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Emma Caton

@emmacaton.bsky.social
1.6K followers 103 following 135 posts

Science news at @nhm-london.bsky.social 🦕 | Zoologist 🐢 | Science communicator 🎥 | Rock climber & runner 🧗🏼‍♀️ | Full-time nature nerd 🐞

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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
New cat species just dropped! 🐈 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Spotted wildcat from Bolivian forest revealed as new species
A spotted wildcat long mistaken for relatives has been identified as a new species in Bolivia.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Had lots of fun presenting the livestream for the Natural History Museum, giving a first-look at the new exhibition Nature and Us. 🌟 There are so many incredible stories to explore in this gallery, which hasn’t been open to the public since the Second World War.
Emma standing in the centre of the gallery surrounded by specimens in glass cases.
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Natural History Museum, London @nhm-london.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Almost half of the world’s migratory bird species are in decline. 💔 The latest State of the World’s Birds report highlights cuckoos, turtle doves and Arctic terns among the migratory species facing increased extinction risk.
Photograph showing a Turtle dove perched on a mossy branch above still water.
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Natural History Museum, London @nhm-london.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
🚨 Record-breaking amounts of plastic are being found in seabirds. A 16-year study of sable shearwaters on Australia’s Lord Howe Island has found a sharp rise in the amount of plastic in their stomachs.
Photograph of a dead sable shearwater on a black background next to a mosaic of varied coloured plastic fragments.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
How many seals can you count? 🦭👀
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Spending a few days on an island nature reserve with no internet is highly recommended. 👌 📍 Looe Island Nature Reserve.
Photograph of a coastal landscape with blue sea and a rugged shoreline. A grassy path stretches away from the camera.Photograph of an outdoor wooden picnic table covered with bags and backpacks. Through the trees you can see the sea.Photograph shows a cream canvas bell tent pitched beside a grassy, wooded area.Photograph of me seated on a raised double bed inside a bell tent.
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Natural History Museum, London @nhm-london.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The oldest amber has been discovered in China, and it’s around 385 million years old! 🌳 The discovery pushes the confirmed record of amber back by around 65 million years, showing that plants were producing resin much earlier than previously demonstrated.
Photograph of amber on a green background. The amber is small, irregularly shaped with a translucent amber-yellow centre surrounded by dark, rough outer edges.
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Natural History Museum, London @nhm-london.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Dorothea Bate has been honoured with a Historic England blue plaque at the Natural History Museum in Tring! 🌟 Dorothea had no formal qualifications when she walked into the Museum in 1898 looking for a job. She went on to become a renowned palaeontologist, known for her fossil mammal discoveries.
Photograph of Dorothea Bate in profile facing left, showing short, wavy hair styled close to the head. The black-and-white portrait has a vintage appearance, likely from the early to mid-20th century.
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Science Magazine @science.org · 27/08/2026
Carnivorous sundew plants know they’ve trapped their dinner thanks to glutathione. Learn more in #ScienceAdvances: scim.ag/4zCCvSF
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Because of disappearing sea ice, whales are now moving into Greenland waters! 🐋 Fin whales, humpback whales and common minke whales were historically rarely seen in coastal East Greenland but now take part in regular mixed feeding frenzies. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Giant whales move into Greenland waters as ice disappears
Melting sea ice from climate change has opened up the region for giant whales to undertake "feeding frenzies".
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Sinan Kose @thesinankose.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
I think it's bad that the UK press can escalate what is essentially a workplace matter into national news ahead of the fucking country being on fire and then get away with hounding their victim until they die.
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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 13/08/2026
Totality in Greenland on RRS Sir David Attenborough ☀️🌙 The GIANT expedition team were lucky enough to be in the path of the total eclipse in Greenland. It was a view so good we rang up our friends at RAL Space to share it with the 1000+ people at their eclipse event in the UK.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Turns out a Weetabix box works pretty well for watching an eclipse. 🌙
Me looking at the eclipse through a Weetabix box.A view of the eclipse projected on the back of the box.The eclipse
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Josh Luke Davis 🏳️‍🌈 @joshlukedavis.com · 28/07/2026
this summer's cultural cross over we've all been waiting for jimothy x bayeux
A picture of a piece is hand embroidery of jimothy the raccoon in the style of the bayeux tapestry.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I loved watching Bill Oddie as one of the original Springwatch presenters. Sad to lose such a funny, enthusiastic voice for the natural world. 💔 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Bill Oddie: TV presenter dies at 85
His agent pays tribute to the "multi-talented" broadcaster, comedian and conservationist.
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Paul D. Taylor @nhmbryozoa.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
#TrilobiteTuesday Magnificent slab awash with trilobites from the Ordovician of Morocco. On display at the Palaeontological Museum in Oslo.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
I’m often hesitant about movies that seem way overhyped, but The Odyssey was actually pretty decent. Now to spend the day buried in Greek Mythology.
