iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Louie Rombaut, PhD

Kate Laskowski @katelaskowski.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

How do we know our research results are REAL? We replicate them! Most folks agree but lament on how hard it is to publish these replications. My dearest gentle reader, lament no more! Delighted to unveil: Replication Studies, a new section of Behavioral Ecology 1/ academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...

academic.oup.com

Replication studies: a win-win for early-career training and behavioral ecology

Replicating previous research builds confidence that results are real and meaningful. But close replications are rare due to limitations in resources and d

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Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Wel, no surprise that Coyne used his blog (whyevolutionistrue) to argue with the SSE/SSB/ASN letter about definitions of sex. I'm not going to engage deeply with the letter here. Like any committee-drafted text it reflects compromises; I agree with some phrasing but some could have been clearer 1/N

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

The obsession with the relative size of gametes only makes sense in certain research contexts. It is misguided to make human policy out of that definition. A nuanced understanding of human sex and gender can coexist with curiosity about the general male-female pattern we see across species.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

I think it’s the terminology that rubs people the wrong way. There’s a whole spectrum of distributions that can be called a ‘spectrum’ from unimodal, to uniform to bimodal. Similarly, I don’t think any biologist would insist that ‘binary’ means no ambiguities ever.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

A lot of people who actually agree on the facts are talking past each other. Practicing scientists routinely use a binary model of sex while fully aware that ambiguous cases exist in every species at a low rate. In the context of this EO it is more relevant to emphasize the latter.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

I first encountered rigorous MLS in Sean Rice’s Evolutionary Theory, and I have to admit that it struck me as ‘heretical’ at first. If someone had come up to me with only a verbal argument for MLS I’d have thought they were a crank! I was raised on Dawkins like many in my generation.

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Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

NEW: We obtained the directions NSF program officers are following to review all grants for compliance with the Trump EOs and the turmoil it has created in an agency mandated to broaden STEM participation. Our story: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

Exclusive: how NSF is scouring research grants for violations of Trump’s orders

The US National Science Foundation has unfrozen grant funding, but it continues to scrutinize research projects, sowing turmoil.

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Paul Krugman @pkrugman.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Complacency about the Musk/Trump administration has been a self-defeating prophecy open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

open.substack.com

Trump Is Doing Exactly What He Said He Would. Who Could Have Predicted That?

Maybe the oligarchs deserve what’s coming. But the rest of us don’t.

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LymeScience @lymescience.org · 03/02/2025

Every single one of these pages has been removed: Archive: web.archive.org/web/20240912...

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Reposted by Louie Rombaut, PhD

American Naturaliﬆ / ASN 🐌 @asn-amnat.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Why do some birds incorporate shed snake skin in their nest? Rohwer et al. suggest that the evolution of this unique but wide spread behavior is dependent upon nest morphology and most commonly observed in cavity nesting species. Read now ahead of print! www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

journals.uchicago.edu

The Evolution of Using Shed Snake Skin in Bird Nests | The American Naturalist

Abstract Many species of birds use shed snake skin in nest construction, but this behavior remains poorly understood. Ecological context is likely key for understanding how this unusual, but widesprea...

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Wild Justice @wildjustice.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

This morning our petition has passed 52,000 signatures. We're halfway to 100k, when we can secure a debate. We think driven grouse shooting should be banned. If you do too, please add your name and share: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

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Reposted by Louie Rombaut, PhD

morena99.bsky.social @morena99.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Sea spiders (Pycnogonida) are an ancient Class of chelicerates with a fascinating evolutionary tale. A new study we just published on the EJLS uncovers their evolutionary history! 🧵 #Evolution #TheLinneanSociety #SeaSpiders #Arthropoda academic.oup.com/evolinnean/a...

academic.oup.com

A timescale for the evolutionary history of sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida)

Abstract. Sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) are an ancient lineage of chelicerates represented by a single living order, Pantopoda, and a patchy fossil

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

It seems #DeepSeek would rather not talk about certain events on June 4th 1989. 🫢

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

I really love learning uplifting and important facts, but may I suggest also including links to primary sources? Keep up the good work!

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Is good old-fashioned beef not good enough for you? I guess to be ‘woke’ nowadays it’s all about horses. What next? Zebras?

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Reposted by Louie Rombaut, PhD

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Bluetorial-A dream and a bit of a nightmare Serving as Editor-in-Chief at Science was fascinating. I greatly enjoyed working with talented and committed editorial, news, graphics, and production staff. But the inside look into scientific publishing and AAAS was also deeply disillusioning.

media.tenor.com

a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on

ALT: a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Looks interesting! Will definitely read through it soon.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

I think you’re exactly right. The good news is that there’s a whole field of statistics called ‘causal inference’ where you can admit you’re looking for causes at the cost of making explicit your assumptions about the network of causal effects- not always straightforward!

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Or the more subtle but more insidious ‘Our drug increases your survival chances by 1% but we’re going to emphasize just how statistically significant that is in our sample of 10,000 people’

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

I’m hoping to start my own science YouTube channel soon. What resources would you recommend for learning science communication other than learning from creators I like and good old fashioned trial and error?

