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Eryn McFarlane

@erynmcfarlane.bsky.social
1.2K followers 557 following 167 posts

Happy assistant professor, mom, and pet mama. Working on hybridization of Scottish deer, American simulations, finally thinking about Canadian mice and butterflies. she/her www.yorku.ca/science/profiles/facul…

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Reposted by Eryn McFarlane
MK Hickox @mk-hickox.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
How repeatable is natural selection over space and time? Using the California bar-built estuary system, we look at seasonal genomic change to examine local and widespread responses to natural selection 🐟🧬 🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... @ecoevoevoeco.bsky.social @molecology.bsky.social
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Doc Edge @docedge.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Please repost: My department at USC is hiring for a teaching-track faculty position. We are looking for someone principally to teach statistics for biologists, but there will be opportunities for other courses in statistics & algorithms applied to biology usccareers.usc.edu/job/los-ange...
usccareers.usc.edu
Full-Time, Teaching-Track Faculty Position in Quantitative and Computational Biology at USC
Learn more about applying for Full-Time, Teaching-Track Faculty Position in Quantitative and Computational Biology at USC
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Terry McGlynn @hormiga.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
When resources are tight, it's tempting to recruit grad students based on their productivity and polish as undergrads. This is exactly what the Bad Guys cutting back on science 🧪 funding want us to do. [this link is not substack!]
scienceforeveryone.science
Knowing when to take risks
Risks are necessary for transformative science, and to transform our community of scientists
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Tautology @tautology.uk · 27/01/2026
I'm trying a new "see how well AI image gen is" test. This time I'm going to ask it to draw a map of the world, and then zoom in to Europe, the UK, Yorkshire and York to see when things start to get hazy. All of these are with the free models using the smart/thinking variants. 1/n
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Amanda Sabatino, @jpjahner.bsky.social and I have a new paper on @biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social. Amanda, in her undergraduate thesis work, found variation in Colias colour phenotypes is associated with different metrics of urbanization in Toronto. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Anthropogenic factors explain wing colour variation in Colias (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) butterflies across the Toronto urbanization gradient
Hybridization, or interbreeding between two previously diverged populations, is increasing due to human influences on the environment. Rates of hybridization might be increasing particularly quickly a...
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Senator Scott Wiener @scottwiener.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
For so long, they said gays & lesbians were freaks who must be suppressed & converted. They lost that fight. Now they’re saying the same about trans people. Like gays & lesbians, trans people have been in all societies forever. They’re part of the natural order. Deal with it.
sfchronicle.com
We’re scientists who study sex and gender. Here’s what Trump gets wrong about trans people
OPINION: Despite what President Trump would have you believe, transgender people are a natural part of the human species, Joan Roughgarden and Jaimie Veale write.
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Jennifer Morinay @jennifer-morinay.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
🚨 Come join the fantastic long-tailed tit team 🚨 🐦We are recruiting a field technician to collect behavioural data on a long-term studied population of wild long-tailed tits (passerine birds). 🪶20 months contract in Sheffield, UK. 🌲Deadline: 23/11/2025. jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Technici...
Colour-ringed long-tailed tit
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Elin Videvall @elinvidevall.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
📢 We have an open position for a postdoc to join my lab. It's a great position @animecol-uu.bsky.social, fully salaried for 2.5 years with all benefits. www.uu.se/en/about-uu/... The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
uu.se
Postdoctoral researcher in molecular ecology - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral researcher in molecular ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
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Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA 10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
I love a magic trait! I feel like @qvarnstromlab.bsky.social instilled the joy of these in me.
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
🧪 postdoc in Toronto in a very cool lab!
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Dr. K. Lotterhos @drk-lo.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
Today 14 scientific societies in #ecology #evolution and #marineScience are publishing the results of a survey that finds negative impacts of federal policies on food security, flood mitigation, infectious disease preparedness, and wildlife conservation: 🧪👩‍🔬 www.firsthandaccounts.org/impacts/2025...
