iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

If you are in the Portland (OR) area, I will be giving a talk this week at PSU on the tropical-temperate forest ecotone in Bhutan. Thursday 10/9, 3:30-4:25, Cramer Hall room 53. Open to the public. #Bhutan #biogeography #Rhododendron #ecotone #forest #ecology #Himalayas #PDX #mountains

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Been busy writing, apologies for my hermit-like tendencies as of late.

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Kate Johnson @kateplantphys.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

Showing off our figure of global conifer leaf-widths & leaf silhouettes highlighting that conifers can be broad-leaved & angiosperms can be narrow/ needle-leaved! 🍃 Our paper: tinyurl.com/mss2me7v @newphyt.bsky.social @vallicrosah.bsky.social @botanykat.bsky.social & Matilda Brown

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Peter Gleick @petergleick.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

There are 2 previous historical cases of countries destroying their science and universities, crippling them for decades: Lysenkoism in the USSR and Nazi Germany. The Trump administration will be the 3rd. It's not just budgets but research, institutions, expertise, and training the next generation.

Graphs showing 25 years of budgets for the National Institute of Health, NASA, and the NSF. In all cases, the proposed budget for next year is far, far below any year of the previous quarter century.

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Anthony (Tony) J. Martin @ichnologist.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Oldest known fossil evidence of lepidopterans (butterflies & moths), from the Triassic (~236 mya) of Argentina! Scales from the wings of these insects were preserved in dicynodont coprolites, & were likely on plants eaten by the dicynodonts. www.science.org/content/arti... #PoopScience 🧪💩🪨🦋

science.org

Ancient poop yields world’s oldest butterfly fossils

Tiny wing scales suggest the proboscis evolved 100 million years before flowers

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audhalbritter.bsky.social @audhalbritter.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Interested in #OpenScience, #reproducibility, #FAIRdata, #GBIF, #biodiversity data, and #AI? In November, we are organizing a course for early career ecologists in the home of the reindeer! 🌱🏔️🐑🦌🦋🦇🐞🌾💻 www.uib.no/en/rg/EECRG/...

uib.no

Open, Reproducible and Transparent Science in Ecology

Course on reproducible workflows to manage, produce, use, and reuse FAIR data

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Mike Melton @mikemelton.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

I was sitting quietly in the forest this morning, watching a Royal Flycatcher nest when this wonderful Keel-billed Motmot perched near me for a few minutes. These are one of the toughest motmots. They're quiet, small, and love the dark forest. At @tapirvalley.bsky.social #costarica #birds #nature

A colorful bird with green and brown plumage perches on a branch, its long tail ending in two racket-shaped feathers. The background is a soft blur of green foliage.

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Any tips for writing in the summer? Nice days outside, yet computer time awaits. I miss the rain.

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Rhododendron @heyrhododendron.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Rhododendron Research Network Virtual International Convention May 29-30 2025 Rockin' Around the Clock Visit the world's major Rhododendron biodiversity regions Physiology, horticulture, ecology, evolution, conservation For a general audience Registration medeiroslab.com/2025-virtual... 🧪🍁🌺🌱🌏🌐🌿

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Rhododendron @heyrhododendron.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

2025 Rhododendron Virtual Convention NORTH AMERICA SESSION May 29th 9am-3:30pm EDT KEYNOTE SPEAKER Dr. Melissa Whitman Investigation of flower characteristics and pollinator guilds across elevational and longitudinal gradients #PlantBiology 🌏🧪🌱🍁🌺🌐 Register at medeiroslab.com/2025-virtual...

A woman with brown hair wearing glasses smiles in front of a wall of purple rhododendron blooms

Rhododendron versteegii, a tropical epiphytic Rhododendron of Section Schistanthe, also known as Vireyas. Two small flowers are photographed at close range, they are pendent bell shaped flowers, with long red throats and a flare at the bottom accented by patches of bright yellow

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Thus far I do not like the 2025 bingo card of stupid events.

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Géza Meszéna @gezam.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

@iite-ecotheory.bsky.social 📆Join us next Tuesday for our next free online seminar: Uli Brose (iDiv) will present: ⭐The internet of nature: integrating food webs with information flow⭐ Zoom link: iite.info/seminar/ Global Times: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/f... See you there! 🧪,🌍,#ecoevo

iite.info

Theoretical Ecology Webinar • International Initiative for Theoretical Ecology

We operate an international seminar series on Theoretical Ecology via Zoom since September, 2020. With some exceptions, the hour-long events are held on every other Tuesday at 9 a.m. Pacific […]

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GBIF @gbif.org · 26/03/2025

🎥 Better than the original: New SQL-based service enables download of occurrence data cube GBIF has enabled an easy-to-use service for creating and downloading species occurrence cubes based on GBIF-mediated data. Collaborators: @b-cubed.eu led by @inbo.be gbif.link/data-cubes

green graphic with various biological drawings

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Another hOUwie pondering @omearabrian.bsky.social... when choosing factors, does it matter if there is strong vs weak phylogenetic signal (Pagel's lambda or Blomberg's k)? My continuous factor has a lambda close to zero, would this cause problems? The signal for the discrete character is unknown/TBD

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Kelsey J.R.P. Byers @plantpollinator.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Really excited to say that my lab's paper on color transitions in Mimulus sect. Erythranthe is out! We found that some traits demonstrate evolutionary convergence in phenotype & genotype, while others are divergent, & that - as Bob Vickery found - bees prefer yellow! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Within-species floral evolution reveals convergence in adaptive walks during incipient pollinator shift - Nature Communications

During evolution, how adaptive walks cross fitness valleys remains unclear. This integrative study on monkeyflowers reveals that convergence in large steps (floral color and gene expression) drives a ...

