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John Dawson

@dawsonpaleo.bsky.social
154 followers 288 following 5 posts

I teach Math, Earth & Environmental Science at a community college in Iowa. My interests include fossils, baseball, data science, and politics.

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Reposted by John Dawson
Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️) @cambriancam.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Welcome back to another #fossilfriday I take a break from the Invertebrates to show you this! This is a tooth from a theropod dinosaur likely belonging to an unidentified Abelisaurid. This was found in the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Dekkar Formation in Morocco.
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John Dawson @dawsonpaleo.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Denver Museum of Natural History? Geological Society of America has a good list of things to do in Denver during their conference.
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Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
UMaine is hiring a director of our new PFAS lab: fa-ewca-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid... If you've got a PhD in analytical or environmental chemistry and 5+ years of PFAS research experience, check it out!
fa-ewca-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com
Assistant or Associate Extension Professor, PFAS and Environmental Contaminants Analytical Specialist, and PFAS Lab Director
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is seeking an accomplished scientist and collaborative leader to establish and grow the University's PFAS analytical and Extension program. This is a uniq...
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Lisa S Gardiner @lisasgardiner.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Parrotfish poo! Learn more about how these fish shape coral reefs at: www.snexplores.org/article/parr...
snexplores.org
Parrotfish shape the future of coral reefs, one bite at a time
Could these colorful fish aid struggling coral? Yes, but not always. Parrotfish play a complex role in reefs — and sometimes may cause harm.
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Riley Black 🏳️‍⚧️ 🦖 @restingdinoface.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Paleontologists used to think plants like conifers and ginkgoes were the main components of Cretaceous forests. Fossil fruit and seeds from New Mexico change the story. Angiosperms grew thick before the time of T. rex. 🧪 My latest Buttondown newsletter, out now! buttondown.com/restingdinoface
buttondown.com
Flowers For Dinosaurs
A trove of fossil fruit, seeds, and stumps from New Mexico rewrites what we thought we know about Cretaceous forests.
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Paul Harnik @paulharnik.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
We are pleased to announce that the Dept of Earth & Environmental Geosciences @colgate.edu is hiring a tenure-stream asst professor in paleoclimate! For additional info regarding the position & to apply: apply.interfolio.com/188708 . Please share broadly & contact us with your questions. Thank you!
apply.interfolio.com
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
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Kiabugboy @kiabugboy.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Rugose coral video is done! Full video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwkM... #SciArt #paleoart #3dAnimation #coral #reef
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Dr. Merritt Rae Turetsky @queenofpeat.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Ever wonder why bogs and fens are simultaneously magical, mysterious, and spooky? Bogland is my ode to these paradoxical ecosystems, and a call to action. Barnes & Noble members will receive 25% off pre-orders made by TOMORROW Jun 26 (code PREORDER25. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bogland-me...
barnesandnoble.com
Bogland: The Secret World That Defies Death and Protects Life
Barnes & Noble’s online bookstore for books, NOOK ebooks & magazines. Shop music, movies, toys & games, too. Receive free shipping with your Barnes & Noble Membership.
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Laura Alencar 🇧🇷🐍🦎 @alencarlrv.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Interested in #macroevolution, #macroecology, and mountain biodiversity? I'm recruiting a #postdoc for an NSF-funded project at Yale, in collaboration with Martha Muñoz (Yale) and Maya Stokes (Florida State University). I'll be at #Evol2026 and happy to chat! Link below
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Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 11/02/2026
The food chains on modern Caribbean coral reefs may have shortened by up to 70% compared with those on their prehistoric counterparts, according to research in Nature. The findings suggest that modern reefs could be increasingly vulnerable to external stressors and ecosystem collapse. 🌍 🧪
go.nature.com
Fossil isotope evidence for trophic simplification on modern Caribbean reefs - Nature
Using nitrogen isotopes from ancient and modern fish otoliths and corals, the study shows Caribbean reef food webs are now 60–70% shorter and functionally less diverse, indicating human-driven trophic simplification and increased risk of collapse.
