iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

It was amazing to see my feature story on invasive hornets lead off @nytimes.com Science section earlier this week! This story was months in the making and introduced me to some great people as I reported on the ground in South Carolina. 🧵 with link to story at the end!

151

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Scientists exploring the abyss off of Australia just discovered a sprawling whale necropolis. This cetacean cemetery was deposited over 5 million years and is crawling with undescribed species! Had a blast covering this and working with @wwrfd.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...

nationalgeographic.com

Scientists discover ‘graveyard’ of whale skeletons in an ocean abyss off Australia

Deposited over millions of years, the whale necropolis is covered with deep-sea species, many of which are new to science.

010

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Add fire salamanders to the growing list of biofluorescent critters! Under UV light, these salamanders display a constellation of lights and secrete glowing goo! Was great working with @mtrgovich.bsky.social on this for @nationalgeographic.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

nationalgeographic.com

Fire salamanders may scare away predators with fluorescent glowing goo

Despite being in the scientific spotlight for centuries, the fire salamander’s biofluorescence was overlooked until now.

030

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

A new fossil site for #FossilFriday! Paleontologists just described a new Ediacaran site in Northwest Canada that preserves the earliest evidence of complex critters like Dickinsonia that crawled along the ancient seafloor. Latest for @sciam.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/thes...

scientificamerican.com

These bizarre fossils represent some of the earliest moving, sexually reproducing life ever discovered

New trove of fossils reveals that ancestral animals likely emerged in the deep sea

1228

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Rebecca Gelernter @nearbirdstudios.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Opabinia in color! 🐡🎨 I did these in 2014 and didn't want to make a lot of changes in cleaning up the basic design, but I kind of want to do one with updated order.

Psychedelic poster of Opabinia in warm purple, seafoam green, and light red. No longer an up-to-date reconstruction, but still not bad.

313047

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

New Ancient Centipede Ancestor for #FossilFriday! The latest creature from the Waukesha Biota, Wisconsin's cradle of Silurian critters, is Waukartus muscularis, a marine myriapod whose legs were primed to crawl onto land. Latest for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/s...

nytimes.com

How Ancient Centipede Ancestors Conquered the Earth

0168

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Move over unfrozen caveman lawyer, Neanderthal dentist has arrived! A 59,000-year-old tooth from a Siberian cave preserves evidence that Neanderthals used stone drills to treat dental pain! Latest for National Geographic was a ton of fun to write-up: www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...

nationalgeographic.com

This may be the earliest evidence of Neanderthal ‘dentists’

A hole drilled into a 60,000-year-old molar suggests that Neanderthals practiced complex dental care long before modern humans.

2154

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

During the Cretaceous, marine reptiles had to be wary of another monster in the deep: a giant octopus larger than a bus with a bone-breaking bite! Scientists have released the 'Cretaceous Krakens'! Latest for National Geographic: www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...

nationalgeographic.com

Jaw fossils suggest a 60-foot octopus was the ‘kraken’ of the Cretaceous

The ancient cephalopod, Nanaimoteuthis haggarti, appears to have been an apex predator that rivaled mosasaurs to rule prehistoric seas.

121

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Bruce is the Boss. This creative kea is the alpha male at a wildlife reserve in New Zealand despite missing his upper beak. That's because Bruce has mastered a new jousting-like attack that knocks his rivals on their heels! Latest for National Geographic: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

nationalgeographic.com

Watch Bruce the parrot defeat his rivals with only half a beak

While the kea parrot’s beak would normally be considered essential for survival, Bruce has innovated other ways of commanding respect.

022

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

A newly described fossil from Utah reveals a pincer-wielding sea creature from the Cambrian. It may be one of the oldest relatives of spiders, scorpions and horseshoe crabs (Not an April Fool's joke, I swear!) 🕷️ 🦂 Latest for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/s...

nytimes.com

Fossil of Pincer-Wielding Crawler Reveals Origins of Spiders, Scorpions and Others

48829

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

To put its foot down, T. rex used its tippy toes! New research on the dinosaur's biomechanics found that the tyrannosaur hit the ground toe first and utilized short strides to accelerate, much like how modern birds run.🦖 Really fun story for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/s...

nytimes.com

T. Rex Ran on Its Tiptoes ‘Like an 8-Ton Chicken’

010

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Steve Brusatte @stevebrusatte.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

T. rex might have looked something like an eight-ton chicken clucking about in the barnyard. Or put more soberly: T. rex may have walked in a kinda bird-like way. My thoughts on an intriguing new study for @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social article in @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/s...

nytimes.com

T. Rex Ran on Its Tiptoes ‘Like an 8-Ton Chicken’

1337

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Chris Krupenye @chriskrupenye.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Thanks to @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social for this beautiful coverage of our new paper in @nationalgeographic.bsky.social

021

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Can apes imagine? A tea party-like experiment with a bonobo revealed that the ape could track pretend juice and grapes. The fascinating research features Kanzi, the late, great primate prodigy! New story for @nationalgeographic.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

nationalgeographic.com

Can bonobos use their imagination?

