Ben Miller
@extinctmonsters.bsky.social
Mostly posts about the art history of paleontology in museums. Exhibit developer at the Field Museum, opinions my own. Proudly from DC. he/him
Website: extinctmonsters.net
Website: extinctmonsters.net
Pinned
Ben Miller
@extinctmonsters.bsky.social
· Nov 19
I’m closing in on 2k followers (thanks!) so I think I should clarify what I mean in my profile when I say the fun dinosaur pictures I post are a form of art history (besides wanting to sound elitist or something). 🧵
Oh good, glad the bible clears that up!
November 27, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Oh good, glad the bible clears that up!
The new Prehistoric Planet season was delightful overall—I expected nothing less! The one animal I’d never heard of was the 10 foot otter portrayed chasing cats off a kill in Africa. What are they called??
November 27, 2025 at 4:26 AM
The new Prehistoric Planet season was delightful overall—I expected nothing less! The one animal I’d never heard of was the 10 foot otter portrayed chasing cats off a kill in Africa. What are they called??
Reposted by Ben Miller
give it up for Henry yall
November 25, 2025 at 5:57 PM
give it up for Henry yall
Reposted by Ben Miller
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.
This keeps popping up on my feed, and I have literally never thought that phrase implies that scientists are to blame. Like obviously the dark money thing is true, but it is in fact a good thing for scientists to take *responsibility* for improving trust.
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
November 26, 2025 at 10:49 PM
This keeps popping up on my feed, and I have literally never thought that phrase implies that scientists are to blame. Like obviously the dark money thing is true, but it is in fact a good thing for scientists to take *responsibility* for improving trust.
Reposted by Ben Miller
New seasonal paleontology positions available for Dinosaur National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park and Fossil Butte National Monument. Apply soon, they close after they receive a certain number of apps! #NPSpaleo #PaleoJobs
www.usajobs.gov/job/850816000
www.usajobs.gov/job/850816700
www.usajobs.gov/job/850816000
www.usajobs.gov/job/850816700
USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal jobs across the United States and around the world as the official employment site for the federal government
These positions may be filled for a six month seasonal period, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: <strong>April 2026</strong>
<p>For more par...
www.usajobs.gov
November 24, 2025 at 6:28 PM
New seasonal paleontology positions available for Dinosaur National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park and Fossil Butte National Monument. Apply soon, they close after they receive a certain number of apps! #NPSpaleo #PaleoJobs
www.usajobs.gov/job/850816000
www.usajobs.gov/job/850816700
www.usajobs.gov/job/850816000
www.usajobs.gov/job/850816700
Since we're talking about it, my bluesky experience:
- Got as many followers as I had on twitter in half the time
- Have a similar amount of positive interactions, and far fewer negative ones
-I'm mostly talking to the same 10 people though, so I see how mass mobilization/outreach is harder here
- Got as many followers as I had on twitter in half the time
- Have a similar amount of positive interactions, and far fewer negative ones
-I'm mostly talking to the same 10 people though, so I see how mass mobilization/outreach is harder here
November 24, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Since we're talking about it, my bluesky experience:
- Got as many followers as I had on twitter in half the time
- Have a similar amount of positive interactions, and far fewer negative ones
-I'm mostly talking to the same 10 people though, so I see how mass mobilization/outreach is harder here
- Got as many followers as I had on twitter in half the time
- Have a similar amount of positive interactions, and far fewer negative ones
-I'm mostly talking to the same 10 people though, so I see how mass mobilization/outreach is harder here
Begging one of you kids to do a fan edit of Prehistoric Planet reordering it by time/place/formation instead of by biome. At least put all the Hell Creek, Maevarano, and Djadochta-adjacent bits together!
November 24, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Begging one of you kids to do a fan edit of Prehistoric Planet reordering it by time/place/formation instead of by biome. At least put all the Hell Creek, Maevarano, and Djadochta-adjacent bits together!
I imagine we can all relate to Andalgalornis here
November 24, 2025 at 9:11 PM
I imagine we can all relate to Andalgalornis here
Reposted by Ben Miller
i know this will shock a lot of you but movies can actually be bad. like, not bad as in "oh i don't this character's choices or this vibe isn't for me" but bad in "there is no logical connection between the scenes i'm being presented with"
November 24, 2025 at 9:01 PM
i know this will shock a lot of you but movies can actually be bad. like, not bad as in "oh i don't this character's choices or this vibe isn't for me" but bad in "there is no logical connection between the scenes i'm being presented with"
The look I get when I tell him he's spent enough time guarding his plastic girlfriend
November 24, 2025 at 4:41 AM
The look I get when I tell him he's spent enough time guarding his plastic girlfriend
Relatively lovely weather but all the best trails are closed for deer slaughter week. 😤
(I understand the necessity of the culling but I’m still gonna be super judgmental of people who take so much glee in it)
(I understand the necessity of the culling but I’m still gonna be super judgmental of people who take so much glee in it)
November 23, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Relatively lovely weather but all the best trails are closed for deer slaughter week. 😤
(I understand the necessity of the culling but I’m still gonna be super judgmental of people who take so much glee in it)
(I understand the necessity of the culling but I’m still gonna be super judgmental of people who take so much glee in it)
Reposted by Ben Miller
I understand that the Natural History Museum of Abu Dhabi spent a truly wild amount of money to purchase Stan the T.rex, which makes it all the odder that its mount of two fighting tyrannosaurs is so utterly sauceless
November 23, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I understand that the Natural History Museum of Abu Dhabi spent a truly wild amount of money to purchase Stan the T.rex, which makes it all the odder that its mount of two fighting tyrannosaurs is so utterly sauceless
A few more screenshots of this place from coverage of the royal family's visit
November 22, 2025 at 3:46 PM
A few more screenshots of this place from coverage of the royal family's visit
Reposted by Ben Miller
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries IMLS
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries
Press Release: Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island struck down the Trump Adm...
