iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

The only tyrant or king I respect is Tyrannosaurus rex. The current administration makes me sick and the energy from the protests needs to be carried towards political action. Call your senator and representative and tell them to change before the US is extinct. #NoKings

A photograph of vintage statues of a baby and adult Tyrannosaurus rex taken at Prehistoric Park at the Calgary Zoo, AB, Canada.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

I don't know who needs to hear this but you can call for the regulation of the private fossil market AND call for Brazilian fossil repatriation. Big Rex auctions just increase the demand fulfilled by the illegal trade of Brazilian fossils.

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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 11/04/2025

Among the thousands of dire wolf specimens at La Brea #TarPits is this 𝘈𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴 lower jaw. Known as “The Endling”—the last known #direwolf fossil on Earth—this fossil is dated to be approximately 13,082 years old. See the fossil now on view in our Fossil Lab!

Aenocyon dirus lower jaw fossil (approximately 13,082 years old) on view at La Brea Tar Pits & Museum. Photo courtesy of Tyler Hayden.

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Dr. Amelia R. Zietlow 🦎 @tyrantlzrdqueen.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Happy #TylosurusTuesday! Did you know? There are seven species of Tylosurus alive today!!! They are readily distinguishable from other marine life by their toothy elongate snouts. They are of course very dangerous, & have severely injured multiple people (& killed at least one).

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Petite Paleoartist | Sauriazoicillus @ppaleoartist.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

A guide to the exoparia: the presence of the exoparia doesnt actually change much for the way we reconstruct most dinosaur groups, however, it changes some minor things for two of the most well known dinosaur groups that should be taken into account: #scicomm #paleontology #dinosaur #sciart

text at top: The team found that in tyrannosaurs, the exoparia would've attached to the "jugal horn" and the surrounding bone on the top, and attached to the "shelf" onthe lower jaw on the bottom.

image description of the middle: two tyrannosaur skulls, the left showing the attachment points for the exoparia, the right showing it in context with other jaw muscles

text at bottom: *hypothetical skull and simplified muscles for visual purposes.

text at top: The placement of the exoparia would've created a smooth edge from the top to bottom jaw. Think the back of our jaws, if you press you can feel the edges of bone, but when you release the pressure there's no visible depression. Keep in midn the extent of the "cheek" is unrelated to the exoparia (again think our jaws).

red text: no visible jugal horn, shallow depression if continuing lip line, smooth edge if rictus

image description of the middle: two life reconstructions over the previous two tyrannosaur skulls that show two different possibilities of life reconstruction taking into account the exoparia

text at bottom: Keep in mind these are only two possibilities of many, not the only options

text at top: The team found that in derived ceratopsians (the ceratopsians with "flaring" cheek bones), while the shape of the attachment points for the exoparia varies, in general it attaches to the "lower surface of the jugal", and the "upper surface of the surangular".

image description of the middle: two derived ceratopsian skulls, the left showing the attachment points for the exoparia, the right showing it in context with other jaw muscles

text at bottom: *hypothetical skull and simplified muscles for visual purposes.

text at top: Like in tyrannosaurs, the exoparia would've created a smooth edge from the top to bottom jaw for exactly the same reason as previously highlighted, Again, keep in mind the extent of the "cheek" is unrelated to the exoparia. The range of possible cheek coverage for ceratopsians is greater by nature of their diet and chewing motion.

red text: many possibilities regarding extent of cheek coverage, jugal horn could be present, but only on outer surface, smooth edge

image description of middle: two life reconstructions over the previous two ceratopsian skulls that show two different possibilities of life reconstruction taking into account the exoparia

text at bottom: Keep in mind these are only two possibilities of many, not the only options

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Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

#SciArt Spotlight 🎨 Florida Pliocene Scientific art helps to illustrate Florida's evolving ecosystems, bringing life to the fossils we display in our exhibits. 🗝️ Check out the art + key and bonus fossils for gomphotheres, early artiodactyls and more: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/blo...

a painting of an open landscape with a few large oak trees and a number of animals that resemble elephants, zebras, alligators, huge sloth and birds, and a numbered key to the illustration positioned below it reflecting the list in the post

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David Levering @biogeoverse.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Begging Democrat politicians to stop fighting to win over conservatives, and start winning over the 90 million Americans who just didn’t vote at all in the last national election. A meaningful chunk of those 90 million are absolutely looking for progressive policy directions.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Happy #FossilFriday! For today enjoy this itty bitty baby Triceratops and the much more irritable mammal Didelphodon. Both of these animals (the species not the skeletons) lived during the last days of the dinosaurs. Side note; more universities should have fossil displays. #paleontology 🧪

Mounted fossil replicas of a young ceratopsian dinosaur (Triceratops sp.), background, and a mammal (Didelphodon vorax), foreground, at Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

I'm super excited to announce that I'll be joining the Maddin lab at Carleton University for my PhD this Fall! Expect lot's of really cool synapsidy research on this feed soon!