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Dr Anna Clark @drannaclark.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Science Christmas The Upturned Microscope
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Caribbean reefs have lost 48% of hard coral since 1980, study finds
theguardian.com
Caribbean reefs have lost 48% of hard coral since 1980, study finds
‘Destructive’ marine heatwaves driving loss of microalgae that feed coral, says Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
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Ferwen @ferwen.bsky.social · 23/11/2025
Forgotten women of paleontology: Estella Bergere Leopold ⚒️🧪 paleonerdish.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/f...
paleonerdish.wordpress.com
Forgotten women of paleontology: Estella Bergere Leopold.
Paleoecological records suggest that the transition to agriculture marked a pivotal turning point in the environmental history of our planet. Tropical forests have been reduced by agricultural expa…
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Natalia (娜塔莉) @wrycritic.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
This baby pterosaur is no bigger than my thumb
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Paul D. Taylor @nhmbryozoa.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
#FossilFriday Remarkable preservation of the brachidium which supported the lophophore in the brachiopod Spiriferina from the French Jurassic.
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Liz Ahern 🌈🇲🇽🏳️‍⚧️☮️ @austinmermaid.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
"Dude, that is so cool!" A group of hikers were left in awe when they spotted a Giant Pacific octopus in a tide pool near Bellingham, Washington! They’re intelligent and adaptive creatures. It’s crucial we ensure their conservation and protect their habitats for future generations. #Octopus 🐙
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Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️) @cambriancam.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
I'm currently at my godmother's baby shower and I still can't escape deep time. The building steps are made up of sandstone slabs completely full of trace fossils! These were once part of an ancient beach millions of years ago and Invertebrates burrowed into the sand. Not sure on age or province.
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Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️) @cambriancam.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Here are more pictures I took of Ichnofossils I saw in the sandstone slabs that made up the steps at the baby shower venue I went to today. Many of these are cross-cutting one another. It must have been an active seabed. Some of these look like they were made by arthropods. Possibly trilobites.
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Eos @eos.org · 09/02/2025
As the climate warms, the total land area affected by multiyear droughts has expanded by 50,000 square kilometers, or more than 12 million acres, each year since 1980.
eos.org
Megadroughts Have Grown in Size and Scope - Eos
A new study maps and ranks the largest, longest-lasting, and most severe multiyear droughts from 1980 to 2018.
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Denver Fowler Ph.D @denverfowler.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
JOB: SEASONAL PALEONTOLOGIST BADLANDS DINOSAUR MUSEUM 15wks, starting in mid-late May or early June 2025 (flexible). $19.07 / hr. Must be legally able to work in US. Applications close Feb 10th 2025. Come work with us! www.governmentjobs.com/careers/dick... See listing & comments for details
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Dr. Thomas Ronge @thomasronge.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
They did it! "An international team of scientists announced they’ve successfully drilled one of the oldest ice cores yet [...] to reach ice they say is at least 1.2 million years old." So far scientific ocean drilling was the only way to go back in time further than 800ka! apnews.com/article/anta...
apnews.com
Scientists drill nearly 2 miles down to pull 1.2 million-year-old ice core from Antarctic
An international team of scientists say they’ve successfully drilled one of the oldest ice cores yet, penetrating nearly 2 miles to Antarctic bedrock to reach ice that's at least 1.2 million years old...
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Museum of Natural and Cultural History @uomnch.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
Mitchell Ralphs bends over a portable XRF machine, which looks a little bit like a microscope but instead of the lens tube is a small box where you can put shards. He is writing notes down on a piece of paper. Read more: buff.ly/3DBKkiS
Mitchell Ralphs bends over a portable XRF machine, which looks a little bit like a microscope but instead of the lens tube is a small box where you can put shards. He is writing notes down on a piece of paper.
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History of Geology @historyofgeology.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
January 7 is Old-Rock-Day 🪨 & you can't go older than with the Acasta Gneiss-a tonalite gneiss of the Slave craton, NWT/Canada. Dated at approximately 4.03 billion years with Earth being 4.543 billion years old www.travelinggeologist.com/2014/10/acas...