This infographic describes the main results from a survey of members of 14 scientific societies. There is a pie chart showing that both academic (58%) and non-academic (42%) responded to the survey. It lists statistics: 85% of respondents reported uncertainty about the future; 71% reported federal training programs were "very" or "extremely important"; 83% reported negative impacts or irreparable harm on their field of science. There is a word cloud summarizing open-ended responses with the largest words "student research fund federal grant". Eight major themes in the responses are listed: disruption of research with societal important; concerns of closure of the USGS Bird Banding Lab; Early Career Bottleneck; Restricted Freedoms including travel and speech; Decline in Government Efficiency and Expertise; Concerns about Biased/Removed Data and Data Gaps; Concerns about the Ability to Meet Legal Mandates; and From Positive Impact to Irreparable Harm. There are icons for each participating society and a QR code for website and data availability.
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
I love city fieldwork. 17 colias samples today and back at my best for a late lunch and a student’s thesis to edit. #fieldwork #humblebrag
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Judith Mank @judithmank.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
Many of us are using LLMs in coding and scientific writing. They are very helpful tools, but we need to be thoughtful as we integrate them into our work flows to preserve accountability, voice and trust. academic.oup.com/evlett/advan.... An editorial at @evolletters.bsky.social for discussion:
academic.oup.com
Editorial: Accountability, voice, and trust - responsible use of GenAI in scientific publishing
Over the last few years, the development and rapid advancement of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatG
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
@hybridzones.bsky.social and @jenncoughlan.bsky.social - this looks super cool! Definitely on the to-read list.
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Shirley Chen's paper from my lab on the dilution and amplification hypotheses regarding the biodiversity-disease relationship. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Reappraisal of the Dilution and Amplification Effect Framework: A Case Study in Lyme Disease
The biodiversity–disease relationship posits two hypotheses: the dilution effect (where there's a negative relationship between biodiversity and disease risk) and the amplification effect (where ther...
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
We need about 300 more scientists before we let teachers loose on the database! Tell your colleagues, we need ya!
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
I'm editing the proofs for my first undergrad student's first paper. I knew this was coming, but I have such a sense of joy, and also relief. I think this is the opposite of imposter syndrome, and it feels awesome. I'll share the paper as soon as it's live.
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Liz Mandeville @lizmandeville.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
I'm thrilled to share more cool fish genetics, led by former MSc student Amanda Meuser, and with former student Amy Pitura and collaborator @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social. This one is about minnow hybrids! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Extensive multi-species hybridization between Leuciscidae minnow species
Anthropogenic disturbances can disrupt ecosystems and alter species population dynamics. Interspecific hybridization is common between genetically related organisms, especially once reproductive barri...
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Pedro Vale @pfvale.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
"The myth of meritocracy in science collapses under the financial sacrifices expected at every career stage. From unpaid internships and self-funded conferences to underpaid positions, these hidden costs disproportionately exclude those without generational wealth, compounded by race and gender."
dx.plos.org
Too poor to science: How wealth determines who succeeds in STEM
From student to researcher, a career in science can come with a high price tag. This Perspective explores how persistent financial barriers limit who can succeed in science, revealing how wealth shape...
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Liz Mandeville @lizmandeville.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Delighted to post some cool science - a collaboration with my former grad students Cassandre and Jill, and collaborator extraordinaire @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social! doi.org/10.1093/jher...
doi.org
A novel sex-associated genomic region in Catostomus fish species
Abstract. Genomic regions that influence sex are hypothesized to play a key role in evolutionary diversification, as sex determination mechanisms may promo
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Great discussion of when we should teach HWE in genetics classes. I don't have much to add, except that I actually prefer teaching the messy, variation based perspective (it's complicated) over the clean theory to students who might only take one genetics class. The thread feels like old twitter 🧪
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
This! And it's so frustrating to me because students are saying 'I use AI because it's better than I am.' Better at what? Certainly not anything we're meaning to assess.
