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Nathan Whelan

@nathan-whelan.bsky.social
247 followers 142 following 28 posts

PhD. Conservation Biologist. Malacologist. Systematist. Director of the Museum of Biological Diversity and Associate Professor at The Ohio State University. I own my opinions. He/Him. www.nathanwhelan.com

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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Screenshot of graduate student recruitment flyer found at https://nathanwhelan.com/assests/Grad_Recruitment_2026.pdf
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I'm recruiting at least one graduate student to join my lab in Fall 2027. See more here: nathanwhelan.com/assests/Grad...
nathanwhelan.com
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Personally, I don't think any amount of additional data is going to change anything. If a person cannot accept ctenophores sister as the most likely evolutionary history of animals at this point, I doubt they ever will. Maybe I'm not diplomatic enough about this issue lol.
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
I'm also of the opinion that when robust phylogenetic theory is applied to the question, there is no question that the ctenophore sister hypothesis is overwhelmingly supported by available data.
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Glad to see this article. Nothing against anyone, but given my Letter to Science bringing up pretty much the same thing as others (albeit in less words because I think it should've been published as a regular letter) I'm surprised there was no mention of my work
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Reposted by Nathan Whelan
Nature @nature.com · 27/01/2026
For almost two decades, scientists have debated whether sponges or comb jellies are the first animal lineage. Now some are calling for a more harmonious approach Read the full story: go.nature.com/4q5giqz
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
I posted an eLetter to the recent Science paper claiming strong evidence for sponges as the sister group to all other animals. The eLetter can be found under the original article. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Integrative phylogenomics positions sponges at the root of the animal tree
Determining whether sponges or ctenophores root the animal tree has important implications for understanding early animal evolution. Here, we examined support for these competing hypotheses by constru...
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 28/08/2024
I am recruiting Masters and Ph.D. students to work in my lab at Auburn University! Come join a dynamic research lab working on topics ranging from freshwater snail taxonomy to environmental DNA (eDNA) research. nathanwhelan.com/assests/GRA_... Please share!
Announcement on graduate positions in my lab. PDF is here: https://nathanwhelan.com/assests/GRA_Recruitment_2024.pdf
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 25/03/2024
I'm really excited to share this publication where my co-authors and I report on the rediscovery of Big Black Rocksnail! The species was thought to be extinct for at least 30 years. link.springer.com/journal/1053...
link.springer.com
Biodiversity and Conservation | Volumes and issues
Volumes and issues listings for Biodiversity and Conservation
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 12/02/2024
It's a great night for Kansas City and therefore the world!
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 11/01/2024
It's a somber day for Alabama, and therefore the world. 🐐🐐
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 02/01/2024
Looking forward to #SICB2024. Four talks from my lab, all on Friday
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 26/11/2023
A great night for The Tide, and therefore the world!
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 01/10/2023
I'm still recruiting graduate students to start in August 2024. I'm going to be scheduling interviews soon. Students will have wide latitude to pursue research on systematics, conservation genetics, phylogenetics, and/or taxonomy on freshwater mollusks or fishes.
Go to nathanwhelan.com to download the full recruitment document.
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 30/09/2023
It looks like I'll be staying in Alaska until Wednesday! Yay open federal government!
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 24/09/2023
Until I leave Alaska, this is pretty much a scenic pictures account. Great hike to the Harding Ice Field today!
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 17/09/2023
Fun hike yesterday!
Flattop mountain trailA look down into a yellow valleyFall colors in Alaska's alpine habitats
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Nathan Whelan @nathan-whelan.bsky.social · 17/09/2023
I made it to the Blue Space
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