Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
@deadbovids.bsky.social
SUNY Oneonta Assistant Professor
Paleontologist, anthropologist, naturalist, forager. Views my own 🏳️🌈
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xAy15BUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Paleontologist, anthropologist, naturalist, forager. Views my own 🏳️🌈
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xAy15BUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Pinned
Non‐Analog Behaviour of Eastern African Herbivore Communities During the Last Glacial Period
Drawing from serially-sampled stable isotope measurements from 18 Kenyan large herbivore species from the Last Glacial Period (LGP), we evaluate how diet, diet-switching, and migration compare to obs...
doi.org
New Article Alert! doi.org/10.1111/ele....
In our newly published paper in Ecology Letters, we use serially sampled strontium and carbon isotopes from 18 species of antelope, buffalo, and zebra from the Last Glacial Period of Kenya to reconstruct herbivore behavior in the Late Pleistocene.
(1/6)
In our newly published paper in Ecology Letters, we use serially sampled strontium and carbon isotopes from 18 species of antelope, buffalo, and zebra from the Last Glacial Period of Kenya to reconstruct herbivore behavior in the Late Pleistocene.
(1/6)
The whole "Humans are an Invasive Species" trope among well-meaning people is so damaging...the inability to separate the word "Humans" from "Western Capitalist Civilization" is the single biggest issue I face when teaching Intro. Go talk to one Indigenous person. Or just someone without a LinkedIn.
November 27, 2025 at 2:14 AM
The whole "Humans are an Invasive Species" trope among well-meaning people is so damaging...the inability to separate the word "Humans" from "Western Capitalist Civilization" is the single biggest issue I face when teaching Intro. Go talk to one Indigenous person. Or just someone without a LinkedIn.
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
This is one of my primary issues with the series, which I otherwise really liked: hominids were a fundamental part of many Pleistocene ecosystems! To position us otherwise -- to treat us, in effect, as the asteroid -- plays into the idea that we were in some way divorced from nature
An Anthropologist's perspecive on Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age after finishing it:
Excluding humans is rewriting the Ice Age as a "Pristine world free of humans." This is damaging and simply incorrect. There are millennia of Indigenous interactions between humans and other species all erased here.
Excluding humans is rewriting the Ice Age as a "Pristine world free of humans." This is damaging and simply incorrect. There are millennia of Indigenous interactions between humans and other species all erased here.
November 26, 2025 at 11:25 PM
This is one of my primary issues with the series, which I otherwise really liked: hominids were a fundamental part of many Pleistocene ecosystems! To position us otherwise -- to treat us, in effect, as the asteroid -- plays into the idea that we were in some way divorced from nature
And for the record: it's clear that some people VERY knowledgeable about vertebrate anatomy and behavior were behind this project and that is hugely commendable. The paleoart was fantastic and realistic.
An Anthropologist's perspecive on Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age after finishing it:
Excluding humans is rewriting the Ice Age as a "Pristine world free of humans." This is damaging and simply incorrect. There are millennia of Indigenous interactions between humans and other species all erased here.
Excluding humans is rewriting the Ice Age as a "Pristine world free of humans." This is damaging and simply incorrect. There are millennia of Indigenous interactions between humans and other species all erased here.
November 26, 2025 at 11:07 PM
And for the record: it's clear that some people VERY knowledgeable about vertebrate anatomy and behavior were behind this project and that is hugely commendable. The paleoart was fantastic and realistic.
For the last time, Megaloceros didn't go extinct because of maladaptation of big antlers as the forest replaced grass:
1. They did fine in previous cycles
2. They survived well into the Holocene
3. Steppes never disappeared in Russia
4. There's no evidence antler size was under negative selection
1. They did fine in previous cycles
2. They survived well into the Holocene
3. Steppes never disappeared in Russia
4. There's no evidence antler size was under negative selection
November 26, 2025 at 10:42 PM
For the last time, Megaloceros didn't go extinct because of maladaptation of big antlers as the forest replaced grass:
1. They did fine in previous cycles
2. They survived well into the Holocene
3. Steppes never disappeared in Russia
4. There's no evidence antler size was under negative selection
1. They did fine in previous cycles
2. They survived well into the Holocene
3. Steppes never disappeared in Russia
4. There's no evidence antler size was under negative selection
There are few times in paleoanthropology where hominin diversity gets simplified and EASIER to explain to students. This is one of those times.
Australopithecus deyiremeda 🤝 Burtele foot www.sciencenews.org/article/foot... 🏺🧪
A foot fossil suggests a second early human relative lived alongside Lucy
Foot bones and other fossils have been attributed to Australopithecus deyiremeda, a recently discovered species that may shake up the human family tree.
www.sciencenews.org
November 26, 2025 at 9:33 PM
There are few times in paleoanthropology where hominin diversity gets simplified and EASIER to explain to students. This is one of those times.
An Anthropologist's perspecive on Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age after finishing it:
Excluding humans is rewriting the Ice Age as a "Pristine world free of humans." This is damaging and simply incorrect. There are millennia of Indigenous interactions between humans and other species all erased here.