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Nature Plants @natplants.nature.com · 24/03/2025

The March issue is now fully online: www.nature.com/nplants/volu...

An orchid on the cover of the March issue of Nature Plants.

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Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Global patterns in community-scale #leaf mass per area distributions of extant woody non-monocot #angiosperms and their utility in the #fossil record New #AJB research by Alexander Lowe, Dana Royer, Daniel Wieczynski et al. doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... @stromberglab.bsky.social #botany #plantscience

Four-part graphic showing leaf dry mass per area (LMA) central moments among diﬀering climate types.

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ForestPlots @forestplots.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

The botanist Al Gentry changed tropical ecology and helped create the global science of today. This new article celebrates Gentry's unique innovations, achievements and lasting influence, more than 30 years after his untimely death. rainfor.org/wp-content/u... annals.mobot.org/index.php/an...

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Yet another #hOUwie question @omearabrian.bsky.social does the program work via changing or reconstructing the branching of the tree (but keeping discrete tips constant) or is it the other way around (keep the tree constant but shuffle the discrete tips)?

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Evan Frost @wildwoods.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

Old-growth, fire-resistant Douglas-firs marked for logging as part of the Paul's Payoff timber sale, on the BLM's Medford District (sw Oregon). Square this w/the agency's official statement that "they don't log old-growth"...?

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Desirée L. Narango @dlnarango.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

Spring is here! (Well some places not quite VT) We’re getting 2025 observations for our Pollinator Interactions on Plants project! We know much more about herbaceous flowers than we do tree flowers but trees are incredible floral resources! Watch your trees and submit data to help us learn more!

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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

The people who produce this Mauna Loa atmospheric CO₂ record have a lab in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, about 50 miles (80 km) from the observatory. By closing the lab, it'll be really difficult to maintain the CO₂ observations.

$A line graph showing atmospheric CO2 levels at Mauna Loa Observatory from 1955 to 2025. The y-axis represents CO2 mole fraction in parts per million (ppm), ranging from 320 to 420 ppm, while the x-axis is years.$

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Sean Michaletz @seanmichaletz.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Fully funded PhD in Plant Ecophysiology at UBC in Vancouver 🍁! Possible topics include leaf physiology, thermal ecology, microclimates, scaling, tree physiology, forest ecology & more. Start Jan/May/Sept 2026. michaletzlab.org Please share! #PlantEcoPhys #Ecology #Botany #PhDposition #GradSchool

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

I am wrapping my head around how hOUwie works, is it essentially Pagel's test for cor. evolution but with three traits (two discrete traits plus one continuous one)? Does it also differ based on added bells and whistles (e.g. allowing for differences in rate of evolution)? @omearabrian.bsky.social

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Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Phylogenetic relationships & repeated loss of traits associated with #sicklebill #pollination in Centropogon subgenus Centropogon New #AJB research by Janet Mansaray, Ana Bedoya, Laura Frost, Olivia Degreenia & Laura Lagomarsino bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #botany #plantscience

A six-part photo showing morphological and habit diversity of eucentropogonids.

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William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Barriers to dispersal are key to understanding biogeography, the pattern of life across the planet. Here Daniel Field explains Wallace’s line using Wallace’s actual specimen of greater bird-of paradise. youtu.be/L_FQ4tYkVoY?...

youtu.be

Biogeography: explaining the patterns of life across the planet

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Anyone know where I can find a super big gigantic list of all nectarivorous bird species, spanning from Malaysia to PNG? My added wish-list bonus would be any natural history observations of flower species visited, or maybe photos of beaks w/ a scale bar #sunbird #honeyeater #lorikeet #flowerpecker

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Laura Boeschoten @lauraboeschoten.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

I'll be presenting my work on tree growth in an everwet forest in Puerto Rico at the ForestGEO seminar next week! Mar 19, 2025 09:00 AM, EST time. Register here for the link: smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

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Saimi Hanma ⚔️ サイミ @saimihanma.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Ghost pipe flowers I have met Monotropa uniflora is a parasitic plant and utterly enchanting.

long stems of white with white flowers, turning black around the tips

a cluster of long white stems with small flowers turning black

a large cluster of pure white flowers bowing down on long stems

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Reminding myself to enjoy spring, the scent of red current flowers, pink of cherry blossoms, random clusters of crocus in purple yellow white.