In a series of tea party-like experiments, a bonobo was able to identify imaginary juice and grapes.

176

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Natural History Museum, London @nhm-london.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

We’ve been lucky to work with many famous scientists across history, and we look after many of their specimens today. Some of the most important are Charles Darwin's, which have been part of new research to understand more about them. Find out what's been revealed 👇 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...

nhm.ac.uk

Contents of jars collected by Charles Darwin revealed in new scans | Natural History Museum

Almost two centuries after Charles Darwin’s pioneering voyage, his specimens are still inspiring groundbreaking new science.

14414

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Who are you calling a featherweight?!? Meet Xenovenator, a new species of troodontid from Mexico that sported a bony knob that may have been used to head-butt rival raptors. Latest for @nytimes.com featuring some awesome art from @dragonsofwales.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/s...

nytimes.com

You Wouldn’t Want to Butt Heads With This Small Dinosaur

15011

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

🪰 The frog book New York ;Doubleday, Page, 1907. [Source]

Illustration from "The Frog Book" (1907) depicting ten different frog species in various positions, numbered 1 to 8 with two frogs unnumbered. The frogs vary in size, color, and patterns, ranging from solid brown and green to spotted and mottled skin. Some frogs are shown from a top view, others from the side or at an angle. Notable features include diverse skin textures, distinct markings, and webbed feet. One frog (7) has an inflated vocal sac, indicating a calling posture. The realistic, detailed renderings highlight the anatomical variety and naturalistic colors typical of amphibians. The plate is labeled "Color Plate X," emphasizing educational intent.

07921

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Jeremy Lockwood @valdosaurus.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

For #FossilFriday a small #IsleofWight iguanodontian dinosaur tibia in the collections @nhm-london.bsk.social. What makes it special is that it is from the Gideon Mantell collection. The fossil takes me back 125 million years but its history casts me back to the 1820s.

23935116

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

14,400 years ago, a wolf puppy scarfed down woolly rhino scraps. Researchers recovered genetic material from the wolf's final meal and used it to recreate the genome of one of the last woolly rhinos! 🐺 🦏 Latest for @nationalgeographic.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...

nationalgeographic.com

Researchers recover a woolly rhino genome from inside a frozen wolf's stomach

The work marks the first time an Ice Age animal’s complete genome has been recovered from tissue preserved inside another ancient animal.

120

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Dr. Brendan Anderson @fossilsndcoffee.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

ACTUAL GOOD NEWS EVERYONE: The Paleontological Research Institution and the Museum of the Earth have made it through the crisis! Thanks to everyone who shared or donated-every donation mattered! Please share the good news just as widely!⚒️🧪🦑 Together we did #savePRI www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca/...

ithaca.com

‘Every Single Dollar Mattered’: Donations Save Museum of the Earth From Foreclosure

Just days before a year-end foreclosure deadline, the Museum of the Earth has paid off its mortgage following a wide fundraising campaign that rescued the Ithaca area landmark.

5449159

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Meet Manipulonyx ('Manipulating claw') a bizarre new #dinosaur from Mongolia whose hands featured a giant claw, two side digits and a set of spikes that were ideal for clutching eggs! Latest for @nytimes.com featuring paleoart from @joschuaknuppe.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/s...

nytimes.com

This Dinosaur Really Knew How to Get a Grip

030

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

You don't need a brain to appreciate a good night of sleep! New research revealed that jellyfish and sea anemones sleep for around 8 hours a day—the same amount as humans—and even get groggy! 🪼 Latest for @science.org with a great edit from @david-grimm.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Jellyfish sleep a lot like us—and for the same reasons

Study adds to evidence that sleep likely evolved among ancient animals as a means of repairing neurons

0337

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

In 2012, Patrick Keating and his dog, Kitty, teamed up to make an incredible fossil discovery on a Nova Scotia beach on the Northumberland Strait. What they found in rocks along the shore was the rib cage, backbone and partial sail of a sail-back amphibian – the first ever discovered here.

A close-up photograph of a fossilized prehistoric amphibian skeleton embedded in a piece of reddish-brown siltstone. The fossil clearly displays a curved section of the backbone (vertebrae) with several long, slender ribs extending downward. Above the spine, the faint, thin impressions of a "sail" or dorsal fin structure are visible. The rock is roughly triangular with jagged edges, set against a plain white background.