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Any advice for convincing a conservation authority (they make development decisions), to let me sample butterflies (IUCN: LC)? Their stance is that my sampling plan doesn't conserve butterflies. We're trying to understand how urbanization affects hybridization. We need high power to do this well.
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Every PI who wants to have grad students in the lab in Canada should have to read this.
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
I know that there is a shortage of reviewers. And lots of people say they're going to review, and I guess never do? But please, don't have more than enough reviewers for a paper and then contact the slow ones after 17 days to tell them they needn't finish because enough people have #crankyReviewer5
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Dr Sho Jacobs 🍁 @shoshanahjacobs.ca · 07/05/2025
📢New article: COVID-19 proved that Universities could make Post-Secondary Education more Accessible; They are just choosing not to #HigherEd 🧪🍁
Screenshot of text linked in the post
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
I'm part of on campus interviews for a position at our department starting tomorrow. I can't believe how stressed *I* am. I have no idea how I kept my cool when I was interviewing. Is this just a memory response to having gone through it?
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Science Magazine @science.org · 01/05/2025
🎉 The overall winner of this year’s #DanceYourPhD contest is Sulo Roukka, who meshed lab experiments with dance moves under flashing lights as sequined lab mates analyzed hot chilies and mint with fancy footwork. Watch the winning work and learn more about the category winners: scim.ag/4lSpjCl
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
I finally read @s-m-aguillon.bsky.social 's NEE paper on allllll the reproductive barriers in swordtails, and loved it. We bumped our lab meeting discussing it to next week because we all want to take more time on it. Definitely a paper to teach speciation from. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Pervasive gene flow despite strong and varied reproductive barriers in swordtails - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Reproductive barriers can evolve despite gene flow. A combination of genomics and behavioural assays shows two mitonuclear incompatibilities originated via ancient hybridization that underlie hybrid i...
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Tanja Slotte @tanjaslotte.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
We have an open 4-year PhD position in the Slotte lab at Stockholm University, to investigate genomic signatures of selection associated with pollination mode shifts. Full ad: su.varbi.com/en/what:job/... Apply by April 22, 2025 via the University application portal (link). Please repost! 🧪
su.varbi.com
PhD student in Ecology and Evolution
The Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP) is located in the Arrhenius Laboratories, situated at the University Campus at Frescati. Presently around 100 people, including 35 PhD
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🍁 Alex Smith 🍁 @alexsmithants.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
🧪 Good morning #Canadian Academics. We know there'll be a federal election sooner rather than later Time to support candidates who support investments in research that make #CanadaStrong. Follow @core-coeur.bsky.social core-coeur.ca #VotonsRecherche #ResearchersVote 🧪
core-coeur.ca
Coalition for Research Excellence – Coalition pour l'excellence en recherche – Contact: core.coeur.vote@gmail.com
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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
March Mammal Madness tournament action begins Monday with the WILD CARD! #2025MMM You can enjoy the play-by-play by following @mmmletsgo.bsky.social There is still time to get your bracket & play along! Players portal libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM... (use left panel for Educator & Student Portals)
media.tenor.com
a zebra and a cheetah are running in a field with the words headlikeanorange on the bottom
Alt: a zebra engages ANTI-PREDATOR DEFENSES, chasing a felid to try and trample it!
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
I love this sentiment, but I honestly wouldn't participate. I spoke about my experiences in science in a meeting once and a white colleague came to my office and literally cried about how she was oppressed. I'd rather not go through that again. Instead of asking colleagues to retell trauma, ....
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Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
🧪🪶🐦‍⬛🎶🧠📊 New paper in G3 by David Wheatcroft, Niclas Backström, Ludovic Dutoit, S. Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social, Carina F Mugal, Mi Wang, Murielle Ålund @muriellealund.bsky.social , Hans Ellegren & Anna Qvarnström @qvarnstromlab.bsky.social @animecol-uu.bsky.social #evolution #speciation
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
I love this! How to understand MCMC, but using hats.