A poster for The Odyssey at the cinema.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This is so cool! A monkey from the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been confirmed as a new species! 🐒 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
New monkey species with orange lips found 'hiding' in DRC forest
Scientists describe "amazing feeling" to look into the face of an animal that so few people knew existed.
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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 09/07/2026
Are you right- or left-handed? You may have something in common with this 550-million-year-old animal! 🤯 👉 Meet Spriggina—the world’s first “right-handed” animal! Long before dinosaurs, this little organism crawled along a slime-covered seafloor and preferred bending to the right.
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Natural History Museum, London @nhm-london.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Scientists have discovered a 518-million-year-old fossil that has the earliest known evidence of spiders’ fangs! 🕷️ Using X-ray analysis, researchers found two pincer-like limbs emerging just behind the animals’ eyes, which are thought to be precursors of the fangs used by modern spiders.
A fossil of a small arthropod with many sets of legs and small fangs at the head.
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Natural History Museum, London @nhm-london.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
The pangolins’ iconic pinecone-shaped scales have made them targets of wildlife trafficking. New DNA analysis has revealed that populations of Chinese pangolins living in the Himalayan foothills are actually a separate species. This distinction could be vital in helping to stop illegal poaching!
A pangolin in a forest.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
“Ford says it has hired back some human engineers after AI failed to match their skills and experience.” Sad that it’s required people to lose their jobs for a company to realise the value of human experience. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Ford rehires human engineers after AI fails to match quality checks
The car-maker found AI quality checks failed to match the skill of veteran technicians.
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Miguel Clavero @chikichanka.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Natural history on canvas: Brueghel knew about bird-eating noctule bats Just published in @pnas.org, OA for all eyes Led by the one-and-only @romero-vidal.bsky.social, with the amazing @elena-tena.bsky.social and Sonia Sánchez-Navarro @ebdonana.bsky.social LINK: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
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Paul Barrett @profpaulbarrett.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Nice article by @joshlukedavis.com on our Antarctic sauropod paper: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
nhm.ac.uk
First ever dinosaur fossil discovered on Antarctica identified as a titanosaur | Natural History Museum
Antarctica was once a thriving, forested ecosystem filled with a diversity of dinosaur life.
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🍁 Alex Smith 🍁 @alexsmithants.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
🧪🧵 🪰 🐜🪲🐞🦗🐛🦋🪳🦟 How many species of insect are there?  A seemingly simple question, but one that has been 'bugging' scientists for years.  Our work out today suggests that there are millions more than we had previously expected.  doi.org/10.1073/pnas... @gdfcf.bsky.social
This photo was taken in Area de Conservacion GuanacasteThis microgastrine wasp was named by co-author Jose Fernandez-Triana in honour of Costa Rican parataxonomist Roberto Espinoza in recognition of his contribution to understanding the plant biology of ACG.  The species is Snellenius robertoespinozai.  The image is Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) so can reused provided the original author (Jose Fernandez-Triana) and the source are properly cited.  The source is: Fernandez-Triana JL, Whitfield JB, Smith MA, Kula RR, Hallwachs W, Janzen DH (2015) Revision of the genera Microplitis and Snellenius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with a key to all species previously described from Mesoamerica. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62(2): 137-201. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.62.5276image of a Malaise trap in Area de Conservacion Guanacaste
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Even in a heatwave, I can’t shake my very British habit of having a cuppa. 😅
A cup of team on a desk.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
The GCSE in Natural History moves a step closer. 👏 www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
Natural history GCSE to teach teenagers to plant wildflower-friendly gardens
Long-awaited course to examine human effects on natural world and explore everyday ways to aid biodiversity
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Vote, vote, vote! 🚨 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Puffin and bumblebee among 18 creatures shortlisted to feature on banknotes
The Bank of England is asking the public which animals should appear on future banknotes.
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Josh Luke Davis 🏳️‍🌈 @joshlukedavis.com · 03/06/2026
🌈Want to come listen to me talk about queer nature? Of course you do! I'm doing a cute little talk this Sunday 07 for Manningtree Pride at ✨Little Bear Bar✨. Tickets are only £5, so if you're in the area you've got no excuse, really. Buy a ticket! 👇 checkout.square.site/merchant/MLA...
checkout.square.site
Sunday Storytime - A Little Gay Natural History - Little Bear Bar Ltd
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Had a wonderful time presenting the Natural History Museum’s livestream last night, giving a first look at the fantastic new exhibition, Jurassic Oceans! 🐟 The exhibition looks amazing, and it was great to speak with some of the scientists who brought it all to life. 👏
Emma presenting in front of an icthyosaur fossilExhibition entrance, which reads, "Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep".Camera and lighting setup in front of a Pliosaur skeleton.Two marine reptiles in front of a clapperboard
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
I also managed to get in lots of climbing! 🧗🏼‍♀️
Climbing a boulder surrounded by trees
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Just returned from two weeks in a forest with limited internet access. I really need to do this more often. ☺️
A dirt path running through a forest.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Happy 100th Birthday Sir David Attenborough! 🥳 The GOAT of natural history storytelling and a big reason why I became a science communicator. www.bbc.co.uk/news/resourc...
