Sign in

Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc

@skpevsner.bsky.social
1.6K followers 783 following 561 posts

synapsid enthusiast | PhD student at Oxford | UChicago and Bristol alum | half Indian half Jewish progressive paleontologist | he/him spencerpevsner.com spencers-music-lists.ghost.io

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Kiersten Formoso, PhD(epressed) @formorphology.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Hi! My World View in Nature Reviews Biodiversity was published today! Read about my three main aims when educating people about topics in natural history. www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Three ideas to inspire curiosity in natural history education
Nature Reviews Biodiversity - Natural history can captivate the minds of all manner of people for a multitude of reasons, but a shifting media landscape demands adaptation from public educators....
17130
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Xavier A. Jenkins @semifossorial.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Out today: We show that Westlothiana lizziae or "Lizzie," described 35 years ago as the world's oldest reptile - is not a stem amniote at all, but a stem tetrapod. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The part and counterpart of the holotype specimen of Westlothiana. Paleoartistic reconstruct of Westlothiana by Jacob Schick based on our new data
210551
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
While this is good news, I still do not understand the need to wait to implement reform until after the next election - seems like an enormous and unnecessary gamble! If the commission you form recommends a move to STV or some other form of PR, do it right away!
011
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Happy #FossilFriday! Today we’ve got this cool new mount of Eustreptospondylus on display at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History! The exhibitions team here have outdone themselves with the new displays, including this theropod mounted with real fossils alongside 3D printed elements! 🧪⚒️
A skeletal mount of the theropod Eustreptospondylus on display at the OUMNH. The skeleton is a mix of real fossils and 3D printed elements to create a composite complete skeleton in a dynamic pose.
0101
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Hady George @houdzgeorge.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I found out my paper on Dinodontosaurus was provisionally accepted two days before Spencer’s post, and 6 days after it I got the official acceptance Few #FossilFriday posts have been such a timely surprise
162
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Hady George @houdzgeorge.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Welcome Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda! I'm delighted to introduce you to a new species of protomammal. Hailing from the Triassic of Tanzania, this is the first record of Dinodontosaurus outside of South America, and it informs on the origin of dinosaurs. Here's a thread summarising our findings 🧵
Life reconstruction of two Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda individuals by Gabriel UguetoSkull and jaw of the holotype of Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda. Original photos by Jonathan Jackson
213646
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology stands with the Academy of Natural Sciences (ANSP) staff, and preservation of the ANSP Museum. SVP urges our member community and anyone who enjoys and supports the natural sciences to speak up on behalf of the ANSP and their staff! #SaveTheAcademy
06034
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Surprising absolutely no one, my accent is closest to NYC, but I always seem to get a bit of California or Hawaii thrown in there whenever I do these things
A heat map showing where in the US my dialect is closest to, with the most similar areas being New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and the least similar cities being New Orleans, Atlanta, and Nashville
010
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Attention Philadelphia! We're hosting a rally to demand that Drexel University maintain The Academy of Natural Sciences Museum open to the public. Join us on Tuesday morning at 10am in front of the academy. Please spread the word, we need all hands on deck! RSVP here: luma.com/1qwnrqz2
A dinosaur on a white background with the text SAve the academy of Natural sciences museum rally Tuesday Sept 8 10am in front of the academy 1900 ben Franklin Parkway. "Tell Drexel University "Keep the museum open!" with the logos for Philly Science Action, Skype a Scientist, and Green Philly
171411894
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Dr. Scott Hartman - but not THAT kind of doctor @skeletaldrawing.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Have you ever wanted to visually compare the size of your favorite extinct animals? Now you can, as I'm launching an interactive size comparison tool on my website. Give it a try and let me know what you think: www.skeletaldrawing.com/compare/
40911441
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Getting rid of first past the post is not only the most surefire way to keep Reform out at the next election, but it’s also the democratic thing to do. Waiting for another election for a “mandate” as Burnham says here he wants to do is weak sauce. You have the majority now! Use it!
