Today we mourn the loss of our friend and colleague Dave Johnson, Curator of Fishes. Dave was a world-renowned comparative morphologist and ichthyologist who joined our Fish Division's curatorial staff in 1983.  He was by nature a collaborator and had many co-authors worldwide.

Here is my first (PhD) paper! In this study, we propose a new approach to suggest paleodevelopmental scenarios, while highlighting potential daily growth lines in Ordovician dentine🦷! Feel free to also take a look at the associated poster:

It is clear that many folx are afraid of the Arabic language.

واضح أن الكثير من الناس يخافون من اللغة العربية

Watching the calls for peace turn to calls for justice is a critical pivot.

Unlike other countries, there is a peculiar depression gripping many Egyptians that I know because of the Israeli war on Gaza. The subtextual cause of this? To be the only Arab country that borders Gaza and yet unable to collectively alter the reality for Gaza. 🧵

But calling for peace was a shallow response to violence: it never required us to think deeply about what triggered the violence in the first place—about the historical and present injustices that underpin it all. 17/22

Arabic words like “shaheed,” “jihad,” and “intifada” are regularly mistranslated or misconstrued in English-language media to stereotype and demonize the movement for Palestinian liberation. But what do they really mean? 🧵1/8

I speak Arabic. That is not what she said at all. This should be illegal.

From the river to the sea Palestine will be free. Screaming for our freedom is not calling for violence against others.

Feminist Bird Club is raising funds for the Palestinian American Medical Association to get aid to Gaza and the West Bank by selling these snazzy shirts featuring the Palestine Sunbird

I get that it is a win. But in context of EVERYTHING HAPPENING it just feels incredibly isolating to be an Arab scientist right now.

Israel has now murdered more Palestinians in 24 days than: - 9/11 - Pearl Harbour - 30 year war in north of Ireland COMBINED… And the US is blocking the rest of the world calling for a ceasefire. Depravity and evil beyond words

It’s a special kind of cognitive dissonance to watch my fellow scientists talk about decolonization of bird names and not a peep about Palestine. Bird names.

Had a blast at the Southside Science Festival today! Got to talk all things biodiversity (modern and extinct) with an awesome crowd. @paleoacker @DimetroDude @Yara_Haridy

Want to go to a vampire-themed party at @SUEtheTrex‘s place (aka @FieldMuseum)? Great news: you can buy tickets NOW for our fundraising gala EVOLVE, and you can save $25 on a ticket with code EMCANREAD 💃🏻🦖 https://t.co/aKifU7yUFm

#Sacabambaspis 　Robot Test 2. The long tail fin on new reproduction plan will allow for Our Sacabambaspis robot to make swim with small turn. 　 日本で話題の　#サカバンバスピス　ロボ化石を泳がせると、最新の再現案にある追加の長い尾がないと小回りが効かず。尾の形はさらに要検討。

When @Yara_Haridy tells me about Sacabambapsis

Check out our new paper in @Nature describing the oldest-known three-dimensionally preserved vertebrate skull in the Ordovician vertebrate Eriptychius! #OpenAccess 🐟 https://t.co/1eGxfv1lim Currently braving horizontal rain in the North York Moors: longer thread to follow!

🚨 Last call for signatories of the open letter calling for the repatriation of #Irritator challengeri and other Brazilian fossils in similar conditions - the form closes today! 🚨 https://t.co/wBU306deFe #IrritatorBelongsToBR