bbc.co.uk
Attenborough: The risk-taker who changed how we see Earth - BBC News
A celebration of the career of Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday in video, audio and pictures.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
I was admiring this old oak, then realised I was being watched. 👀
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The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
we're thrilled to share that we've started the year with a new addition to our team! he's extremely smart, capable, charming, persuasive, and boasts a wealth of museum experience
Feathers McGraw (a penguin with a rubber glove for a hat, or a chicken depending on who you ask) stands outside the entrance of The Museum of English Rural Life.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
This is really cool! 😮 DNA analysis has revealed what may be the oldest genetic evidence of domestic dogs. Several fossils found across Europe and Türkiye indicate that dogs may have been widespread by at least 14,000 years ago. Check it out 👇 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
nhm.ac.uk
Oldest evidence of domestic dogs discovered in Europe and Türkiye | Natural History Museum
Bones unearthed at several sites show that dogs were widely distributed across West Eurasia by at least 14,000 years ago.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Wonderful to see the Natural History Museum is as popular as ever! 💚 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Natural History Museum most popular tourist attraction in 2025
The venue broke the record for the most visitors to any museum or gallery in a single year.
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
This is your regularly-scheduled reminder that "someone saw a shark, saw dolphins, and was not eaten by a shark" does NOT mean "dolphins saved someone from a shark eating them." (By me, more than 10 years ago) slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com
Dolphins Saved a Swimmer From a Shark! A Rare Combination of Three Marine Myths.
Last Month, the Huffington Post and other outlets reported that dolphins protected long-distance swimmer Adam Walker from a nearby great white shark....
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
So excited for this! 👏
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Spent my birthday weekend in the Cotswolds and now I get the hype.
A house by a river surrounded by fieldsAn old mill on a river 
A quaint little village with a bridge over a river.A large house in front of a river
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Given how much nature is declining, I’d say it’s a fantastic time to highlight Britain’s wildlife on our banknotes. Can’t wait to see which designs get chosen. 👏
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Lisa @tuexplorer1.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Two minutes of octopuses bursting into the world. @schmidtocean.bsky.social has the 4k version on their socials. Dive 622 #octoodyssey #MarineLife
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Love this! 🐦‍⬛🐛🦔🐝🐞🦡 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Wildlife to replace historical figures on banknotes
The public will help choose which animals and birds will appear on the Bank of England's new notes.
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George Olah @georgeolah.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
🦜🏔️ How did vibrant Amazonian parrot feathers end up in a desert tomb on the Pacific coast of Peru 1,000 years ago? Our new paper on @natcomms.nature.com reveals they didn't just trade feathers, pre-Inca societies transported live macaws and parrots across the Andes!👇 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Ancient DNA and spatial modeling reveal a pre-Inca trans-Andean parrot trade - Nature Communications
Here, the authors combine ancient DNA, stable isotopes, and computational modeling to study colorful feathers from a pre-Incan tomb in Peru. They identify four species of parrots, which were likely ca...
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Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Finally, the bug is back with a round of the Guinness.
Macro photo of a brown stink bug in face view on a leaf, guarding a tightly-clustered bunch of eggs that are shaped and colored exactly like a full tray of dark beer with foam on top.
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James Ashway @jamesashway.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
What have I been up to this week? Quite a bit, but here are the articles that have come out! First up, (hopefully) everything you wanted to know about plesiosaurs: www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wha...
nhm.ac.uk
What is a plesiosaur? The prehistoric sea creatures that inspired the Loch Ness Monster | Natural History Museum
Find out what plesiosaur fossils have revealed about these animals, and how big they could grow.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
A new species of Spinosaur with a remarkable crest has been discovered in the Sahara! www.sciencealert.com/astonishing-...
sciencealert.com
Astonishing Spinosaur Unearthed in The Sahara Is Unlike Any Seen Before
A new Spinosaurus species has been unearthed from the Saharan desert, and its skull bears a magnificent crest never seen before on this kind of dinosaur.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
The BBC Olympics snowboarding commentary is bringing me so much joy. Never before have I wanted two people to start a podcast this much.
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Emma Caton @emmacaton.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
So in the Bluesky user map, I find myself sitting in the Palaeontology Researchers and Educators. Which is fair. But we definitely have the best neighbours. 🌈💃
A map showing a distribution of dots, which represent Bluesky users. Two clusters lie close together, labelled Palaeontology Researchers and Educators, and Queer Taylor Swift Fans.
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Chris Krupenye @chriskrupenye.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Imagination in bonobos! I am thrilled to share a new paper w/ Amalia Bastos, out now in @science.org We provide the first experimental evidence that a nonhuman animal can follow along a pretend scenario & track imaginary objects. Work w/ Kanzi, the bonobo, at Ape Initiative youtu.be/NUSHcQQz2Ko
youtu.be
Apes Share Human Ability to Imagine
YouTube video by Johns Hopkins University
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