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

This is like the highlight of the year so far I'm not even kidding.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Rewatching the Simpsons Season 8 and oh my god it's kind of impressive how basically every episode in it is absolutely peak. May just be my favorite.

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Javier Lazaro - scientific illustration @lazaroillustration.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

I present you the whole collection of bonobo drawings. These are all part of the same illustration, but they are not the final version; I still want to correct some details and then I will share the whole composition. #Sciart #art #primates #mammals

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Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Museum peeps, what's your least favorite conversation to have with people outside the field? For me, it's screens and buttons. "I hate how new exhibits are full of screens and buttons" or "you should add more screens and buttons for the kids." Both takes are missing the point! A thread. 🧵

Large touchscreen features an animated Deinonychus and a short description with "start exploring" prompt.

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Dr. Rich B @morphometrich.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

De-extinction is the “let’s colonize Mars” for Biologists. Instead of working to fix & be sustainable, its a frat boy mentality that we can just trash it all and science will undo it. We don’t need to change our behaviors because we can control Z it

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

One of the most accurate representations of grad school applications.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

There's nothing more heartbreaking than finding out that you've missed out on a PhD position thanks in entirety to the hell that is the federal government at this point. Science in the states is basically dead or dying.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Hoping all of you stayed warm this #FamilyDay with Alberta's last cold snap of the year hitting hard. Luckily I was able to escape the cold at the Royal Tyrrell Museum where I didn't have it as bad as these snowy Pachyrhinosaurus. #paleoart #paleontology #museum

A snow covered statue of the ceratopsian dinosaur Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai and two of its young in front of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Anyone who uses any other palico voice besides the funny meows in Wilds is insane and I do not trust their moral character.

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Ville Sinkkonen @villesinkkonen.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Pair of small dicynodonts Diictodon snoozing in their comfy burrow

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Any recommendations for reliable phones? Thoroughly disappointed by Google Pixel having to replace a screen due to a manufacturing error and now dealing with the phone not charging properly.

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Rudolf Hima @himarudolf.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Homo sapiens

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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 28/01/2025

I think some people hear “grants” and think that without them, scientists and government workers just have less stuff to play with at work. But grants fund salaries for students, academics, researchers, and people who work in all areas of public service. “Pausing” grants means people don’t eat.

washingtonpost.com

White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion

The Trump administration has put a hold on all federal financial grants and loans, affecting tens of billions of dollars in payments.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Looks like with the NSF funding freeze I'll really have no other option than to remain in Canada for graduate studies. What an absolutely devastating and cruel administration the GOP has run.

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Leroy @leroyfragilis.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

I made a Lythronax

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Day 5 of rebuilding a #LEGO set into a different critter. Today it's the largest lizard Varanus priscus (the artist formerly known as Megalania). Larger than today's Komodo dragon, V. priscus would've been the top predator of the Ice Age outback. 🧪

A model of the giant extinct lizard Varanus priscus, formerly Megalania, made out of LEGO bricks.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Day 4 of rebuilding a LEGO set into a different critter. Finally decided to build a dinosaur out of the dinosaur set, that being the Mongolian weirdo Therizinosaurus. When it's extremely long claws we're found scientists thought they belonged to a giant turtle! 🧪

A model of the long clawed dinosaur Therizinosaurus made out of LEGO bricks.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

Day 3 of rebuilding a LEGO set into a different critter. Today it's the "first apex predator" Anomalocaris. With complex eyes and a set of grasping claws it was the terror of the Cambrian seas. 🧪

A model of the extinct predator Anomalocaris made out of LEGO bricks.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Day 2 of rebuilding the same LEGO set into different critters. This time it's a life size Tully monster! These weirdos are found only in Illinois and for the longest time people weren't sure what kind of animal they were. Recent studies suggest they are chordates. 🧪

A life size replica of the extinct chordate Tullimonstronum (often called a Tully monster) made out of LEGO bricks.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Having found a site which gives you alternative instructions for LEGO sets I've decided to do one for the Creator Dinosaur set daily. Day 1 this awesome Diplocaulus by Ambrosino.