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
My letter to ASM leaders that I sent is too long to be posted here, so I'm going to post highlights in case anyone else needs information for their letter. 🧵
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Marc Johnson (he/him) @evoecolab.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Postdocs: University of Toronto (@uoft.bsky.social) has a fantastic #postdoc fellowship specifically for Black and Indigenous scholars worth $80K/year x 2 years. For more info see here: www.sgs.utoronto.ca/awards/provo....
sgs.utoronto.ca
Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program​ – School of Graduate Studies
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Catherine Sheard @sheardcat.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
If you're a non-UK scientist who wants to come to the UK for a postdoc, this year's Newton Fellowships are now open. You'll need a lab to host you (which could be me, but truly, could be any PI, so get in touch with someone you'd like to work with!) royalsociety.org/grants/newto...
royalsociety.org
Newton International Fellowships | Royal Society
This fellowship is for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK.
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Evolutionary Biologists worldwide should read this, and understand that what we see as documenting the world we live in, folks who want to take away basic human rights from people will see as threatening to their world view. This isn't just an American problem.
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Jess McLaughlin, PhD (they/them) @jfmclaughlin92.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Sooooo if this whole "biological sex" EO is really happening, biologists are going to make as much noise about it as possible, right? Professional societies, universities, individual research groups? It's really incumbent on us (that's a "biologists us" here) to make a BIG FUCKING STINK
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Jess McLaughlin, PhD (they/them) @jfmclaughlin92.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
finally, since some folks have asked for starting points for how to talk about this, a short selection of stuff i've written on it, which also has links to even more resources. first, the blog post that kinda kicked off my career: www.jfmclaughlin.org/blog/trans-i...
jfmclaughlin.org
Trans inclusion in the biology classroom — The McLaughlin Lab
One of my favorite parts of working at a university is getting to teach. I find biology utterly fascinating and magical, and getting to impart that to students is an incredible joy. Although I don’t c...
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Ecology/animal sciences folks should listen to @weouthere.bsky.social. I'm listening to the one with Hassan Bayyan and the inequality of volunteer/low paying jobs in science fields really shines in this episode. Short 🧵 creators.spotify.com/pod/show/weo...
creators.spotify.com
Hassan Bayyan - Crash Out by The 'We Out Here' Podcast
Content Warning: Light Profanity Episode Description: Zoo Keeper and Science Communicator Hassan Bayyan tells the story of hustlin to get an epiphany on the way to a career. In their own words: Hassa...
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Does anyone have examples of successful Vanier scholarships (www.vanier.gc.ca/en/home-accu...) in Biology that they would be willing to share with me? Or any insight on how this might differ in tone from a regular NSERC PGS-D? Thank you!! 🧪
vanier.gc.ca
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
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Brian Owens @scibri.com · 08/01/2025
Despite a boost to federal scholarships last year, stipends for most graduate students in Canada fall below the poverty line. My story for @natureportfolio.bsky.social 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Graduate-student stipends in Canada below the poverty line
Students struggle to make ends meet despite recent boosts to federal scholarships, study finds.
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Flo Débarre @flodebarre.eurosky.social · 13/01/2025
Si vous venez par ici suite au sujet de France Inter, voici un kit de démarrage de chercheurs et chercheuses en écologie et biologie évolutive de France go.bsky.app/HM6CfJ5
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Prof. Elizabeth Clare @profbatgirl.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
Need something new for biology next term? I host the BioAudio podcast rather than use textbooks. Students love it and even help me make it. Free on apple, spotify etc. Feel free to use it. Have an idea? contact me to help make an episode. #womeninStem #academisky 🧪 bioaudio.buzzsprout.com/2234324
bioaudio.buzzsprout.com
BioAudio
Welcome to BioAudio: The Teaching Podcast. After many years teaching biology in universities in the UK and in Canada I've come to the conclusion that we can do better than text books. I always want so...
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Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
First day back after a much needed break. But also the first day that my kid was back at school. So, my opportunity for productivity was probably very high. My motivation to do *anything*? Not so much.
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