Excluding humans is rewriting the Ice Age as a "Pristine world free of humans." This is damaging and simply incorrect. There are millennia of Indigenous interactions between humans and other species all erased here.
November 26, 2025 at 9:17 PM
An Anthropologist's perspecive on Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age after finishing it:
Excluding humans is rewriting the Ice Age as a "Pristine world free of humans." This is damaging and simply incorrect. There are millennia of Indigenous interactions between humans and other species all erased here.
Excluding humans is rewriting the Ice Age as a "Pristine world free of humans." This is damaging and simply incorrect. There are millennia of Indigenous interactions between humans and other species all erased here.
Short answer: probably not! There's no evidence of long-distance migration in extant species of large herbivores in the Pleistocene in the four cases it's been tested, in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and now, Malawi, as described by Bertacchi et al!
November 25, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Short answer: probably not! There's no evidence of long-distance migration in extant species of large herbivores in the Pleistocene in the four cases it's been tested, in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and now, Malawi, as described by Bertacchi et al!
Landatees!
#FossilFriday The walking sea cow Pezosiren at the National Museum of Natural History
November 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Landatees!
My students tend to either think that the future will be defined by:
1. Rising authoritarianism and climate apocalypse, or
2. A progressive utopia and space travel
I hate to break to you but it's more likely to be 24/7 dual-factor authentication
1. Rising authoritarianism and climate apocalypse, or
2. A progressive utopia and space travel
I hate to break to you but it's more likely to be 24/7 dual-factor authentication
November 22, 2025 at 6:52 PM
My students tend to either think that the future will be defined by:
1. Rising authoritarianism and climate apocalypse, or
2. A progressive utopia and space travel
I hate to break to you but it's more likely to be 24/7 dual-factor authentication
1. Rising authoritarianism and climate apocalypse, or
2. A progressive utopia and space travel
I hate to break to you but it's more likely to be 24/7 dual-factor authentication
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
Yellowstone has long been a mecca for scientists studying how predators, like wolves and grizzly bears, affect everything from elk grazing to vegetation height. They are still debating how to make sense of what they’ve learned.
Reintroduced Carnivores’ Impacts on Ecosystems Are Still Coming Into Focus - Inside Climate News
Yellowstone has long been a mecca for scientists studying how predators affect everything from elk grazing to vegetation height. They are still debating how to make sense of what they’ve learned.
insideclimatenews.org
November 22, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Yellowstone has long been a mecca for scientists studying how predators, like wolves and grizzly bears, affect everything from elk grazing to vegetation height. They are still debating how to make sense of what they’ve learned.
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
happy #fossilfriday! bonus: this is lokotunjailurus, a sabre-toothed cat that was widespread throughout africa from the late miocene to the early pliocene. it is notable for its gracile build and cursorial adaptations, different from most machairodontines
(art by mauricio anton)
(art by mauricio anton)
November 21, 2025 at 3:20 PM
happy #fossilfriday! bonus: this is lokotunjailurus, a sabre-toothed cat that was widespread throughout africa from the late miocene to the early pliocene. it is notable for its gracile build and cursorial adaptations, different from most machairodontines
(art by mauricio anton)
(art by mauricio anton)
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
happy #fossilfriday! this is ornatops, a hadrosaur from late cretaceous north america. discovered in new mexico, ornatops represents the southern-most occurrence of brachylophosaurini found thus far
(art by brian engh)
(art by brian engh)
November 21, 2025 at 3:15 PM
happy #fossilfriday! this is ornatops, a hadrosaur from late cretaceous north america. discovered in new mexico, ornatops represents the southern-most occurrence of brachylophosaurini found thus far
(art by brian engh)
(art by brian engh)
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age: 5 reasons to watch Apple TV’s mammoth new natural history show www.shortlist.com/entertainmen... #PrehistoricPlanetIceAge #AppleTV #BBCStudios
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age: 5 reasons to watch Apple TV’s mammoth new natural history show
Featuring some of the coolest special effects in TV history, we go behind the scenes with the CGI masters at London’s Framestore to meet the artists behind the arctic chill.
www.shortlist.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age: 5 reasons to watch Apple TV’s mammoth new natural history show www.shortlist.com/entertainmen... #PrehistoricPlanetIceAge #AppleTV #BBCStudios
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
🚨🦜🐧Cover reveal! Thrilled to show off the cover of my upcoming book: The Story of Birds!
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
November 21, 2025 at 1:51 PM
🚨🦜🐧Cover reveal! Thrilled to show off the cover of my upcoming book: The Story of Birds!
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
Coming April 28. The whole history of birds, from their dinosaur origins to colossal extinct penguins & terror birds, to the 10,000+ species today. From @marinerbooks.bsky.social
Preorder 👇
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use are predicted to rise 1.1% in 2025, putting a record high 38.1 Gt of CO2 into the atmosphere. It has never been more clear that we can't continue to rely on the logic of capitalism and expect this problem to resolve itself.
