mastodon 4.7.3PhD scientist in evolutionary ecology & ornithology
SciComm @Forbes
Formerly SciComm @Guardian, Evolution Institute, Bird Note Radio, ScienceBlogs
Twitter legacy :verified:
Vegan
How hummingbirds live at high altitudes
"New research finds that hummingbird species living at high altitudes have independently evolved hemoglobin with enhanced oxygen-binding properties so they can thrive in oxygen-poor environments."
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#birds #ecology #physiology #evolution https://grrlscientist.medium.com/how-hummingbirds-live-at-high-altitudes-69b4761069b1
Climate Change Is A Ticking Time-Bomb For Great Tits
"Birds that depend upon an abundance of particular food sources at specific times of the year may not be able to adapt fast enough to climate change"
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#ornithology #ClimateChange #ecology #evolution https://grrlscientist.medium.com/climate-change-is-a-ticking-time-bomb-for-great-tits-9e5c092d4a02
Predictable evolution is bad news for toads, good news for their predators
"Under certain circumstances, the process of evolution can be highly predictable, especially when there are limited solutions to a particular problem, such as resistance to dangerous toxins"
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#evolution #poisons #phylogenetics #Australia https://grrlscientist.medium.com/predictable-evolution-is-bad-news-for-toads-good-news-for-their-predators-7260c33dc54c
Einstein, Gifted Talking And Singing Grey Parrot, Dies At Age 38
"The world is a little bit darker and sadder after the death of this talented and beloved parrot"
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#parrots #Einstein #ZooKnoxville #Obituary https://grrlscientist.medium.com/einstein-gifted-talking-and-singing-grey-parrot-dies-at-age-38-4d7c861bedc8
Whale Earwax Records Its Lifetime Exposure To Ocean Pollutants
"Scientists have developed a new method for learning all sorts of interesting things about whales by studying their earwax."
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#whales #pollution #Ocean #ecology https://grrlscientist.medium.com/whale-earwax-records-its-lifetime-exposure-to-ocean-pollutants-5216ba46d430
Why Cats Leave Their Food Bowl Half Full
"Japanese scientists report that when a food’s scent becomes familiar, cats quickly lose interest in eating, even if they are still hungry."
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#cats #EatingHabits #behavior #food https://grrlscientist.medium.com/why-cats-leave-their-food-bowl-half-full-cb83b81b3bcc
Ancient DNA And Spatial Modeling Reveal Pre-Inca Trans-Andean Parrot Trade
“Parrots captured in the Amazon rainforest by pre-Inca people were transported hundreds of miles over the Andes to arid coastal areas where they were kept for their colorful feathers.”
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#anthropology #archaeology #AncientDNA #Peru https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2026/04/20/ancient-dna-and-spatial-modeling-reveal-pre-inca-trans-andean-parrot-trade/
Parrots Use Proper Names Like Humans Do To Call Out Individuals
"Parrots may use names like humans do, showing signs of social understanding and individual recognition."
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#Vocalizations #ornithology #behavior #ecology https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2026/05/14/parrots-use-proper-names-like-humans-do-to-call-out-individuals/
This Biological Battery Inspired By Electric Eels Could Soon Power Your Pacemaker
"Sometimes used by aquariums and zoos to light Christmas trees, electric eels are teaching scientists how to create bio-batteries that can keep your implantable medical devices functioning forever (well, almost)"
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#ElectricEel #fish #pacemaker #batteries https://grrlscientist.medium.com/this-biological-battery-inspired-by-electric-eels-could-soon-power-your-pacemaker-4efe8bda4a73
Clever Cockatoo Manufactures And Uses Tools
"Not known to manufacture or use tools in the wild, a captive cockatoo demonstrates that parrots can make tools to suit their needs"
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#cognition #ToolUse #Cockatoos #ornithology https://grrlscientist.medium.com/clever-cockatoo-manufactures-and-uses-tools-350214a04362
Sensing Longitude Amongst Migratory Birds
"Migratory songbirds solved the longitude problem long before humans came down from the trees, yet we are only beginning to understand how birds deal with this incredibly difficult problem"
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#Longitude #Navigation #Migration #MagneticFields https://grrlscientist.medium.com/sensing-longitude-amongst-migratory-birds-a6150ec16a10
Indigenous Communities Report Dramatic Loss of Large Bird Species Over 80 Years
"As the global avian extinction crisis accelerates, the loss of large-bodied birds is destroying local biodiversity and ecology, and eroding the cultural memory of Indigenous Peoples."
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#IndigenousPeoples #Birds #BiodiversityLoss #Ecocide https://grrlscientist.medium.com/indigenous-communities-report-dramatic-loss-of-large-bird-species-over-80-years-5165822406af
Complex Communication In Wild Yellow‐Naped Amazon Parrots
"Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrots use complex, warbling duets in very specific ways to argue over territory."
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#communication #behavior #Parrots #ornithology https://grrlscientist.medium.com/complex-communication-in-wild-yellow-naped-amazon-parrots-21f798f39375
Did Seabird Guano Shape The Expansion Of Peru’s Pre-Inca Society?
"The use of seabird poop as a fertilizer for corn and other food crops supported the expansion of pre-Inca civilizations despite living in an extremely arid environment."
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#Seabirds #Society #fertilizer #Peru🇵🇪 https://grrlscientist.medium.com/did-seabird-guano-shape-the-expansion-of-perus-pre-inca-society-b2224b97441d
Step-By-Step Evolution Of A Chemical Weapons System By Poison Frogs
Poison frogs appear to have built their chemical defenses gradually: related frogs store low to moderate levels of diet-derived alkaloids, whilst poison frogs store more and could chemically modify them.
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#PoisonFrogs #Evolution #ChemicalEcology #defense https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2026/04/30/step-by-step-evolution-of-a-chemical-weapons-system-by-poison-frogs/
Piping Hot Bees and Boisterous Buzz-Runners by Thomas D. Seeley
"The personal backstory to 20 of the most exciting research projects that the author has been part of during his 50 years of research into the abilities and behaviors of honeybees."
#BookReview by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#honeybees #pollinators #NaturalHistory #Entomology https://grrlscientist.medium.com/piping-hot-bees-and-boisterous-buzz-runners-by-thomas-d-seeley-review-90f7d1d746d1
How Bruce The Broken Beaked Kea Became King Of His Circus
"Bruce surprised researchers by turning his disability into such a successful advantage, both behaviorally and physiologically."
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz
#parrots #ToolUse #Behavior #cognition #Disability
https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2026/04/25/how-bruce-the-broken-beaked-kea-became-king-of-his-circus/
if you have more kids, you’ll age faster and die younger
Birds That Invest More Energy Into Parenthood Age Faster And Die Younger
“Aging is an evolutionary balancing act with reproductive effort.”
#SciComm by @GrrlScientist@scicomm.xyz