020
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Ryan J Hollister @phaneritic.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Really cool 3D models of fossils from La Brea and McKittrick. Buried in the paper are links to college level lessons (UC ACCESS) using the models! Someone else posted this link but when I returned to BlueSky to repost, it had vanished in the timeline. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Computed tomography datasets and 3D models of California Quaternary tar seep faunas for education and research
The Rancho La Brea and McKittrick asphalt seeps of California have produced exceptionally rich Cenozoic fossil assemblages, preserving late Pleistocene to Holocene fauna from distinct environmental...
0124
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
My IPC abstract was accepted, so I’ve just booked my flights and accommodations - it’s looking like it’ll be a fun conference!
050
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Presenter: [The argument was put that DEI advanced people not on merit] Woolley: "There are 975 Professors at Cambridge. How many do you think are black? Paddy O'Connell: "Its a fair question you're asking me. So I am going to say 30%" Woolley: "I tell you: less than half a per cent"
21930230
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Plenty to reflect about re: the Arday affair, but I'm going to repeat this one thing. The playbook the right used here is effective even though it's not especially sophisticated, as it relies on the audience to do the dirty work. I've been calling it "Trojan horse propaganda", let's go with that. 1/
5763142016
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
I thought I was going to have just a single full day back in the UK tomorrow that I was going to use to see The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm film, but now instead I am sad
The saddest email informing me that the screening of The Odyssey I had booked a ticket for has been cancelled as a result of high temperatures
120
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Karen James @kejames.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
It’s that time again, friends. Time to share the greatest eclipse explainer ever.
9898257
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Krista Koeller @kristalerista.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Do you want to go to grad school in #paleontology 🦖, #geology ⚒️, or #biology🧪? Join the @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social Graduate School Application Prep Group! We’ll walk you through the application process in weekly workshops. Sign up with this form! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
A flyer that says "Do you want to be a paleontologist? Join the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Graduate School Application Prep Group. This series of free Zoom workshops will: tell you how the field of paleontology works, guide you through the graduate school application process, connect you with other applicants, give you feedback on your applications. Anyone interested is welcome!
18448
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Were there tiny dinosaurs? New study explores one of evolution’s biggest mysteries | EurekAlert! www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
eurekalert.org
Were there tiny dinosaurs? New study explores one of evolution’s biggest mysteries
Dinosaurs are famous for being big, from the towering Tyrannosaurus rex to the colossal Apatosaurus. But a new study suggests that one of the greatest mysteries of dinosaur evolution isn’t ...
3287
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Kester Allen @kesterallen.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
I don’t get a lot of opportunity to share the peacock-turkey battle photo I took last year, it looked like a dinosaur showdown:
23771244
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
So it seems that my Facebook account was hacked last night and disabled for suspicious activity. I requested an appeal as I went to change my password, found I couldn’t change the password until this morning, at which point my appeal was denied and my account is permanently disabled with no recourse
320
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 30/07/2026
'It is generally a mistake, in American politics, to say “let’s wait four years and build.” It is wiser to seize every momentary advantage and push it as hard and as far as you can.' www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/aoc-must-r...
hamiltonnolan.com
AOC Must Run For President
History is calling. Sorry!
401000146
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Electoral reform and proportional representation are the way forward and how Reform gets defanged
010
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 21/07/2026
"There are other capable progressives weighing a run in 2028," writes @sunraysunray.bsky.social. "However, none of them can do the two things AOC can do at once: run a serious national campaign as one of the most recognized figures in the country, and pull an entire movement into being behind it."
theguardian.com
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should run for president | Bhaskar Sunkara
The congresswoman can run a serious national campaign on the left and pull a movement in behind it. She should get in early
69674891734
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 21/07/2026
i'm sorry, what exactly is the evidence that hanania is a "former" white supremacist?