November 20, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use are predicted to rise 1.1% in 2025, putting a record high 38.1 Gt of CO2 into the atmosphere. It has never been more clear that we can't continue to rely on the logic of capitalism and expect this problem to resolve itself.
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
Yunxian does not disprove Out of Africa youtu.be/jA1I66ghcSw
Yunxian does not disprove a Recent African Origin for Homo sapiens
YouTube video by Chris Stringer
youtu.be
November 19, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Yunxian does not disprove Out of Africa youtu.be/jA1I66ghcSw
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
Indigenous Leaders Converge in Belém, Brazil, Demanding Greater Role at U.N. Climate Talks
Indigenous Leaders Demand Greater Role at U.N. Climate Talks
We speak with one of the Indigenous leaders at the U.N. climate summit in Belém for the climate negotiations, in greater numbers than ever before, taking center stage at COP30. They are calling “to en...
www.democracynow.org
November 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Indigenous Leaders Converge in Belém, Brazil, Demanding Greater Role at U.N. Climate Talks
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
This is a important read on the challenges many African ECRs continue to face when doing archaeology or paleontology at home. Note that the authors are from Ethiopia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
🏺🧪
🏺🧪
View of Against All Odds: An Archaeologist's Journey in Africa
archaeopresspublishing.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:57 PM
This is a important read on the challenges many African ECRs continue to face when doing archaeology or paleontology at home. Note that the authors are from Ethiopia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
🏺🧪
🏺🧪
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
My haul of mushrooms from Mendocino. Chanterelles, hedgehogs, lobsters, Matsutake, black trumpets, yellowfeet, saffron Milkcaps, candy caps, and a bunch of shiitake that were popping off in my yard
November 18, 2025 at 1:22 AM
My haul of mushrooms from Mendocino. Chanterelles, hedgehogs, lobsters, Matsutake, black trumpets, yellowfeet, saffron Milkcaps, candy caps, and a bunch of shiitake that were popping off in my yard
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
We had a lovely #JMU Sed/Strat field trip yesterday, exploring Devonian strata in West Virginia that tell the story of the Acadian Orogeny.
We survived hail and bitter cold winds in the AM, giving way to sunshine, paleosols, and fluvial channels in the afternoon.
🧪⚒️🪨
We survived hail and bitter cold winds in the AM, giving way to sunshine, paleosols, and fluvial channels in the afternoon.
🧪⚒️🪨
November 17, 2025 at 3:33 PM
We had a lovely #JMU Sed/Strat field trip yesterday, exploring Devonian strata in West Virginia that tell the story of the Acadian Orogeny.
We survived hail and bitter cold winds in the AM, giving way to sunshine, paleosols, and fluvial channels in the afternoon.
🧪⚒️🪨
We survived hail and bitter cold winds in the AM, giving way to sunshine, paleosols, and fluvial channels in the afternoon.
🧪⚒️🪨
Cozy season! Garlic rye/wheat bread and a snuggled up Buster
November 17, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Cozy season! Garlic rye/wheat bread and a snuggled up Buster
Intersex mammoths are the story of the day
the paper also identifies Yuka as an XY male, which is really interesting as the anatomy presented as female.
this is Yuka's genital region (from Maschenko et al 2019 link.springer.com/article/10.1...)
this is Yuka's genital region (from Maschenko et al 2019 link.springer.com/article/10.1...)
November 14, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Intersex mammoths are the story of the day
Breaking out the Mammoth tooth to lecture about megafaunal extinctions today for #FossilFriday
November 14, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Breaking out the Mammoth tooth to lecture about megafaunal extinctions today for #FossilFriday
I was once told by well-known senior researcher (and mother of a colleague) that I was "Very well-adjusted for a vertebrate paleontologist" and it's still the best compliment I've ever received.
November 13, 2025 at 5:43 PM
I was once told by well-known senior researcher (and mother of a colleague) that I was "Very well-adjusted for a vertebrate paleontologist" and it's still the best compliment I've ever received.
Reposted by Kaedan O'Brien, Ph.D.
With current pledges, the world's on track for 2.6°C of warming in 2100 compared to preindustrial levels.
10 years ago, before the Paris agreement, it was 3.6°C
20+ years ago, we thought it would be 4-5°C
So 2.6°C is better, but the problem is that climate impacts are way worse than we predicted.
10 years ago, before the Paris agreement, it was 3.6°C
20+ years ago, we thought it would be 4-5°C
So 2.6°C is better, but the problem is that climate impacts are way worse than we predicted.
World still on track for catastrophic 2.6C temperature rise, report finds
Fossil fuel emissions have hit a record high while many nations have done too little to avert deadly global heating
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:55 PM
With current pledges, the world's on track for 2.6°C of warming in 2100 compared to preindustrial levels.
10 years ago, before the Paris agreement, it was 3.6°C
20+ years ago, we thought it would be 4-5°C
So 2.6°C is better, but the problem is that climate impacts are way worse than we predicted.
10 years ago, before the Paris agreement, it was 3.6°C
20+ years ago, we thought it would be 4-5°C
So 2.6°C is better, but the problem is that climate impacts are way worse than we predicted.