A prehistoric amphibian named Diplocaulus made out of LEGO bricks.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

I may have just turned 24 today but this funny little robot toy is still cool as hell. Here's hoping 2025 has even more cool robot toys.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Happy #FossilFriday! This terror bird at the Science Museum of Minnesota is harassing a glyptodont, an enormous armadillo relative. While the group is extinct their closest relatives, the seriema, still terrorizes small prey across South America. #paleontology #paleoart 🧪

A fossil mount of a large armadillo relative known as a glyptodont (bottom) harassed by a large flightless predator bird known as a terror bird at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

A photo of a red-legged seriema by the photographer Joel Sartore.

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no brain, only alison @alisonborealis.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Can we talk people out of donating to Salvation Army entirely, please! They force their charity recipients to attend religious conversion sessions as part of receiving assistance. AND they're wildly transphobic and homophobic! Fund better charities!

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Are you a fan of Warhammer 40k, Dinosaurs, or tabletop games in general? Then check out Clone-A-Saurus! It was a pleasure working with the team to ensure that you learn a thing or two about dinosaurs while mobilizing your units. #paleoart #dinosaurs

Cover art for the rulebook of the tabletop game Clone-A-Saurus featuring a stylized Spinosaurus attacking a camp of mercenaries.

A photo of a game of Clone-A-Saurus featuring a Tyrannosaurus miniature and mercenaries.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Hot take; the response people have to weight loss through Ozempic really shows that people don't want to see people get healthier they just want to belittle and mock us for being fat.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Happy Post-Thanksgiving #FossilFriday! Not quite a turkey, this New Zealand Giant Moa at the Museum of Comparative Zoology would've been one hell of a dinner with direct evidence of human hunting. #paleontology #paleoart 🧪

The mounted skeleton of an enormous flightless bird from New Zealand known as a moa at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard.

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The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving

A hog from a 19th century portrait, expanded and edited so that it stars in the New York City Thanksgiving parade. It is being carried by a group of Ronald McDonalds (which doesn't make sense, but does make sense because the original image was of a Ronald McDonald float).

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Alex Payne @alexrdpayne.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Finally making the transition from the other site to here, thought I should share some recent art for my first post. I designed this colour scheme for Torvosaurus tanneri, definitely amongst my favourite jurassic theropods. #paleontology #paleoart #dinosaurs #sciart

Rendered 3D reconstruction of the Jurassic theropod Torvosaurus tanneri, light brown colour with a cream underbelly and broken-up horizontal black striping, with orange spotting along the lacrimals. Full body shot.

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Alex Payne @alexrdpayne.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Next up is Deltadromeus agilis, definitely an interesting taxon to try to reconstruct! We went down the carnivorous noasaurid route in the end. This colour scheme was partially inspired by the Tigrisoma heron species, particularly the Fasciated Tiger-Heron. #paleontology #paleoart #dinosaurs #sciart

Reconstruction of Deltadromeus agilis as a carnivorous noasaurid. Full body render in a walking pose. Colour scheme inspired by Tigrisoma heron species - ochre with darker mottled spots and stripes, a darker grey head and yellow facial markings.

Reconstruction of Deltadromeus agilis as a carnivorous noasaurid. Colour scheme inspired by Tigrisoma heron species - ochre with darker mottled spots and stripes, a darker grey head and yellow facial markings.

Reconstruction of Deltadromeus agilis as a carnivorous noasaurid. Close-up shot of the head. Colour scheme inspired by Tigrisoma heron species - ochre with darker mottled spots and stripes, a darker grey head and yellow facial markings.

Reconstruction of Deltadromeus agilis as a carnivorous noasaurid. Close up shot of body pattern. Colour scheme inspired by Tigrisoma heron species - ochre with darker mottled spots and stripes, a darker grey head and yellow facial markings.

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Ville Sinkkonen @villesinkkonen.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Drawing the rhinos and associated fauna of the ashfall beds. I would love to recreate this in 3d but I think to do it justice I would need more info and data than currently is available to me

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Allosaurus fragilis at the @natural-history.bsky.social looming and conniving over a similarly dead sauropod. Note the large and boxy head, an outdated holdover of scarce Allosaurus skull material in the early 1900s. #paleontology #paleoart 🧪

A mounted skeleton of the dinosaur Allosaurus fragilis displayed as feeding on the vertebral column of a sauropod dinosaur.

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Maybe I'm wrong but a lot of the times with spec evo people just make weird hodgepodges of extinct and extant animals and this is especially noticeable when reinterpreting designs from popular media. I don't know maybe have a little joy and whimsy?

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Nathan Cochran | ⛵🦎 @paleodude.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Oh look at the time, it's #FossilFriday. This week it's Dimetrodon milleri at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. With a stout skull and relatively large orbits, D. milleri is considered the most basal Dimetrodon species and adorable. #paleontology #paleoart #fossil 🧪

The skull and skeleton of the synapsid Dimetrodon milleri panel mounted to plaster at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard.

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