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

They were very professional about it in a middle management sort of way. I didn’t end up at Cambridge but at Sheffield instead.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

I have a Dutch accent. When I went for my interview at Cambridge I tried my best to do a BBC English accent to make the interviewer more comfortable. It didn’t go down well.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

🌿 Hi Bluesky! I'm fresh out of doing a PhD in evolutionary biology and I'm starting a science YouTube channel sharing new research in ecology and evolution for people who never grew out of their enthusiasm for science. I'm excited. Follow for updates! 🌿

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Reposted by Louie Rombaut, PhD

Corey Bradshaw @conservbytes.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

@nature.com is keen to find out how scientists are using @bsky.app and whether it has become their go-to social-media platform. Do you use Bluesky? Has it replaced Xitter? We want to hear from you. www.nature.com/articles/d41... #eXit

nature.com

Has Bluesky replaced X for scientists? Take Nature’s poll

The research community has flocked to the social-media platform Bluesky. Tell us about your experience.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

288? Those are rookie numbers my friend. My inbox runs so many thousands of unopened emails deep that the bottom ones have fossilized!

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

The point you make about different traits or measurements is a good one. This is not meant to be a real scientific graphic, just a way of thinking about it.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

I offer this visual aid to shed more light than heat. Vote A, B, C or D to clarify what you believe is true. Maybe we all really just agree?

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

I'm glad that I saw this. I didn't know what this was about so I looked it up on a couple of different news outlets. My takeaway is that he has a distorted sense of what 'consent' means. I can't/won't separate the artist from the art either!

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Professor John R. Hutchinson @johnrhutchinson.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

I guess I hadn't posted this yet and didn't even know it had come out-- I was interviewed for (and co-wrote w/Daniel Rabosky) a Trends in Ecology & Evolution "TrendsTalk" article on "Disability in ecology and evolution" -- www.cell.com/trends/ecolo... #DisabledInSTEM #academicchatter #academia

cell.com

Disability in ecology and evolution

In this TrendsTalk series ‘Disability in ecology and evolution’ in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, we will be hearing from people about their experiences being disabled or having a chronic condition an...

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Andrej Spiridonov @andrejpaleo.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Stephen J Gould (1985) talked about the "tiers of time" with macroevolutionary dynamics distinct from short-time microevolution. But did you know that macroevolution itself shows qualitatively different dynamics at different time scales? www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪 #EvoBio #Paleobio ⚒️ #Geology

Space–time scaling of dominance in macroevolutionary modes

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Let's normalise inviting our scientific colleagues to also draw their personal Bayesian posteriors on paper after seeing evidence, rather than just their verbal take. Respectfully. When it matters.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

I think there’s a fundamental problem with the way science is taught at school. I loved learning about galaxies, atoms and mitochondria but there was just one page in the textbook devoted to the scientific method. Shouldn’t we spend more time giving people the power to know what’s true?

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

If saying the things that should be self-evident no longer wins majorities, we need a new approach. As a scientific community of biologists we should be listening to historians and sociologists to draw our battle plans for the next 20 years. Cynicism and inaction is not an option!

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

Happy Perihelion everyone! Today Earth is just 147 million km from our sun. As good a day for solar worship as any! 🌞 <••> 🌍

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

So you’re telling me that my chariot pulled by a thousand mice is not the most efficient way to travel?

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

I was shocked to find out that the term that people are using for posts on this platform is ‘skeet’. Please let’s make the alternative ‘flutter’ (like a butterfly) start trending! 🙏 Reflutter this flit if you agree!

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Journal of Evolutionary Biology @jevbio.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Our December issue is now online! A special issue Guest Edited by @masahitotsuboi.bsky.social, Theo Gaboriau and Thibault Latreille: Inferring macroevolutionary patterns and processes from microevolutionary mechanisms ow.ly/LHol50UjJql Artwork by Alberto Garcia Jimenez

ow.ly

Volume 37 Issue 12 | Journal of Evolutionary Biology | Oxford Academic

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Thank you for posting your lectures on stats online! They expanded my perspective on what stats should be like. I am going to try to apply causal thinking in my future projects.

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Reposted by Louie Rombaut, PhD

Tara Spires-Jones 🌈🔬 @tspiresjones.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

"The incidence of teaspoon loss over the period of observation was 360.62 per 100 teaspoon years. At this rate, an estimated 250 teaspoons would need to be purchased annually to maintain a practical institute-wide population of 70 teaspoons."

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Society for the Study of Evolution @sse-evolution.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Are you an evolution educator? Consider applying for the T. H. Huxley Award, which recognizes and promotes outstanding evolution education resources. The recipient receives funding to present their resource at the Evolution or NABT meeting! Deadline February 3. bit.ly/2kP2pPM

Background: a chalkboard scattered with school supplies. Text: 2025 Society for the Study of Evolution T. H. Huxley Award, applications due February 3, 2025.

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Matishalin @matishalin.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

I was getting more and more annoyed by quotes/refs of Haldane 1955 which were either incomplete or weird. Not digitised so I bought it. And now can disagree with people over it properly. Thanks to @arvidagren.bsky.social for pointing out physical things exist. 🧪

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Good choice, but you might want to hit the fast forward if you are watching it in real time! ;) I would choose the evolution of the Ediacaran biota. I love all things quilt.

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Louie Rombaut, PhD @zoological.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

It’s a shame about the job interview, but good luck with your future endeavors! I am curious what quote from Marcus Aurelius is relevant, but don’t feel the need to share since it may be personal.

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