862282

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Dave Rodland @daverodland.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Celebrating the first #FossilFriday of 2026 by revisiting an old Smithsonian display focusing on a diverse array of rudists, bizarre bivalve mollusks that bit the big one at the end of the Cretaceous. Well, probably. Ammonites might've lingered around for the after-party, so who knows? ⚒️🧪🦪

Rudist bivalves and other Cretaceous marine fossils, Smithsonian Natural History Museum circa 2014.

1444

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Starting the new year by looking back at the top ten discoveries of 2025 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History featuring new pterosaurs, manta rays, dog domestication and much more! www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/nation...

smithsonianmag.com

A New Pterosaur, Ancient Asteroid Brine and More Discoveries from the National Museum of Natural History in 2025

The year’s most notable findings also include insights into dog and sheep domestication and a new species of manta ray in the museum’s collection

052

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

A festive #FossilFriday from the Cincinnati airport, one of the few (only?) places where you can eat Skyline chili amongst ice age megafauna!

A mastodon skeleton in an airport terminal. In the background is a Skyline chili stand.

An ice age giant moose skeleton in an airport terminal.

A Jefferson’s ground sloth greets flyers at the Cincinnati airport Delta terminal.

Yours truly poses with a saber-tooth cat skeleton right after getting off a plane at the Cincinnati airport.

1154

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Thousands of years ago, giant owls chowed down (and threw up) in a Caribbean cave. The bones they left behind were a boon to bees. Scientists recently discovered that one species made nests in the empty tooth sockets of rodent skulls. 🦉🦴🐝 Latest for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/s...

nytimes.com

When the Bones Were Good, These Bees Buried Their Babies

221

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Mindy Weisberger @laminda.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

I love hearing about fossils that hold more than meets the eye, especially when they hint at how different species interacted millions of years ago! In this article by @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social, scientists found fossil evidence that ancient bees nested in tooth cavities of dead rodents' skulls 🧪🐝💀

nytimes.com

When the Bones Were Good, These Bees Buried Their Babies

04513

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

A Distinguished Dome: Yesterday the Smithsonian announced the acquisition of one of the most complete Pachycephalosaurus skull ever discovered! Read more about what museum scientists have in store for this spectacular specimen at the link below! #FossilFriday www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/nation...

smithsonianmag.com

What Do You Get a Museum That Has Almost Everything for the Holidays? One of the Most Spectacular Dome-Headed Dinosaur Skulls Ever Unearthed

The National Museum of Natural History’s new Pachycephalosaurus skull sheds light on enigmatic group of dinosaurs and will be on display during the holiday season

020

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Say hello to Salwasiren qatarensis, a diminutive dugong relative discovered in Qatar's remarkable Al Maszhabiya that dates back to the Early Miocene! The site's fossils show that sea cows have been doing their thing in the Arabian Gulf for more than 20 million years! www.si.edu/newsdesk/rel...

si.edu

Ancient Manatee Relative Reveals That Sea Cows Have Engineered the Arabian Gulf’s Seagrass Ecosystems for Over 20 Million Years

050

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

This past summer, I was lucky enough to see (and hold!) parts of Zuul’s skull in the collection of the @romtoronto.bsky.social One of the most remarkable fossils I’ve ever seen!! Can’t wait to see Zuul in its new digs in the museum’s new dinosaur hall, opening today! #FossilFriday

The top of a remarkably preserved dinosaur skull sits on a foam base on a shelf. The dinosaur’s lower jaws rest on each side of the rest of the skull

The top of a remarkably preserved ankylosaur dinosaur skull sits on a foam base on a shelf. Part of the dinosaur’s lower jaw rests to the side on the rest of the skull.

080

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Few critters would dare eat a northern giant hornet, whose mammoth stinger and potent venom earn the insect the "murder hornet" moniker. But to a Japanese pond frog, these deadly insects are tasty treats! 🐸vs🐝 [videos in link below!] Latest for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/s...

nytimes.com

When a Murder Hornet Becomes a Tasty Meal

030

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Before we all gather around the turkey tomorrow, another showy landfowl deserves some attention: the golden pheasant. New research reveals that the flashy feathers of these avian showmen come at a cost: they can hardly see! 🦃 👀 Latest for the @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/s...

nytimes.com

He’s Beautiful, but He Has a Huge Blind Spot

041

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

A mammoth-sized discovery for #FossilFriday! 🦣 Researchers extracted the world's oldest RNA from Yuka, a 39,000-year-old juvenile mammoth mummy from Siberia! Very excited to write this up for @nationalgeographic.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

nationalgeographic.com

World’s oldest RNA found in 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth

These rare molecules provide insights into the final moments of the young mammoth’s life.