884268419
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Z. Jack Tseng @tsengzj.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Our newest paper on mammalian dental evolution, out today as the cover article in @science.org, lead by @narimanechatar.bsky.social with a team of fantastic early career scientists!!! 🎉🥳 “Performance trade-offs define a fundamental dental dichotomy in mammals” www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Cover image of Science Magazine, with images of carnivore jaws and teeth on black background.
411048
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Some lukewarm takes about these name-brand dinosaur auctions and how we talk about them: One, every article about the Gus auction quotes a paleontologist explaining why private collectors buying up fossils is a problem for researchers. They used to just copy the press releases. That's progress.
37916
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Happy #FossilFriday! I feel very lucky to currently be at the same institution that houses the very first dinosaur fossil ever formally described! This Megalosaurus jaw was named back in 1824, over 200 years ago, and the term “dinosaur” was coined 18 years later 🧪⚒️
A photo of the type specimen of Megalosaurus bucklandii sitting behind a glass case. The fossil is a partial lower jaw with one tooth fully erupted in the middle of the fossil and a number of other teeth just beginning to erupt elsewhere in the jaw. The fossil is housed at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
2203
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Wait everyone shut up for a second: the discovery of the Brachiosaurus holotype is at the exact midpoint between the founding of the United States and today (July 4, 1901)
Bearded guy in a hat lies next to recently uncovered sauropod humerus that is longer than him
101038370
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 29/06/2026
need to start thinking now about a full package of judicial reforms: new justices, new circuits, new district courts, ethics reforms, docket reforms, and transparency reforms.
391144612918
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
I don’t know man, who is “the Democratic Party” if it’s not the voters?Democratic voters choose candidates, not party leaders. And party leaders need to listen to what voters are telling us - and right now they are demanding our party be bolder.
582118722248
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Happy #FossilFriday! Today we’ve got Dinodontosaurus, a South American dicynodont! This display at the UFRGS in Porto Alegre, Brazil, shows an adult skeletal mount surrounded by numerous juveniles - whether they’re a family or a graveyard resulting from the Great Dying is for you to decide! 🦊⚒️🧪
A skeletal mount of an adult Dinodontosaurus surrounded by skeletons of juveniles of the same species
0309
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Warpaint are just too good
Warpaint performing on stage with white lights that look like small circles illuminating themWarpaint performing on stage with a red glow illuminating the stage and purple spotlights streaming in from above and the side of the stageWarpaint performing on stage with lights above them shining large yellow and white circles around them
130
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
“In his first column for Zeteo UK, acclaimed journalist and author Owen Jones looks at how the lie about immigrants pushed by British media and political elites is fueling the violence we see today.” 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
zeteonews.co.uk
The Belfast Riots Are an Anti-Migrant Pogrom - and the British Media Has Serious Questions to Answer
In his first column for Zeteo UK, acclaimed journalist and author Owen Jones looks at how the lie about immigrants pushed by British media and political elites is fueling the violence we see today.
24785229
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 10/06/2026
there are a lot of loathsome politicians but Starmer inspires utter contempt like few others. a cringing worm of a man. a man who, when kicked in the face, apologizes to his assailant and begs for more. Neville Chamberlain was steadfast and farsighted by comparison
924924
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 10/06/2026
that's right www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Supreme Court Doesn’t Own the Constitution
17512
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
“Court packing is never ever something you should do” is not a tenable position. It’s trivial to imagine a court so extremely anti-constitutional (and yet 34 senators won’t convict) where court packing would be the necessary lesser evil. The only question is if the Roberts Court is that bad. (it is)
532398451
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 07/06/2026
boy that Renee Good detail is truly monstrous
574484
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Are you an American citizen under 35 and live in or near Oxford? Then come join this roundtable discussion event I’m helping moderate on June 17th! More details located here: www.democratsabroad.org/freyaproudma...
democratsabroad.org
DAUK Youth Caucus Roundtable Discussion Oxford
Democrats Abroad strives to provide Americans abroad a Democratic voice in our government and elect Democratic candidates by mobilizing the overseas vote.
