iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The skulls of #Spinosaurus, #Tyrannosaurus (FMNH PR 2081) and #Giganotosaurus. Three large theropods which have been integral to my thesis. Big thank you to Vitamin Imagination and Eric Duan for help with the Giga and T.rex models. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Andy Farke @andyfarke.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I'm seeing a lot of statements that universities are inherently risky as parent organizations for museums, or that universities are inherently bad as parent organizations. Please don't forget that stand-alone and government-funded museums have a HUGE share of problems and risks, too!

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Just got the confirmation date of my SVP poster presentation. Come see me on Wednesday (11/11) as I talk about spinosaurids in comparison to other theropods and extant archosaurs. #FossilFriday #Spinosaurus #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Working on an upcoming presentation and I thought I’d highlight my two favorite theropods #Tyrannosaurus and #Spinosaurus for #FossilFriday, along with fantastic artwork by @rextooth.bsky.social. #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Been working on a range of motion study with Alexandre Fonseca for #FossilFriday. Really enjoying the sense of scale with the head and neck of #Suchomimus, #Tyrannosaurus, and #Spinosaurus. #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

SVP poster accepted. Looking forward to talking about how bizarre and unique spinosaurids are compared to other theropods and other extant animals. 😉 #Spinosaurus #Dinosaurs #Paleontology #SVP2026 #2026SVP

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Prosanta Chakrabarty @prosanta.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Y'all - the Smithsonian is hiring three new curators - herpetology, ichthyology, and ornithology! Notably, this is a 2nd fish curator position - i.e., not the same as the one advertised last month. So if you applied for that one apply again. www.usajobs.gov/job/873849000

Curator of Vertebrates

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History currently has openings for three early-career Research Curators in Vertebrate Zoology, one each from the disciplines of ornithology, herpetology and ichthyology. The Department of Vertebrate Zoology seeks candidates with demonstrated expertise in, and a commitment to, collections-based research centered on systematics and evolution of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. This includes the ability to pursue an original approach to systematics and comparative analyses using, for example, morphology, development, and/or molecular data, and showing evidence of broader impacts or applications in evolutionary biology and/or collections-based ecology, as demonstrated by a record of peer-reviewed publications.

Candidates must have demonstrated the ability to establish an externally funded research program and to contribute to the growth and curation of the collections. Research in the Department is supported by the Museum’s shared laboratories, including the Laboratory of Analytic Biology and the Scientific Imaging facility, among others. The Department’s scientific collections are the largest in the world for fishes, amphibians, and reptiles, and the third largest for birds.

These federal positions will be filled at the GS-12 level, with a starting salary of $102,415, and excellent benefits. The positions are permanent and require a one-year probationary period.

The official announcement is posted on USAJOBS, where applications must be submitted.
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/873849000

Please be sure to read the announcement and instructions carefully, as the process of applying via USAJOBS is stringent and differs from applying for an academic position. This website offers helpful advice: https://serc.si.edu/careers/tips-applying-federal-jobs

Please contact the Search Committee Chair, Michael McGowen (mcgowenm@si.edu) or the Department Chair, Helen James (jamesh@si.edu) with any questions.

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

In 2022, I was a summer fellow at the @NMNH. I was interested in scanning some of the theropods on display and in collections. For #FossilFriday, here are the skulls of Allosaurus (USNM 4734) & Tyrannosaurus (USNM 555000). #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

For #FossilFriday, I thought I’d show off the skulls of #Postosuchus along with #Tyrannosaurus, #Spinosaurus mirabilis, and #Carcharodontosaurus. Unlike living crocodylians, Postosuchcus’ skull is relatively tall like that of a theropod 🤔. #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Big thank you to Alexandre Fonseca and Ulises Jose Sosa for digitally processing & helping with articulating the cervicals of #Spinosaurus, #Suchomimus, and #Tyrannosaurus for a range of motion study. #Theropods #Dinosaurs #Paleontology #FossilFriday

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Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Paleontology and Pokemon - with Dr. Thomas Holtz youtu.be/SxtMg-l2Jis?...

youtu.be

Paleontology and Pokemon - with Dr. Thomas Holtz

YouTube video by Sombraptor

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Articulated #Suchomimus skull and neck. Suchomimus was a massive spinosaurid from West Africa. The elongated jaws and hypertrophied neck suggest it would have engaged in rapid movements of the head and neck. Perfect for capturing fish. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Oh wow. SVP will be in Chicago next year.