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Chise @sailorrooscout.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

THIS IS HUGE! Researchers at Stanford University have developed a dual-antibody treatment that remains effective against ALL SARS-CoV-2 variants by targeting a less-mutable part of the virus. This breakthrough could lead to longer-lasting therapies that OUTPACE viral evolution. 🧪🧵⬇️

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Science Magazine @science.org · 06/03/2025

An analysis of forest plant traits from across the tropical Americas suggests that forests are not changing fast enough to keep up with #ClimateChange. Learn more in this week's issue of Science: scim.ag/3QLYhyc

In Mesoamerican cloud forests, such as this one in the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, climate change and deforestation are leading to plant species moving upslope. However, an analysis of forest plant traits from across the tropical Americas suggests that forests are not changing fast enough to keep up with climate change.

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Yadvinder Malhi @ymalhi.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Tropical forests are not all the same: they show many shades of geographical variation. Our new paper in Nature led by @jeaggu.bsky.social combines field and satellite data to make a first map the canopy functional traits of the world’s tropical forests: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests - Nature

Data from a variety of sources—including satellite, climate and soil data, as well as field-collected information on plant traits—are pooled and analysed to map the functional diversity of tropical fo...

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Andrew Hipp @andrewlhipp.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Post-bac training in rare plant science / conservation at 4 collaborating institutions: The Morton Arboretum, Atlanta Botanical Garden, California Botanic Garden, San Diego Botanic Garden. Great mentors and projects, competitive pay. Pls share! ** APPLY BY 3/14 *** atlantabg.org/conservation...

atlantabg.org

Atlanta Botanical Garden | RaMP: Post-Baccalaureate Training and Research Program in Rare Plant Science and Conservation

The mission of the Atlanta Botanical Garden is to develop and maintain plant collections for display, education, research, conservation and enjoyment.

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Tim Baker @kofitim.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

West-east gradient across Amazonia in fast-slow life history strategies of forests beautifully illustrated by new ATDN paper; forests are 'fast' in the west and 'slow' in the northeast of Amazonia doi.org/10.1038/s420...

Map of Amazonia showing how the functional composition of forests varies west-east across Amazonia

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Motivating myself to write. Replace the word "be aggressive" with "be productive"... type to the pace of the song. www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2XG...

youtube.com

Baby Cakes - Role Play Tournament (Be Aggressive)

YouTube video by TheRealBradNeely

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Melissa Whitman @mwhitman-phd.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Taking inspiration from stress-tolerant flora. Defy the conditions where other plants wither; thrive despite toxic or barren conditions; grow tough f*ck-off leaves; disappear and then serendipitously resurrect; find nourishment via strategic partnerships or outright carnivory; be unique to survive.

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Dr Craig R McClain @drcraigmc.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

The scaly-foot snail doesn’t bow to pressure—it thrives under it. Living in toxic hydrothermal vents, it armors itself with iron, turning the very forces that should destroy it into protection. That’s how you resist oppression—adapt, fortify, and endure. 🐌🔥 #MolluscMonday #Resist

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AltUSGS @handle.invalid · 01/03/2025

Some examples of research USGS does that is at risk with RIFs and restructuring: - earth quake and volcano monitoring and warnings - landslide risk assessments - water quality testing - wildlife conservation - wildfire prevention and post-fire rehabilitation - invasive species tracking

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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

"Public investment" vs "Wasteful Subsidy." The only problem with this clever Singer cartoon is that some people might actually not get that it’s sarcastically illustrating the incorrect perception problem, NOT telling the truth. Just in case it actually needs to be said, the truth is the opposite.

Cartoon noting the irony that car infrastructure is commonly considered a public investment, and public transit infrastructure is often attacked as a wasteful subsidy, when the opposite is actually true.

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Hunter Lindsay @cfollicularis.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

#Pinguicula laueana “CalCarn Red” and “Tangerine” represent two color variants of the scarlet-flowered butterwort endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico. Like many plants with tubular red flowers, this one is visited by hummingbirds, though observations of this behavior are rare. #Butterwort #carnivorousPlant

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Andrew Hipp @andrewlhipp.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

We are hiring a seasonal research intern to work in our Bur Oak ACE experiment at The Morton Arboretum. Our lab is a fun group, the experiment fascinating. Come join us! Application: careers.hireology.com/themortonarb... ... information: www.wbez.org/race-class-c... grist.org/science/to-u...

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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

A generation of scientists could be lost through the axing of various programs designed to help young people find a path into basic and applied research. www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

NSF downsizes summer research program for undergraduates

Many participants are from groups underrepresented in science

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Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD @arghavansallesmd.medsky.social · 28/02/2025

Of the 4000 researchers at NIH, only 20% are tenured. They’re going to fire all the rest as their contracts come up for renewal, absolutely decimating research at the NIH. This is catastrophic, not just for Americans, but for the whole world. www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

NIH ban on renewing senior scientists adds to assaults on its in-house research

Policy follows firings of tenure-track scientists and suspension of training programs

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Dr. Larissa @rissarwx.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

All probationary federal employees at NOAA’s EMC that’s responsible for keeping all US weather model systems running have been fired with 1 hours notice. And that includes me and colleagues. We will not go quietly because we care about the NOAA mission to protect the public.

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