iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Zoe Turner

Behaviour 2027 @behaviour2027.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Spread the word! Behaviour 2027 will be taking place in Vienna, Austria, from August 23-27.

Galapagos short-eared owl with text "Who is excited about behaviour 2027? Join us in Vienna August 23-27"

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Behaviour 2027 @behaviour2027.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

We are excited to announce that #Behaviour2027 (XXXIX International Ethological Congress) will be taking place in Vienna, Austria! We are looking forward to having you all join us next year from August 23-27. Please follow and share!

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Throughout reading the #2026MMM battles, I've been thinking "dark mane and torn ear sound a LOT like Tibu and Jacob!" And that's because they are!!!! Brilliant last battle between them and the croc, and here's some real life Tibu & Jacob pics from just the other week 🥰 @mmmletsgo.bsky.social

Male lions known as "dark mane" in march mammal madness 2026, in real life known as Tibu

Male lion sitting with a missing rear left foot, missing eye, and missing tail tip. Known as "torn ear" in march mammal madness 2026, or Jacob in real life!

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Dom Cram @domcram.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

🚨 New paper 🚨 (1/8) In meerkats, pregnancy isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some mothers gain weight steadily, others delay all growth until the final weeks 📈 What drives this striking variation, and how does it affect the (adorable) pups? OA PAPER: doi.org/10.1111/1365... Details (+cute pics!) below👇

A tiny meerkat pup aged just a few weeks, emerging from the birth burrow in the Kalahari Desert.

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Dom Cram @domcram.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Delighted to see our paper featured on the cover of the Journal of Animal Ecology @animalecology.bsky.social @britishecologicalsociety.org Thanks Pam Hurkens for the lovely image of a heavily pregnant meerkat being weighed at our field site.

The cover of the February 2026 issue of Journal of Animal Ecology, showing a photo of a heavily pregnant female standing on a small weighing scale in the red sand and grassland of the Kalahari Desert.

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

🚨 New paper! 🚨 In exploring maternal traits and social and environmental conditions on rate of gestational weight gain in meerkats: 🍼 Gestational growth is strongly nutrition-dependent 📈 Faster prenatal growth increases pup survival & more! besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

The ecology of gestational growth in a wild cooperative mammal

Using data from hundreds of wild pregnant meerkats, Thorley et al show that gestational growth varies widely, is shaped by nutrition but not social conditions, and improves pup survival without short...

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

🚨 New paper! 🚨 In exploring the ontogeny of foraging in cooperatively breeding meerkats: 🐛 Foraging skill development doesn't align with the delayed onset of breeding 🪲 Foraging performance likely constrained by physical traits @asab.org #AnimalBehaviourJournal Read more ✨ doi.org/10.1016/j.an...

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

FOCAS Fest 2025 was a success! 🥳🐻🐯🐵🌿 So proud of our Learning & Discovery team and everyone involved at The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary and all visiting exhibitors! 🤩 An incredible time bringing conservation, science and art all into one jam packed weekend to start the IOW Biosphere festival! 💗

Zoe in a handmade bear mask, scaring her colleague at their fun stall at the festival

View of the main picnic area at the animal sanctuary where many people are watching a "secret world of gases" show by Wonderseekers

The dream team at the end of the weekend

Lots of animal artefacts on a table with children making bear masks behind

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Today on "favourite thing a young child said to me"(whilst running a busy education stall at a conservation and science festival).... *Me making the badge-making dramatic by saying "here is where the magic happens"* *Deadpan 4 year old*: "that isn't magic, that is science" 😆😆😆

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Sofia Forss @sofiaforss.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

🚨New PrePrint out on the Kalahari Meerkats. In this study we quantified two axes of sociality to explain how developmental needs of pups shape meerkat social life. @zoejturn.bsky.social Neumann Christof & Tommaso Sacca ecoevorxiv.org/repository/vie…

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Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 18/06/2025

📣 Registration for #ABL2025 is now OPEN! Join the Animal Behavior Live Annual Conference on 13–14 November 2025 — a free, global, online event celebrating animal behavior research🧠🌍 🆓 The event is FREE, but registration is mandatory. 📄 Register here: ablaoc25.sciencesconf.org

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Alan McElligott @amcell.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

New paper accepted on the complexities of feral cattle social behaviours. 🎉🐂 led by @ghodgson.bsky.social - well done Team. More news to follow in a few weeks.