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Marta Mirazon Lahr @martamlahr.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
What an exciting and relevant project😍!! Deadline: 17 Jan
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Eric Schuettpelz @ferncurator.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
Travel awards (up to $5,000) are available to support the study of collections in the United States National Herbarium. Applications are due on 15 January: naturalhistory.si.edu/research/bot...
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Meghan Jenkinson @palaeo-meghan.bsky.social · 24/12/2024
Merychippus everyone 🎄🐎
Screenshot of the wikipedia page for Merychippus, a proto-horse that lived in North America 15.97-5.33 million years ago. It had three toes on each foot.
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John Dawson @dawsonpaleo.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
Happy #fossilfriday. Solitary scleractinian coral Asterosmilia from Caribbean Pleistocene.
Side view of a solitary horn coral. Top view of a solitary coral with septa visible.
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History of Geology @historyofgeology.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
December 19, 1741, Danish explorer and officer in the Russian Navy Vitus Jonassen Bering passed away. The Bering Strait and the ancient land of Beringia, exposed when sea levels were lower during the last glaciation, is named after him.
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Phoebe Cohen @phoebefossil.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Looking for a last minute holiday gift for a deep-time loving friend in your life? Paleozoic Pals are the best - and super affordable! pri-gift-shop.myshopify.com/collections/... Consider making a donation to the incredible institution that makes these plushies possible - PRI-- www.priweb.org/donate
pri-gift-shop.myshopify.com
Plush
Paleozoic Pals™ Paleozoic Pals™ are the Paleontological Research Institution’s line of plush fossils. The Paleozoic is the era before dinosaurs, during which animal life first diversified in the seas,...
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Paul Harnik @paulharnik.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
Due to a major financial shortfall, the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) in Ithaca, NY is in need of substantial support. If you're in a position to donate, I hope you will consider it (www.priweb.org/donate). 1/9
Middle school student and PRI educator work together to identify fossils.Middle school students work together to identify fossils.Middle school students work together to compile their paleoecology data.
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Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Are you a dog lover looking for a PhD? You're in luck, becuase we are advertising a BBSRC-funded project that combines evolution, morphology, and biomechanics, and actually helps #dogs live better lives! Check it out here: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
BBSRC NWD CASE: Selective breeding, morphological and functional disparity in domestic dogs: implications for welfare and veterinary healthcare technologies at University of Liverpool on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - BBSRC NWD CASE: Selective breeding, morphological and functional disparity in domestic dogs: implications for welfare and veterinary healthcare technologies at University of Liverpool, l...
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Bristol Palaeobiology @bristolpalaeo.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
We've got a number of PhD projects up for grabs with competitive funding, but apply asap because they have Jan 13 and Jan 20 application deadlines!! Check out the list below...... www.bristol.ac.uk/earthscience...
bristol.ac.uk
Postgraduate research projects
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Neil Shubin @neilshubin.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
The dinosaur dance floor (a piece of it anyways). A vast plateau by the side of a mountain preserves thousands of Triassic dinosaur footprints. Tait Berg, East Greenland July 1989. 🧪 #paleontology #dinosaurs
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Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬 @daveyfwright.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
Awesome opportunity to conduct integrative research at a spectacular and absolutely beautiful field site!
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GHOULology Johnson @geologyjohnson.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
#FossilFriday an example of the large unicellular algae Tasminites from the early Jurassic black shales back home. This one is about 100 um across. The second image shows a close up where you can see the fine scale ornamentation #geology #paleontology
microscope photo of a microfossil in a brown mudstone with black spots. The brown is clay and organic matter, the black spots are pyrite. The microfossil looks like a tiny orange that has gone a bit mouldy. Close up of the fossil in the previous photo. We can see here that the surface of the fossil is covered in lots of tiny pores that give it a seive-like texture.
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John Dawson @dawsonpaleo.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Me too!
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Ferris Jabr @ferrisjabr.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
I was deeply disappointed by the lack of nature/science/climate/enviro on many major end-of-year book lists—so I decided to make my own! Introducing: ✨🎁📚 The 2024 Holiday Gift Guide to Nature & Science Books ✨🎁📚 Please share: Let's make this go viral in time for Black Friday / holiday shopping!