000
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Preprint for my new paper is out! I’ll do a whole explanation thread once the paper is officially published but for now give it a read and let me know your thoughts!
2151
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Happy #FossilFriday! Today we’ve got the dinocephalians, who are not related to the dinosaurs but are instead early relatives of mammals. They had thickened, robust skulls (dinocephalian literally means “terrible head”) that we suspect they used for head-butting like modern Bighorn Sheep! 🧪⚒️🦊
A skeletal mount of Moschops capensis on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York CityA skull of Anteosaurus on display at the Iziko South African Museum in Cape TownA skull of Jonkeria on display at the Field Museum in Chicago
0156
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Xavier A. Jenkins @semifossorial.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Our paper on turtle origins is finally out in Current Biology, with two major implications for our understanding of reptile evolution 🐢 #Paleontology #Turtles #Evolution www.cell.com/current-biol...
A pair of Eunotosaurus by Gabriel Ugueto: a sense of scale is provided by Glossopterus leaves in the fore-and-background and by a prosbolid hemipteran insect Phylogeny of major reptile groups, showing turtles (Pantestudines) as early archosauromorphs and the putative stem-turtle Eunotosaurus as a millerettid stem reptile
16634173
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Paper submitted! Here’s hoping for a quick and easy peer review process
190
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Riley Black 🏳️‍⚧️ 🦕 @restingdinoface.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
No, Colossal's resurrected nothing. They made designer dogs to look like Game of Thrones animal actors. And Colossal co-founder George Church? Friend of Epstein who kept the predator's genetic samples in his Harvard Medical School lab, which were pushed as priority for sequencing. Do. Not. Trust.
statnews.com
Jeffrey Epstein’s tissue samples ignited a furor in the Harvard lab of George Church
Exclusive: Harvard geneticist George Church knew more about Jeffrey Epstein's activities than he has previously said, before accepting new donations from the sex offender.
12366155
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Happy #FossilFriday! Today we’ve got some South African gorgonopsians! Gorgonopsians were the apex predators of the Late Permian period, early relatives of mammals, and are among the earliest land animals to evolve saber teeth! 🧪⚒️🦊
A collection of four gorgonopsian skulls on display in a museum display case, with drawings of an artist’s rendition of what they would have looked like in life on the wall behind them.A sculptural piece of paleoart depicting two rival gorgonopsians fighting over the corpse of a recently hunted large dicynodont.
210029
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Zoe Samuel @zoesamuel.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
I'm a climate expert. I know 1000s of climate experts. One fact we all know: poor people care about climate more than rich people. Hardly surprising when you can't afford AC, work outside, etc. A few issues in the article... /1
9911287
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 06/05/2026
Zack Polanski’s Jewish identity is being erased because he is leftwing | Owen Jones
theguardian.com
Zack Polanski’s Jewish identity is being erased because he is leftwing | Owen Jones
The leader of the Green party has faced antisemitic attacks, and yet his thoughts on the subject don’t count as far as the rightwing UK press is concerned, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
1111838
Reposted by Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Regarding the recent gutting of the National Science Board by the U.S. administration.
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology joins with the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) in its profound opposition to the U.S. administration’s decision to dismiss all members of the National Science Board (NSB). This unprecedented action bypasses the critical guardrails established by the U.S. Congress to ensure that federal scientific research remains independent and free from political influence.

The Administration’s decision not only threatens to further erode pubic trust in federal science, but also eliminates the public’s opportunity to independently assess that trust for themselves. Such actions strike at the very heart of the democratic process. SVP calls upon Congress and the Courts to stand up against the politizacition of science and the independence of scientific endeavor – an independence that has until now marked the United States as a global leader and partner in scientific research and innovation.
1178
Spencer K. Pevsner, MSc @skpevsner.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
My brother wrote this op-ed for the Financial Times on impending trade-offs for European space programs - give it a read!
000