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April Wright

@wrightam.bsky.social
3K followers 1.1K following 1.5K posts

Statistical phylogenetics and the fossil record. Researcher, professor and mentor at a PUI. Mother, reader, runner. Congenital optimist. Minnesotan Virginian.

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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 5h
Well, to be fair, a lot of journals are licensing their paywalled content, too. They’re going to profit no matter what, people might as well be able to read it for free, too.
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British Society for the Philosophy of Science @thebsps.bsky.social · 7h
Another exciting announcement for BSPS Open: they've released their fifth book, The Science of Lost Worlds by Adrian Currie! Get your OA copy here: press.ucalgary.ca/books/978177... BSPS Open is our monograph series. If you're writing a phil sci monograph, get in touch! www.thebsps.org/bsps-open/
press.ucalgary.ca
Science of Lost Worlds
Adrian Mitchell Currie and the fantastical professor Ichthyosaurus explore the epistemology of the historical sciences with a focus on strategic perspectivalism.
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Adrian Currie @adrian-currie.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Max Dresow has done wonderful stuff with Extinct! His problematica series has been unfailingly fascinating, historically-informed and brilliantly written #philsci www.extinctblog.org/extinct/2026...
extinctblog.org
Problematica x50 — Extinct
In which Max has compiled all 50 of his “Problematica” essays for your long-reading enjoyment
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Josef Uyeda @pseudacris.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
New preprint led by grad student Caleb Charpentier that I'm very excited about! This is a hefty review & perspective on how we can close the gap in trust between new "Deep comparative methods", and the biological meaning & inferences that systematists want. ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
ecoevorxiv.org
On the Promise (and Practice) of Deep Comparative Methods: Expressivity, Limitations, and Design
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Continually shocked that my search bar doesn’t default to Google Scholar. Just shocked.
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rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
it's so bad that the only translation of the Red Book of Westmarch is garbage. what do you mean you changed Bilba Labingi's name to "Bilbo Baggins." who authorized you to do that
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Laura Mulvey @lauramulvey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
🟢 Great start to the week with an intro into stratigraphy from the one and only Mark Patzkowsky 🪨📉✨ @thepalass.bsky.social @paleosoc.bsky.social @sse-evolution.bsky.social
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Yeah, poor me, “stranded” in Manhattan. The tears, they flow. It was very lovely.
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Do they like it more than $10 shot and beer in Manhattan?
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
No, dude, the dive bar on 53rd! You know me better than that ...
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Didn’t make it that far, but did hit Strangelove
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I got stranded in NYC last night, and it was a really fun night to wander around Manhattan. So many people having a great time before being rained in for the weekend
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Something else I think we need to think about is what this short-sightedness means for our fundamental stem resources. A narrow focus on ROI impacts basic science facilities, which take a long time to build and not much time to destroy www.newsobserver.com/opinion/arti...
newsobserver.com
UNC just inherited a great collection. Will it build a great program? | Opinion
Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill merged their plant collections to create the third-largest university herbarium in the country. | Opinion
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
At this point, doesn’t Landry just appoint presidents?
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keholsinger.bsky.social @keholsinger.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Kathleen Pryer on the future of the Duke Herbarium after it moves to UNC
share.google
UNC just inherited a great collection. Will it build a great program? | Opinion
Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill merged their plant collections to create the third-largest university herbarium in the country. | Opinion
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
There not always a huge financial cost to new minors or certificate programs; often pulled together out of extant courses. But there is a cost to serially starving the humanities and communicating a lack of care and respect for those disciplines to students
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The highlighted quote is fantastic. There’s a real desire among admin to capitalize on something that is fundamentally very difficult to predict: a future job market Fundamental skills - critical thinking, strong oral and written communication, and ability to learn - are always in style
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Brittney Elizabeth Stoneburg @brittandbone.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I've worked for a natural history museum for 11 years at this point (man, yikes) and while it is sad, it isn't surprising to see two major institutions facing closure this year.
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Gonna have to pack a travel bowl of holy trinity to get that (Yes, I portion off a little when I make etoufée to eat on its own)
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Emma Dunne @emmadnn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Love to see ecology and conservation being combined with local languages 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🦪 Really highlights the importance of including languages beyond English in our research! www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Lost oyster beds rediscovered thanks to Gaelic and Scots language
Scientists searched for the inclusion of the Gaelic and Scots words for oyster or oysters in place-names around Scotland's coast.
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Is it his day with the braincell? No. Will tomorrow be the day? No. Can he wear that backpack? Also no.
A silky black cat wearing my backpack
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Discovered on our ride to the train station that she can work the windows
A smug grey dog in an orange safety harness opening a car window
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
And as you do more service, it’s easier to miss those emails. I recently had every manuscript I was handling come back in with their revisions. Like a third of my inbox was from Manuscript Central. I’m sure I missed review invites because my eyes were glazed over
