iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Royal Holloway Biology @rhulbiology.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Our next departmental seminar is by Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social) from @sangerinstitute.bsky.social who will discuss isopod genomics and evolution. All welcome!

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Which species is this? B.giganteus? Or one of the giants?

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Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Lewis Stevens @phylewgenetics.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

New preprint! We unexpectedly discovered that some Caenorhabditis species delete parts of their somatic genome early in development, which fragments their chromosomes and eliminates key germline genes. Multiple lines of evidence suggest this bizarre process was present in the ancestors of C. elegans

Figure with three panels. Left: phylogenetic tree of Caenorhabditis species, highlighting those with programmed DNA elimination. Middle: plot showing chromosomal locations of eliminated DNA. Right: Images showing DNA fragments being eliminated during early development.

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Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Filippo Nicolini 🧬 @filonico.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

I praise animals hiding legs beneath their body, especially if those legs are of the arthropod-type 🙏 Also... I am in charge here, & I decide how you pose for me. Day16 of #invertober2025 spotlights the giant isopod 🫶 dont know why, but I imagine it to be very much stompy down there 🥹 #MarineLife

A vectorial digital drawing of a Bathynomus giganteus, or Giant Isopod, set against a pale blue background. The isopod is viewed from directly above, showing its highly segmented, oval body. Its exoskeleton is colored in shades of light purple-gray and pale pink/tan, with a dark outline emphasizing the segmentation. The animal's head and small antennae are visible at the top, and its tail is visible at the bottom. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 16" is in the bottom right corner.

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Oh I’ll defo have a look, very cool. I guess this is why it’s flagged as contaminated on Genbank :)

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Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

I'll be talking about my #ProcB isopod phylogenomics paper in the Royal Society Publishing Ecology & Evolution Online Seminar Series, live (with Q&A) next Weds 26th Feb 2pm (UK). Please reshare to reach all the lovers of #isopods (& #phylogenomics), who might be interested in their #evolution! 🧪

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

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Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Joana Meier @joanameier.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Do you use Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) genomes for your work or grant applications? If so, can you please fill out this form? docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... We are gathering info on how DToL genomes are used. It will help us raise money to continue producing publicly available high-quality genomes.

docs.google.com

Darwin Tree of Life Impact Assessment

This form is used to share information within DToL about case studies, ongoing research, and funding awards that demonstrate the impact the Darwin Tree of Life consortium project has had on Global and...

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Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · 14/02/2025

Adaptation to life on land evolved multiple times in arthropods, but what about isopods? Join us on Weds 26 Feb at 2pm (UK) to hear #ProcB author @jessthorpemas.bsky.social discuss her work on this key ecological transition. Find out more & sign up: cassyni.com/events/VVbok...

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Definitely false hope! :) I also now now note it’s a triploid, which would be unexpected…

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

I recently shared my journey into #isopod #science 🧪 with The Marine Biologist magazine! 🦐 From Jurassic Park sparking my curiosity in DNA, to studying isopod genomics with #sanger #darwintreeoflife - read it here: mymba.mba.ac.uk/resource/unf... Thanks @thembauk.bsky.social for the opportunity!

mymba.mba.ac.uk

Unfurling isopod evolution

<b>From underneath plant pots to the deep sea, genomic studies reveal the intricate world of isopods.</b>

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Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Ryan Howard @abyssalaquanaut.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

I believe this species is part of the cirolanidae family that likely feeds on the carcasses of dead animals. The oldest isopod fossils date back around 300 million years, so they’ve been around a long time! 🧪 #MarineLife #Inverts

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Keiichi Kakui @tanaidologist.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

(in September) Shiraki & Kakui ab digenean parasitic in anthuroid isopod published online ウミナナフシを利用する吸虫に関する成果がオンライン公開されました． article link: doi.org/10.1016/j.pa...

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Squidpastry @squidpastry.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Ancinus depressus, the flat pillbug, for day 16 of #crustmas! This is a wonderfully rectangular, flat isopod that likes the sandy, shelly substrates of nearshore marine habitats, particularly beaches. When threatened, it rolls into a ball. It's flat, broad shape means it can only try it's best.

Close-up photograph of Ancinus depressus, a white, rectangular-shaped, flattened isopod in the palm of my hand. It's eyes are tiny, and on either side of it's head at the front of it's body. It's telson is triangular and large, taking up a considerable portion of the animal's length (about a quarter). It's shell is pale, white and subtly mottled greyish tones.

Close-up photograph of Ancinus depressus, a white, rectangular-shaped, flattened isopod in the palm of my hand. It is now attempting to roll into a ball, but due to it's shape, it can only manage a wide, oblong form. It's telson, being so large, juts out prominently from underneath it's head.

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Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Spidermax @spidermax3000.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

It’s the 19th day of #crustmas and earlier this month I went out in the cold 40° weather to find this wild #isopod for this celebration. (Shot near Cincinnati 12-4-24) #photography #invert #macrophotography #crustacean

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Reposted by Jessica Thomas Thorpe

Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

For #Crustmas - a long isopod on the stipe of a kelp that was washed up on the beach and taken into the lab. I believe it is the kelp isopod Pentidotea.

A very long and thin isopod crustacean on a kelp stem. The isopod has the look of a centipede. It is on top of and parallel to the stem and is facing toward the left. The view is side-on. The isopod is gripping the stem with six of its apparently seven pairs of legs. It has long antennae that are pointing forward and appear to be a little over half the length of the body. The overall color of the isopod is tan, but it has a dark line across the body where each of its seven body segments meet. It also has five or six fainter lines that run from head to tail evenly spread across the upper body. Its legs are transparent. A small eye is visible. The kelp stem is dark brown, and there is a second stem above this one and the isopod. The background is the tangled root-like holdfast of the kelp, and it is a much lighter yellowish brown.

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 23/09/2024

Ahh I certainly can! (But won’t spoil it for others)

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 17/09/2024

(since everyone else seems to be doing it...)

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 17/06/2024

Hey Rob, one way I’ve used is to build contigs, then create a blast database of your contigs and query with closely related busco sequences. Better than mapping if you have more distantly related species.

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Jessica Thomas Thorpe @jessthorpemas.bsky.social · 16/05/2024

New preprint! Phylogenomics supports a single origin of terrestriality in isopods. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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