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Something big is happening at the Sereno Fossil Lab. Stay tuned for tomorrow. #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

For #FossilFriday I’m pleased to announce our new paper on investigating the cranial performance and evolution of feeding behavior in tyrannosauroids and other theropods. Here’s a thread on some of our major findings. #Dinosaurs #Paleontology #Tyrannosaurus #Theropods

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

I just got word that my #tyrannosaur manuscript got accepted for publication. A huge thank you to my coauthors @eric-snively.bsky.social, Danny Barta, Paul Gignac, and Ryan Felice. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology #Theropods

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Had the pleasure of seeing a variety of spinosaurs at the Fukui Dinosaur Museum. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

In lieu of the recent #Nanotyrannus paper, here’s a couple of photos of me at the Burpee Museum of Natural History with Jane (Nanotyrannus lethaeus) and CMNH 7541 (Nanotyrannus lancensis), along with a flesh model of Jane by @tylerkeillor.bsky.social. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Just in time for Halloween. Paul Sereno and colleagues have shown off two exceptionally well-preserved #Edmontosaurus mummies from the “Mummy Zone”. #dinosaurs #paleontology

Photos by Paul Sereno & Tyler Keillor.
Photogrammetry and 3D reconstruction by Dan Vidal and Maria Ciudad Real. Artwork by Dani Navarro

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Tune in tomorrow (1pm CT, 13:00 CDT), for an important paleo announcement from Dr. Paul Sereno (@paulserenoofficial) on Instagram. #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Lucas Nunes @lucasjn.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Here's a T. Rex bored to death trying to bite their own tail. My partner asked me to animate it in stop motion, after she watched a video about the very important topic of "could T. Rex chew its own tail like a dog". The puppet is still a work in progress 🦖

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Three #Tyrannosaurus skulls of @SUEtheTrex of @FieldMuseum, USNM 555000 of @NMNH, and Tufts Love rex of @burkemuseum. The skull differences in these three T.rex specimens is amazing! #dinosaurs #paleontology #FossilFriday

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Decided to do a test run on @FEBioSoftware with the adult #Tyrannosaurus of @NMNH and #Raptorex (a juvenile tyrannosaur). Baby tyrannosaurs show high skull stress and low jaw muscle forces, compared to the adult condition. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

I decided to get my own copy of National Geographic’s Dinosaurs with spectacular #Spinosaurus artwork by Dani Navarro. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Andre J. Rowe & Emily J. Rayfield (2025) Carnivorous dinosaur lineages adopt different skull performances at gigantic size Current Biology 35(15): p3664-3673.e3 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Got a chance to see “Teen rex”, a new #Tyrannosaurus specimen, at the @denvermuseumns.bsky.social. It is a breathtaking specimen, I might add. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Special thanks to Drs. Pat O’Connor & Dave Krause for hosting me at the @denvermuseumns.bsky.social collections. I had the pleasure of measuring various #Majungasaurus specimens and it is such an amazing theropod! Skeletal mount from Stony Brook University #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Since this year has proven to be the year of #Spinosaurus. Here’s a fantastic reconstruction by EdenBuster. I greatly adore the colors. #theropods #paleontology #dinosaurs

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

For #SpinosaurSaturday here’s #Spinosaurus and #Tyrannosaurus with neck muscle reconstructions. For my research, I’m looking at how much force the two theropods generated with moving their heads and necks. Big thanks to Eden Buster for helping with the reconstructions. #dinosaurs #paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

For #FossilFriday I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be presenting on #spinosaur feeding at @AnatomyOrg in Portland, OR on March 29. Come learn about spinosaur head and neck movements and feeding behavior. #AnatomyConnected #Anatomy25 #dinosaurs #paleontology (1/2)

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Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Cats: Predators to Pets opens at the Field Museum tomorrow. I hope the story of how this exhibit came to be can one day be told because it is wild. For now, I think my colleagues' work speaks for itself! Also, this exhibit may just include a human-sized cat tree & a chance to pose with salad cat.

An array of 20+ taxidermy big cats on staggered black shelves in a dark exhibit space.

Taxidermy caracal posed in a twisting leap as it grabs a pheasant.

Several taxidermy cats in resting poses.

Test print of the screaming woman and salad cat meme on a table.

