and the obstetric risks of advanced maternal age
Advanced maternal age pregnancies are associated with a higher rate of cesarean sections (c-sections). As surgical procedures, c-sections increase the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. Some h...
122
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
FYI: #AABA2026 hashtag is slow (not updating?) this morning, but searching aaba2026 seems to find more posts.
000
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
#AABA2026 plenary speaker Pontzer showed graphs that explain why my metabolism was higher in high school (rude). Also showed that higher activity populations don't have higher metabolisms. Exercise may change basal metabolic rate (aerobic activity decreases BMR, weights increase BMR).
000
Reposted by Caroline VanSickle (she/her)
Bríd Nic Annaidh ☘️ @bridgetmcgann.medsky.social · 18/03/2026
The feed for the annual meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists is live! bsky.app/profile/brid... LMK if there is a post that is missing that you think should be added, or unrelated posts that don't belong. #AABA2026 #HBA2026 @bioanth.org 🧪 #BioAnth #HumanEvolution
159
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
This! That has to be a fire hazard!
000
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Me too!! That was a wild travel experience!
121
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
I think that may just be the shuttle within the airport to get between concourses. At least I don't see anything on the RTD website saying the train downtown is out.
110
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
I'm hoping the train is still available!
100
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Any other #AABA2026 attendees stuck on a plane at the Denver Airport because of an airport power outage? Gotta admit, this is a new one for me!
310
Reposted by Caroline VanSickle (she/her)
NPR @npr.org · 05/02/2026
In South Africa, paleontology has been dominated by white people. Lazarus Kgasi is changing that dynamic — and coloring in the picture of the world our distant ancestors once inhabited. n.pr/49WF6w1
n.pr
How a Black fossil digger became a superstar in the very white world of paleontology
In South Africa, paleontology has been dominated by white people. Lazarus Kgasi is changing that dynamic — and coloring in the picture of the world our distant ancestors once inhabited.
4611128
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
This one? It sounds fascinating and is definitely going on my To Read list. Thanks! bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
bookshop.org
The Making of Mr. Gray's Anatomy: Bodies, Books, Fortune, Fame
Bodies, Books, Fortune, Fame
100
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Gray of Gray's Anatomy died at age 34?? I need to learn more, but what a legacy. I always assumed he lived to old age and published a lot over a long career, thus the fame!
141
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
That's why I had to check. I thought Zotero was broken.
000
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
TIL that in APA7, your first in-text reference might have a "b" after the year (e.g., "(Berndt, 2004b)"). And that the new suggestion is to include more specific date info if available. Purdue OWL: Teaching me about citation styles since, uh, forever! owl.purdue.edu/owl/research...
Screenshot from the Purdue OWL APA 7 citation page on Reference List: Author/Authors (link: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_author_authors.html). 

Text reads: 

[Section Title] Two or More Works by the Same Author in the Same Year

[Section Text] If you are using more than one reference by the same author—or the same group of authors listed in the same order—published in the same year, first check to see if they have more specific dates ([noted in red font] this recommendation is new to APA 7). Works with only a year should be listed before those with a more specific date. List specific dates chronologically.  If two works have the same publication date, organize them in the reference list alphabetically by the title of the article or chapter. If references with the same date are identified as parts of a series (e.g. Part 1 and Part 2), list them in order of their place in the series. Then assign letter suffixes to the year. Refer to these sources in your essay as they appear in your reference list, e.g.: "Berndt (2004a) makes similar claims..."

Berndt, T. J. (2004a).  Children’s friendships: Shifts over a half-century in perspectives on their development and their effects.  Merrill Palmer Quarterly, 50(3), 206-223.

Berndt, T. J. (2004b).  Friendship and three A’s (aggression, adjustment, and attachment).  Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 88(1), 1-4.
100
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I bought them twice and each time had my rx change a year or 2 later, which didn’t feel worth the cost!
000
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Ooh and while I’m at it: wear sunglasses! I recently learned that sun exposure may increase risk of cataracts. Totally regretting my childhood of no sunglasses (I wore prescription glasses and there generally weren’t great sunglasses alternatives, though over the years I tried them all).
100
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I feel like hearing protection is the new “wear sunscreen”, but also wear sunscreen if you missed that message in the late ‘90s.
110
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Also: use ear plugs. I live by my loops for any event involving a crowd (hockey games, I’m looking at you!). Planes, too. If you see babies with ear protection, consider using some yourself!
100
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I’ve been guilty of thinking I can project loudly enough. I’m grateful for the HoH folks who took the time to inform me that wasn’t enough. Always use the mic.
250
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
I started reading The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan & found myself impressed by this take on drawing in the forward by David Allen Sibley. I draw fossils (often poorly) to get to know the details of the bone fragment, so I agree that “drawing is really a different way of seeing”.
Screenshot of a page from the ebook of The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan.

The page starts with a drawing of a green bird on a branch, labeled “Anna's Hummingbird (female)”.

Under the image, text reads:
“Like most kids, I enjoyed drawing and I laid down enough "pencil miles" (a fun phrase I just learned in this book) to develop some skills at a young age. So by the time my own bird obsession started to take hold, drawing was a natural part of that. I consider drawing mostly a brain exercise. The hand that controls the pencil to make lines on paper is a small part of the whole process. You can learn how to draw, and then drawing anything becomes easier, but drawing is really a different way of seeing, converting something from three dimensions in the real world to lines on a two-dimensional sheet of paper.”

From the book’s forward, written by ornithologist David Allen Sibley.Screenshot of a page from the ebook of The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan.

The text reads: “Drawing something, like birds, actually depends more on your knowledge of the subject than on your drawing ability. And it is a deep and intangible sort of knowledge.
Imagine your very wise birding mentor saying, "Yes, it is black with a yellow head... but do you really know what that bird looks like?" Drawing requires you to absorb details and then to combine them into a simplified and unified whole. Watching birds for countless hours is the way to get to know them, and drawing is the test to demonstrate that knowledge. The drawing is, in a way, like discovering the birds anew, as they appear on your paper. It usually means testing lines and shapes, erasing, adding a curve, sharpening or softening an edge, working to find the details that re-create the essence of the bird in a drawing. And when that happens it feels like a small kernel of truth has been revealed.”

From the forward of the book, written by ornithologist David Allen Sibley.
130
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
Imagine how much writing I (or anyone) would get done with help like that! All it takes is being ok taking advantage of and disenfranchising half the population.
140
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
So glad you could enjoy the museum!
010
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
I like this assessment. I’ve not read Pratchett widely, but the books I have read all has surprisingly philosophical commentary tucked into what was otherwise a “fun fantasy”.
030
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
As my training is not in EB, I can’t speak for how they are trained. In anthropology, I was trained to recognize that there have been a lot of human cultures and that social structures are not determined or predicted by the population’s biology, that’s way too simplistic for understanding humans.
030
Caroline VanSickle (she/her) @cvansickle.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
I consider myself a biological anthropologist who sometimes has to engage with evolutionary biologists. In EB, too often the conclusions are about how biology determines culture. In BA, we learn that culture & biology are interrelated, affecting each other but not determining (that’s too narrow).
1296
Reposted by Caroline VanSickle (she/her)
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 19/12/2025
I just wish someone would be honest and say “we are ending civilian science in favor of science that is focused on serving national security and war”
281801348