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Alongside being busy with a couple of papers currently in review or in press (!!), I'm extremelyyyy busy right now with my current visitor experience and education roles! Here's a few snaps of the last weeks! Lots of fun craft activities, and even better seeing CeCe enjoy her enrichment we made!!

Activity for children to match different descriptions of senses to their respective animal

Colouring sheets depicting bee vision and dichromatic primate vision

Children making their own kaleidoscopes. I'm on a bear fix at the minute, hence a little bear design on mine

Giving CeCe the marmoset a fun CD disc enrichment!

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

🚨 New preprint! ✨ From the work I conducted for my MSc thesis, we explored the social niche of meerkats in relation to the social and ecological needs of cooperative pup care during foraging. doi.org/10.32942/X26... 🐾 🐾 🐾

doi.org

Nutritional needs and social bonds: how early-life dependencies shape meerkat sociality

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Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 15/04/2025

📣SEMINAR SERIES 2025📣 We are kicking off 2025 with our first seminar. 📆Tuesday 29th April 2025 at 2pm GMT on our Youtube channel: @damienfarine.bsky.social will talk about “The costs of collective behaviour” 🐦 🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc9z... This event is free, no registration required. 🤗

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Reposted by Zoe Turner

Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

NO THEY ARE NOT DIRE WOLVES. These animals do not have their ecosystem to return to. These animals do not have a real pack to rear them. And DO NOT BE BAMBOOZLED- storing and archiving animal's genetic material is NOT an effective bulwark against the human-driven planetary extinction crisis.

media.tenor.com

a couple of wolves are playing with each other on the ground .

Alt: a couple of wolves are playing with each other on the ground .

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Me: I'm ready for some CARNAGEEEEE 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼 Also me, when CARNAGE comes in the wildcard battle removing my first combatant: #2025MMM @mmmletsgo.bsky.social

media.tenor.com

a close up of a cartoon pikachu with his mouth open .

Alt: a close up of a cartoon pikachu with his mouth open .

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Reposted by Zoe Turner

Jess Popescu @jesspopescu.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

#2025MMM WILDCARD EMOJI BATTLE RESULTS 🐿️🆚🐸: 🌲🌕🌌/🐸🌳⬇️/🐿️🛫🌲/ 🐸🦶🏼🪂/🐸🪂🪄/🐿️🔎🍄/ 🐸⬇️🐿️/🐿️😠🔊/🐸🦵🏼🐿️/ 🐿️🍽️🐸/🏆🐿️

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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

The AMAZING @oddangel.bsky.social, Operation Ermine, and the INCREDIBLE voice talent from ASU Library (among other familiar notables), dropped the Wild Card Video earlier than expected! Welcome TO THE RUNDOWN!!! #2025MMM youtu.be/msRkhgL-fqs?...

youtu.be

#2025MMM Wild Card

YouTube video by Erminea Inc.

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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS BRACKET DROP!!!! #2025MMM Did you get the combatants you dreamed of? HAPPY RESEARCHING THE SPECIES!! libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM...

Photo array concealing the 2025 bracket from view- images include "So it begins" for LOTR the Two Towers & Rafiki saying "It is Time" from the Lion King. The bracket guide cover of a polar bear and the pulp magazine cover that says Exciting Tales of Science!

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Reposted by Zoe Turner

UCPH Behavioural Ecology Group @behaveco.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

What if we could compare animal social structures across time and space? Now we can! The MacaqueNet database spans 14 macaque species and 61 populations over 40+ years, unlocking new possibilities in comparative social behaviour research. 🔎 Explore the project at doi.org/10.1111/1365...

doi.org

MacaqueNet: Advancing comparative behavioural research through large‐scale collaboration

We present MacaqueNet, a global community of macaque researchers who developed the first publicly searchable, standardised database on affiliative and agonistic behaviour. This cross-species database...