172

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Science Magazine @science.org · 13/11/2025

An early Triassic bone bed excavated at 78°N changes the story about how marine life recovered after the most cataclysmic extinction in Earth history ~252 million years ago. Learn more in this week's issue of Science: scim.ag/48bLsGI

09826

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

110 million years ago, a spinosaur's dinner got the best of it. Turns out the dino's fossilized vomit contained a new species of filter-feeding pterosaur! I came across this paper a few days ago on social media and had a blast covering it for @science.org: www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Fossil vomit contains new species of pterosaur from Brazil

Filter-feeding flying reptile was likely devoured by a dinosaur during the early Cretaceous

36923

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Part of the reason why it was so cool to cover the news yesterday (beyond the #Nanotyrannus of it all) was that I saw the Dueling Dinosaurs @ncmns.bsky.social last summer! What a remarkable specimen and I can’t wait to hear about the discoveries to come! #FossilFriday

A close-up of the entombed tyrannosaur skeleton that was just identified as Nanotyrannus lacensis.

Me posing in front of the section containing the tyrannosaur body fossil

A technician prepares the Triceratops mid section in the Dinosaur lab at NCMNS

060

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Dino Debate Solved? A new paper presents compelling evidence of the existence of Nanotyrannus! An analysis of the "Dueling Dinosaurs" fossil reveals that the tyrannosaur skeleton entombed alongside a Triceratops was a full grown predator! My latest for @science.org: www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Mini-tyrannosaur lived alongside T. rex, extraordinary fossil confirms

Study finds fresh evidence for Nanotyrannus, a dinosaur whose existence has long been debated

1202

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Ceratogaulus (or Epigaulus) hatcheri, on display at the Smithsonian sometime after 1910. This is the holotype, collected by JB Hatcher in 1885. While this little dude is sadly no longer on display, it does feature in one of the Julius Csotonyi's murals that are now in the same hall.

Skeleton of a round, vaguely beaver-shaped rodent with two horns sticking straight up in front of its eyes.

Low angle painting of a grassland under a sky dotted with clouds. Two shovel-tusked elephants approach a pair of horned rodents, while a blue bird flies away.

14414

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Wyoming's famed dinosaur "mummy zone" has yielded two more remarkable Edmontosaurus mummies! In a new paper, scientists describe the microbe-led process that delicately preserved these dinosaurs' scaly hides and hooves in clay. Latest for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/s...

nytimes.com

Two New Dinosaur Fossils Emerge From the ‘Mummy Zone’

1154

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

The Chicago Rat Hole, aka "Splatatouille," sparked a social media sensation in 2024. But new research reveals another rodent left the infamous indent! 🐀 🕳 🐿 As a native of the Chicagoland area, my latest @nytimes.com story is very near and dear to my heart! www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/s...

nytimes.com

The Chicago Rat Hole Was Not Made by a Rat

2187

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

The Peale mastodon at the National Portrait Gallery in 2021. It’s the 1st mounted fossil skeleton displayed in the US (1805), and 2nd worldwide. Its original viewers didn’t know about evolution. Even extinction was a new concept. More fossils interpreted as history and art, please! #FossilFriday

Mastodon skeleton with long tusks on a gravel bed between two white columns in an art gallery. Seen from the front.

Same from driver side rear view. Red curtain entrance to exhibit is visible from
This angle

59131

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

New research reveals that the West Coast is likely susceptible to an Earthquake Double Whammy. Had a blast learning about how the Cascadia and San Andreas fault systems are syncing up. Thanks to @andreatweather.bsky.social for sending this one my way!

000

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Snarge is the gift that keeps on giving!

000

Reposted by Jack Tamisiea

American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 01/10/2025

🚨Research alert! A recent study, led by Museum Macaulay Curator Roger Benson, details a new species of Jurassic reptile that has links to the origins of lizards and snakes: amnh.link/46MCY71

amnh.link

New Species of Ancient Hook-toothed Reptile Discovered | AMNH

Jurassic fossil from Scotland has revealed new family of Jurassic reptile linked to evolution of lizards and snakes.

0414

Jack Tamisiea @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

437 million years ago in what is now Wisconsin, the earliest known leeches were terrorizing trilobites. Instead of sucking blood, these critters were likely engulfing invertebrates whole or vacuuming out their insides! Latest for @nytimes.com on a fantastic #fossil: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/s...

nytimes.com

This Leech Had an Appetite for Something Other Than Blood

131