A collage of book covers of new nature & science books. Featured here are Atlas Obscura Wild Life, Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party, Every Living Thing, Alien Earths, Becoming Earth, and Deep WaterA collage of book covers of new nature & science books. Featured here are Frostbite, The Inner Clock, How to Kill an Asteroid, The Great River, The Last Fire Season, and Hoof BeatsA collage of book covers of new nature & science books. Featured here are The Serviceberry, Not the End of the World, Nature's Ghosts, Meet the Neighbors, The Light Eaters, and Our MoonA collage of book covers of new nature & science books. Featured here are Turning to Stone, The Weight of Nature, What If We Get It Right?, Waves in An Impossible Sea, The Tree Collectors, and Why We Remember
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Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
phys.org/news/2024-11...
phys.org
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Riley Black 🏳️‍⚧️ 🦖 @restingdinoface.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Alligators can make some amazing sounds, including deep, bellowing calls. It makes me wonder what the Cretaceous swamps of 75 million years ago would have sounded like when the 35-foot-long alligatoroid Deinosuchus was swimming around, if those scaly giants called to each other, too.
youtu.be
Alligator Territorial bellows
YouTube video by snook201
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Callan Bentley @callanbentley.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
A cartoon I drew on the whiteboard today. #glaciers ⚒️
Cartoon cross section through an alpine glacier. The glacier flows over bedrock from the upper left toward lower right, from mountains over a threshold below a cirque, over a roche moutonee, and to its terminus where it deposits an end moraine. From there, meltwater carries away outwash sediments. Arrows show the glacier's flow direction. Above these arrows is a dotted line showing the BDT (brittle/ductile transition). Above the BDT are crevasses, including a bergschrund at the top of the cirque. A cartoon stick figure stands atop the glacier, saying "This is so cool"...
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Callan Bentley @callanbentley.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Fossil ID question - a colleague found this object in their departmental collection, unlabeled. I thought it might be a segment from an ammonoid shell, a 3D expression of the septa between chambers of the shell of a goniatite. What do the paleontologists think? ⚒️
Photograph of a 10cm by 5cm block of rock, narrow at one end and wider at the other end, with a series of four pairs of bulging tubercles, changing the width of their spacing. It's gray, and held in a person's fingers atop a wooden surface.Photograph of a 10cm by 5cm block of rock, narrow at one end and wider at the other end, with a series of four pairs of bulging tubercles, changing the width of their spacing. It's gray, and held in a person's fingers atop a wooden surface.Photograph of a 10cm by 5cm block of rock, narrow at one end and wider at the other end, with a series of four pairs of bulging tubercles, changing the width of their spacing. It's gray, and lying atop a wooden surface, next to a person's hand.
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John Dawson @dawsonpaleo.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
Lighthouse along the rocky Maine coast.
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Bill Parker @chinleana.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
If you haven't checked out Lithodendron yet, you can visit the link below. We noticed a need for an outlet for scientific data that are more field based and generally sit as a report in a file cabinet rather than get accepted by mainstream journals. petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org/lithodendron/
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SlenderSherbet @slendersherbet.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
If you've never heard foxes laughing before, here's some foxes laughing.🔊🆙 📹: www.saveafox.org
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Emily Mitchell @egmitchell.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
Hello folks! I currently have two PhDs advertised: with Andrea Manica investigating the eco-evolutionary dynamics of Ediacaran early animal communities www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/2025-26-proj...
Ediacaran fossil community in the Discovery Geopark Newfoundland Canada
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Cam Muskelly (Explorer of Deep Time ⏰ ⚒️) @cambriancam.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
Hello! My name is Cameron (Cam) Muskelly. I'm a science communicator and self taught paleontologist/ geologist located in Georgia. I study the fossil record of the Appalachian Basin and educate the public about Deep Time. My long term goal is to be a collections manager of Invertebrate Paleontology.
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John Dawson @dawsonpaleo.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
#fossilfriday Happy fossil Friday. Solitary coral from the late Cenozoic of the Caribbean.
Top view of solitary coral with septa present.  Lateral view of solitary coral.
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