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Overjoyed Kenneth Parcell Laughs
ALT: Overjoyed Kenneth Parcell Laughs
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
There is a *lot* of 30 Rock quoting among NSF folks
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
My sad middle-aged version of Rex Manning day
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
For those of you very uncool: Tamriel Rebuilt just did their big Morrowind mainland revamp www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/content/pois... Nothing says sequined pants, gloves, and a longline sports bra like sailing above the mainland casting bears from your wrists because the pants have constant Powerwell
tamriel-rebuilt.org
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
For those of you reasonably cool: different items can hold different levels of enchantment in Morrowind, so you end up having items from different armor sets, according to their ability to enchant them and your inventory of gems That shirt is clearly +7% charisma and drain personality 9% on cast
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
My Morrowind character when I’m done leveling enchanting
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Everyone in my life gives me shit for running in the rain (and consequently taking the occasional spill on wet leaves), but how else are you going to see a splendid post rain boxie?
A brilliant black yellow box turtle on the wet ground
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
What an incredible labor of love for science overall
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Wayne Maddison @waynemaddison.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The Tree of Life web project is back! A phylogenetic view of biodiversity way ahead of its time (ca. 1995!), conceived and led by David Maddison, collaborative & human-curated, widely used in teaching. Defunct technology had doomed it until Travis, Danny, and Andrew revived it. 🥳🎉 🧪 #evolbiol
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
No.
A black cat in a cardboard box that says “remove before display”
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Sandra Álvarez @sabifo4.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Keen on learning how to use Bayesian model selection to test different hypotheses of diversification? 🦴🧬🕰️ Check our latest work in Molecular Biology and Evolution! academic.oup.com/mbe/article/... With @zihengyang.bsky.social, @phil-donoghue.bsky.social, and @mariodosreis.bsky.social 💫 (1/2)
academic.oup.com
On the origin of animals and placental mammals: a critique of literalist readings of the fossil record
Abstract. The fossil record is incomplete, as evidenced by the pervasive presence of ghost lineages throughout the Tree of Life. For example, across placen
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Just finished the Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta. Has a bit of a Piranesi feeling, but goes in a very different direction. It is a shortlister for the 2026 Award, and you have plenty of time to read it before the winners are announced! www.tashanmehta.com/madsistersof...
tashanmehta.com
Mad Sisters of Esi
Forthcoming from HarperCollins India, Winter 2023: Myung and Laleh are keepers of the whale of babel. They roam within its cosmic chambers, speak fables of themselves, and pray to an enigmatic figur...
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Do they think we haven’t noticed we’re alone? What information do they feel they’re contributing? I’ve never been able to work it out. Yes, I know I’m applying logic to a thing logic didn’t get them into
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I’m so glad I’m not the only freak who has thought this when hearing this song on a run
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Skipping lunch to read because nothing has changed since middle school. Everyone is twelve theory undefeated (shockingly, not derogatory … this time)
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Oldie but a goodie: www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
pnas.org
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Bought a lighted helmet on a whim, and it is a complete revelation. I can’t believe I’ve cycle commuted so long without one.
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Elizabeth Lemon holding a cat and threatening to fit her whole head in her mouth
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Watching the 1995 Pride and Predjudice on Hulu and boy was it not made for smash cuts to American commercials
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Paleontological Society @paleosoc.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
🚨 PS SHORT COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT GSA 2026 October 10th (location TBD) A primer for researchers of all stages interested in trait-based paleoecology and deep time vegetation-climate interactions. Description in comment below!
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Reading something I wrote yesterday and I’m beginning to think I’m on a slide into curmudgeondom
static.klipy.com
Buffy Summers: Ready To Die
Alt: Buffy Summers jumping into a grave
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Kicking off my morning unsocketing my arm as Splash decides to stop when I’m at full speed
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The Trandalorian @charliejaneanders.com · 20/08/2026
Okay I'm gonna start a thread for my thoughts about AI. Will add to it occasionally as thoughts come to me. (Via my organic brain!) First, "AI" is a marketing term. Silicon Valley uses it because it sounds cooler than "machine learning" or "enhanced algorithms."
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Kicking off my research and development day by handling the wrong manuscript
static.klipy.com
Homer Simpson: I Am So Smart
ALT: Homer Simpson: I Am So Smart
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April Wright @wrightam.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
There is nothing worse than making a good pace despite the heat and then seeing the high school girls cross country team come up behind you
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Rudolf Meier @rudolf-meier.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Five years back in Berlin #4a: Finding the small and mighty Most species are <5 mm. But small ≠ unimportant: ants outweigh all wild birds + mammals and spiders eat as much prey as humans meat/fish: ~400–800 Mt per /lyear. Meet EntoSieve for size sorting onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
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Bruno do Rosario Petrucci @brpetrucci.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Hope to see you all on August 27th at 15:00UTC (10:00AM Central) for my @palaeoverse.bsky.social lecture! Details on how to register here: palaeoverse.org/events/ I'll be talking about inferring and dealing with budding phylogenetic trees, including a full tutorial!! Hope to see you all there!
palaeoverse.org
Palaeoverse
A community-driven initiative advancing open science in palaeontology through shared tools, training, and resources.
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