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Reposted by Zoe Turner

Damien Farine @damienfarine.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

On the cover of @royalsocietypublishing.org Proceedings B: We show that moving as a group constrains energy efficiency in wild vulturine guineafowl making large displacements (relative to individuals moving alone). A cost of collective movement! shorturl.at/nKhI0 @jamesklarevas.bsky.social

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Remembered that the bracket drops tomorrow and I cannot wait 🙌🏼

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Frontiers in Social Evolution Seminar FINE @fine-seminar.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

FINE starts again next week with exciting free online seminars. In its 10th season we will hear about whales, parental care, neuroethology, aging, group-living lizards and much more!

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Animal Behaviour Collective @abcmicrogrants.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Let's celebrate all of the female scientists we know! Who is the woman in science that inspires you the most? :) Recommended reading on Women in Animal Behaviour and Welfare: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

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Vlad Demartsev @animal-sounds.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

📢Gain hands-on experience in animal behavior research! Fully funded field course opportunity for South African university students. www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/cbfc/ Spend two weeks at the Kalahari Research Centre learning about collective behavior and communication. Register until March 16th! 🧪

exc.uni-konstanz.de

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 🥳👩🏼‍🔬👩🏼‍💻🔬🧪🐒🐱 Very very grateful for all the incredible, supportive, and inspirational women I've been able to work alongside on this crazy crazy journey 🥰

Group of women field researchers jumping in the Kalahari sunset

Zoe holding microphones as tech support at a small conference, smiling to the camera, with two other researchers discussing in the background

Zoe and George posing next to their scientific posters

Zoe in the Kalahari sun with a meerkat on her shoulder

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Happy New Year! 🎊 After feeling like death for a week after my thesis submission 🥲😅 I finally enjoyed a good Christmas break with my family, and have a few days ahead celebrating mine and my best friend's birthdays 🥰 Hope everyone else has also managed some good rest! 🫶🏼🥂

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

It's been a couple of weeks of very up & down emotions, but after my presentation yesterday and initial version submission of my thesis today, the relief is kicking in and the finish line is in sight! 😅🥹 Second round of presenting next week, then a much needed Christmas break! What a year! 🥂

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

In today's hour of procrastination, I managed to finally guess *most* of the Hidden Books game... Except this one!!!! Begging for help here, as any extra hints I've found still don't help 😅

National book tokens hidden book game clue, a display table with a mixology sign and books with titles related to spirits, cocktails, and New York cocktails

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Reposted by Zoe Turner

RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Brrr! With temperatures plunging, here's how we can help wildlife weather the cold. ❄️

This winter scene depicts a snowy garden transformed into a wildlife haven. A snow-laden tree with a nestbox and a Blue Tit perched nearby illustrates the importance of providing shelter. Hanging nearby is a suet feeder to provide an energy boost in cold conditions. On the right, a bare branch with bright red berries highlights how fruit-bearing shrubs and trees offer a natural winter feast. Below, a pile of logs and leaves, emphasises how leaving these natural elements provide essential cosy hiding spots for small mammals. To the left, a bird drinks from a shallow dish of water kept ice-free and topped up, ensuring a vital source of hydration. Finally, a blackbird is shown foraging on a patch cleared of snow, demonstrating how such efforts can help birds find food during harsh conditions.

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Meerkat skull with my favourite Kalahari flowers 🌺 skull approximately to actual size! all design and tattooing credit to Holly Valley tattoo 🫶🏼 #ScienceInk

Forearm in the front of the image, with a black ink tattoo of a meerkat skull with devils thorn flowers and Kalahari lilies. Background of the image is a meerkat sat amongst some actual devils thorn flowers.

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

I think hugging the wall heaters is a meerkat's equivalent to getting a sunrise lamp to combat S.A.D 🤭

Six meerkats all lined up in a row, with their bellies pressed against a wall heater, with heads facing the camera. They'll try to deny their enclosure is kept at a toasty 22°C all of the time. But I'll accept they don't see much sun to warm their tummies this time of year in Zurich.