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Anthony of the Badlands @mosasaurologist.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

QRP with your skull art 💀 I do mine in 3d

Mahajungasuchus skull eating a curatorial finger

Teratophoneus skull with golden retriever for scale

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Christopher DiPiazza @chrisdipiazza.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Watercolor of Sinraptor stealing a kill from a family of Guanlong. I worked with @ejrpaleo.bsky.social to put this together for his SVP research on early tyrannosaurs in 2021. 🦖 #paleoart #sciart

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Milton Tan @mtanichthys.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Pleased to share our new paper studying the adaptive diversification of body shape in catfishes of the superfamily Doradoidea and exploration of the evolution of modularity and integration. DOI: doi.org/10.1643/i202... 50-day free access link: www.ichthyologyandherpetology.org/ihbjbd/bxi20...

Landmark scheme shown on the left side of a representative catfish. Paired landmarks (triangles) were digitized as two separate right and left landmarks, while medial landmarks (circles) were digitized once. Colors correspond to body regions analyzed for differential rates and modularity: purple = mouth (mouth anterior, mouth left and right, mouth posterior); red = snout (tip of snout, anterior nares, posterior nares); yellow = cranial region (anterior, medial, posterior, and lateral points of the eyes, dorsal and ventral extent of the opercle opening, posterio-medial supraoccipital); green = abdomen (dorsal-, pectoral-, and pelvic-fin origins, dorsal- and pectoral-fin tips); blue = tail (dorsal-fin insertion, cloaca, anal-fin origin and insertion, dorsal and ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays, end of vertebral column). Black dots indicate adipose-fin landmarks, which are absent in many species and not included in comparative analyses.

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Maija Karala @maijakarala.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

What an amazing little kitty! A palaeontological dream come true - a three-week old sabertooth kitten was preserved in the Siberian permafrost. Surprisingly, even bleached by millenia in the soil, the fur is still a pretty dark brown. In life, it might have been nearly black.

Three small illustrated portraits showing the head of a sabertooth (Homotherium) kitten from three angles. The cub has blue eyes, chocolate brown fur and a white tuft of hair on the chin. It closely resembles a lion cub in proportions, but has a more robust snout, smaller ears and a round forehead.

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Matthew Aaron Brown @matthewaaronbrown.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

When Man-Eating Miocene Beavers Ruled the Earth #texasfossils #fossilfriday #paleontology #Anchitheriomysbuceei

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Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Any word on when museums and other institutions will start having their accounts over here?

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Dr Dave Hone @davehone.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

A new video in which I do something totally original for The Insider, criticse the accuracy of the Jurassic Park #dinosaurs (again): www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwb...

youtube.com

Paleontologist Rates 14 Dinosaur Attacks In The "Jurassic Park" Movies | How Real Is It? | Insider

YouTube video by Insider

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Special thanks to @NicolasFechin and Carson Long for inviting me and Eric Snively of @OSUVertPaleo with consulting on a #Tyrannosaurus model of @suethetrex.bsky.social. #FossilFriday #Dinosaurs #Paleontology

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Evan Johnson-Ransom @ejrpaleo.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Casts of the skulls of an adult Tyrannosaurus (AMNH 5027) and juvenile Tyrannosaurus (CMNH 7541) at The Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy in Paris, France. #Tyrannosaurus #Theropods #FossilFriday

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Jay 🦋 @jay.bsky.team · 14/11/2024

There are so many of you joining right now that things may temporarily glitch! If you’re seeing “invalid handle”, this is probably one of those things — see this thread for more information.

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Dr. Rich B @morphometrich.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

If you’re worried about what will happen to climate data/programs in the USA over the next 4 years, definitely urge you to check out: climateages.com/home/ It’s science + climate + fossils and run by a good friend.

climateages.com

Home - Climate Ages

Welcome to Climate Ages! Science has always been at the heart of what we do. But when we decided to step outside of academia, we found that our real duty was to keep sharing that science with the worl...

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Dr Ross Barnett @deepfrieddna.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

It's so beautiful! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

2 photos in colour and black and white of the preserved ead of a homotherium cat mummy.

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Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 14/11/2024

New Bird Species from the Age of Dinosaurs Fills in the Gaps of Bird Brain Evolution: bit.ly/Navaornishes...

Reconstruction of Navaornis hestiae in its 80 million-year-old environment. Copyright owned by Julia d’Oliveira. Credit: J. d’Oliveira, julia_d.oliveira@hotmail.com.

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Bob Nicholls Art @bobnichollsart.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

My 25 years of palaeoart chronology... Here is my workflow when reconstructing Eilenodon (2018), a large rhynchocephalian reptile from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation. The commissioning consultant was Dr Marc Jones (NHM). #PaleoArt #SciArt #SciComm #Dinosaurs #Jurassic