librarytechnology.org
November 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries IMLS
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
Reposted by Ben Miller
The fossil hall in Dublin, demolished 1962
November 21, 2025 at 4:35 PM
The fossil hall in Dublin, demolished 1962
Reposted by Ben Miller
Here is Vanderbilt's cast (minus the skull 😭), purchased around 1875 and recently rediscovered in a basement: www.vanderbilt.edu/evolution/re...
Hoping we can restore and display someday -- museum conservationists, on anyone with a spare skull, DM me!
#FossilFriday @evolutionvu.bsky.social
Hoping we can restore and display someday -- museum conservationists, on anyone with a spare skull, DM me!
#FossilFriday @evolutionvu.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Here is Vanderbilt's cast (minus the skull 😭), purchased around 1875 and recently rediscovered in a basement: www.vanderbilt.edu/evolution/re...
Hoping we can restore and display someday -- museum conservationists, on anyone with a spare skull, DM me!
#FossilFriday @evolutionvu.bsky.social
Hoping we can restore and display someday -- museum conservationists, on anyone with a spare skull, DM me!
#FossilFriday @evolutionvu.bsky.social
The Ward Scientific Company sold these Rhomaleosaurus casts to various museums starting in 1866 (for $150). The original at the National Museum of Ireland was broken up with sledgehammers during a move in the 1920s. #FossilFriday
November 21, 2025 at 2:12 PM
The Ward Scientific Company sold these Rhomaleosaurus casts to various museums starting in 1866 (for $150). The original at the National Museum of Ireland was broken up with sledgehammers during a move in the 1920s. #FossilFriday
Some images here from the new Natural History Museum of Abu Dhabi. This is where Stan and several other recent high-profile dinosaur sales went.
November 20, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Some images here from the new Natural History Museum of Abu Dhabi. This is where Stan and several other recent high-profile dinosaur sales went.
Check out this article about my amazing colleague, Janice Lim! chicagoreader.com/city-life/pe...
Janice Lim, The Replicator - The People Issue 2025 - Chicago Reader
Janice Lim is the head of the Field Museum's replication shop and a dummer in the Chicago DIY music scene.
chicagoreader.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Check out this article about my amazing colleague, Janice Lim! chicagoreader.com/city-life/pe...
Reposted by Ben Miller
Paleontologists of Bluesky! What’s something in your field you wish the public understood better or cared more about?
Asking as an artist who does a lot of paleo inspired work and wants to contribute to science communication!
#paleontology #sciart #paleoart
Asking as an artist who does a lot of paleo inspired work and wants to contribute to science communication!
#paleontology #sciart #paleoart
November 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Paleontologists of Bluesky! What’s something in your field you wish the public understood better or cared more about?
Asking as an artist who does a lot of paleo inspired work and wants to contribute to science communication!
#paleontology #sciart #paleoart
Asking as an artist who does a lot of paleo inspired work and wants to contribute to science communication!
#paleontology #sciart #paleoart
Reposted by Ben Miller
Good stuff this morning from @vermontgmg.bsky.social. doomsdayscenario.co/p/trump-border-patrol-retreat-in-failure-from-chicago
Trump, Border Patrol Retreat in Failure from Chicago
Five important lessons of the first six months of Trump’s immigration raids — and why CBP’s Greg Bovino is the Nathan Bedford Forrest of the Trump era.
doomsdayscenario.co
November 17, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Good stuff this morning from @vermontgmg.bsky.social. doomsdayscenario.co/p/trump-border-patrol-retreat-in-failure-from-chicago
10 years ago, the London NHM cleverly manufactured a controversy when they announced they'd be replacing Dippy the Diplodocus in their main hall with a blue whale skeleton.
Long story short, the whale rules, in spite of its notable handicap of not being a dinosaur. 🧵
Long story short, the whale rules, in spite of its notable handicap of not being a dinosaur. 🧵
November 18, 2025 at 9:35 PM
10 years ago, the London NHM cleverly manufactured a controversy when they announced they'd be replacing Dippy the Diplodocus in their main hall with a blue whale skeleton.
Long story short, the whale rules, in spite of its notable handicap of not being a dinosaur. 🧵
Long story short, the whale rules, in spite of its notable handicap of not being a dinosaur. 🧵
guys literally nobody has ever argued that die hard *isn’t* a christmas movie
November 18, 2025 at 2:29 PM
guys literally nobody has ever argued that die hard *isn’t* a christmas movie
Everybody shut up I hear a sandhill crane
November 17, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Everybody shut up I hear a sandhill crane