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

As part of Switzerland's "future day", some children lucky enough to have parents/family working at UZH helped me with caring for our meerkats today! It's always a fun time sharing meerkat facts to the next gen of animal enthusiasts! 🥰 (pic is from the last time I did a bigger outreach event!)

Three meerkats looking inquisitively out of the window, where the reflection of Zoe talking with animated hand gestures is clear. It looks almost as though the centre meerkat is looking thoughtfully at her.

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EES_update @eesupdate.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Corvids calling! New PhD opportunity on corvid communication in the wild. Sep 2025 start. Fully funded by @SWBio_DTP . Application deadline 11 December. How to apply: tinyurl.com/mu9y2nj9 @SHOALgroup @inesfuertbauer.bsky.social @neeltjeboogert.bsky.social @SimonWTownsend

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Once again, I have been excited by finding the Hidden Books Game has begun, and getting hyped with knowing one immediately!... And then the realisation hits that this is going to once again be a painful source of ongoing procrastination 🥲

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Lundy Bird Observatory @lundybirds.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

🚨 We're delighted to announce that applications have opened for our residential, long-term volunteer positions in 2025. Vacant roles: 🪶 Bird Observatory Assistant 🐧 Seabird Fieldworker 🦭 Seal Fieldworker 🪚 Assistant Ranger Accommodation and meals are provided free for the duration of the roles.

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RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Today’s #AutumnArrivalSpotlight is the Snow Bunting! ❄️ These hardy winter visitors are the world's most northerly breeding passerines. Watch for lively flocks on shingle and sandy shores, their plumage a mix of white and warm rusty hues. A charming winter spot!

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Asher Leeks @asherleeks.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

Here is a list of labs in #ecology and #evolution who are recruiting graduate students for next year: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... PIs looking to recruit can enter information here: t.co/Fn1LRAA5Ip I believe this list is thanks to @drcarl.bsky.social #evosky #ecoevo #evolbio #AcademicJobs

docs.google.com

Ecology/Evolution/Marine Biology labs recruiting for Fall 2025 (Responses)

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georgia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @blahttodea.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

I made a starter pack for animal behaviour researchers / ethologists! please share and feel free to self-nominate or suggest others to be added as this is very much still a work in progress and not an exhaustive list 🌍🧪😊 #SciSky #BioSky #AnimalBehaviour #AnimalBehavior #Ethology go.bsky.app/Tr8VZpV

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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Alright, I mean, I am not going to mention that we announced in October via the 2024 Compendium that the #2025MMM tournament would be here at bsky, but I will mention that @grumpator.bsky.social is very disappointed that you didn't read to the end keep.lib.asu.edu/items/197060

Screen grab of the final page of the 2024 March Mammal Madness Compendium (page 227) that we write under the heading LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025 "We are already intensely planning for 2025- get ready for expanded and improved guides for players, learners, and educators, some new lesson plans, and a more user-friendly LibGuide. And oh look, it will be 10 years since the Genetics teaMMM arrived on the March Mammal Madness scene. Speaking of scenery, we are moving to bluer skies for 2025!"
And there is a photo of chromosomal pairs AND a photo of glassy smooth blue ocean under light blue skies.

Page also includes an early 20th century scientific illustration plate of numerous mammals including Bison, zebra, boar, elk, babirusa, porcupine, beaver, tapir, gazelle, camel, alpaca, squirrels and more!

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Figured I should probably start using this app more, and start with a proper intro! 🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Zoe, currently almost finished with my MSc thesis based upon meerkat sociality 🫂 Huge interest in animal behaviour, social systems, and interactions. 😸 Been a "meerkatter" for almost 5 years now!

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George Hodgson @ghodgson.bsky.social · 19/07/2024

Had a wonderful time at #ECBB2024 catching up with cool projects - and we even found some Dahomey cattle at the zoo!

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Zoe Turner @zoejturn.bsky.social · 19/07/2024

It has been a busy but incredibly rewarding week 🥰 glad to have been able to help with such a great event!

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