James Lamsdell, PhD
LightNews LightNews
banner
fossildetective.bsky.social
James Lamsdell, PhD
@fossildetective.bsky.social
1.4K followers 240 following 560 posts
Palaeobiologist, Associate Professor at West Virginia University • Arthropod paleobiology, phylogenetic paleoecology • An Englishman in America
Formerly: AMNH, Yale, U of Kansas, U of Bristol, U of Birmingham
Opinions my own (he/him)
jameslamsdell.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
fossildetective.bsky.social
James Lamsdell, PhD @fossildetective.bsky.social · Jun 11
It's finally out! 200 years since the description of Eurypterus remipes, the first eurypterid named in the scientific literature, I present a summary of the history of eurypterid research and an updated taxonomy of every known species.🧪⚒️

doi.org/10.1206/0003...
Codex Eurypterida: A Revised Taxonomy Based on Concordant Parsimony and Bayesian Phylogenetic Analyses
Eurypterids, also known as sea scorpions, were aquatic chelicerate arthropods that were important components of Paleozoic marine and freshwater ecosystems from the Ordovician to the Permian. The group...
doi.org
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
mattepritchard.bsky.social
Today I’m joining the #GivingTuesday challenge to save the Museum of the Earth. As a Board of Trustee emeritus member, I see first-hand the Museum's impact on educating our community and the world about climate change, biodiversity, and our home planet. Please donate at priweb.org/support.
Save the Museum of the Earth and PRI – Secure Its Future!
In these challenging times, places like the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) stand as beacons of hope, fostering understanding of the natural world and inspiring action for a sustainable fut...
priweb.org
December 2, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
snnielsen.bsky.social
Now, that could prove useful 🧪
December 1, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
palaeoepidemiology.bsky.social
A great overview on benefits, pitfalls, and limitations.
December 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
fossildetective.bsky.social
Out late for #FossilFriday, it's our invited @annualreviews.bsky.social paper with @sarahlsheffield.bsky.social and @bigfacecats.bsky.social on why Phylogenetic Paleoecology is useful and how to do it.

doi.org/10.1146/annu...
A Practical Guide to Phylogenetic Paleoecology
The burgeoning field of phylogenetic paleoecology combines paleoecological data with hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships to tease apart the roles that ecology and relatedness both play in the evo...
doi.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:31 AM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Out late for #FossilFriday, it's our invited @annualreviews.bsky.social paper with @sarahlsheffield.bsky.social and @bigfacecats.bsky.social on why Phylogenetic Paleoecology is useful and how to do it.

doi.org/10.1146/annu...
A Practical Guide to Phylogenetic Paleoecology
The burgeoning field of phylogenetic paleoecology combines paleoecological data with hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships to tease apart the roles that ecology and relatedness both play in the evo...
doi.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:31 AM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Always enjoy running into Kjellesvig-Waering's notes in collections. #FossilFriday
A tubular fossil with bumps on it next to a hand written note by Erik N. Kjellesvig-Waering, a prominent eurypterid researcher. The note reads "I give up - what is it?"
November 21, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
flemtheparrot.bsky.social
Morning.
November 20, 2025 at 4:48 AM
fossildetective.bsky.social
New earliest record of eurypterids from the Fezouata biota in Morocco!

doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
Early Ordovician sea scorpions from Morocco suggest Cambrian origins and main diversification of Eurypterida | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Eurypterida were a diverse clade of aquatic euchelicerates that occupied environments ranging from freshwater to fully marine and included several of the largest euarthropods on record. Although a Mid...
doi.org
November 12, 2025 at 6:14 PM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Had a great time talking to the Dry Dredgers about eurypterids last night, and getting to look through the Cincinnati collections was a huge treat.
October 25, 2025 at 11:46 AM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Happy #FlatFuckFriday to all who celebrate.
A very long, very flat model of the eurypterid Acutiramus at the Cincinnati Museum. A front view of the eurypterid, equally flat.
October 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Happy #FlatFuckFriday to all who celebrate.
A very long, very flat model of the eurypterid Acutiramus at the Cincinnati Museum. A front view of the eurypterid, equally flat.
October 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
fossildetective.bsky.social
A view if Cladoselache, the first well-preserved shark from the Devonian, on display in the Cincinnatti Museum for #FossilFriday.

I love this specimen, look at how long the fins are!
A picture of a well lit fossil of a shark, with the outline of the body visible due to the difference in rock texture and colour. The nose is to the right, and a beautifully preserved triangular fin can be seen projecting toward the top of the slab.
October 24, 2025 at 12:07 PM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Museum collections are my happy place.
A photograph of several grey fossils in a draw.
October 23, 2025 at 6:58 PM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Amanda looked up this reconstruction of Exaeretodon while going through papers for the podcast yesterday and I can only see one thing.
A strange reconstruction of a creature with a horse-like mane running down its back, pained human eyes, a cat-like face with a goatee, emaciated ribs, and a stubby tail. It looks like a creature from Bloodborne. Nina Tucker in her second health bar form from Fullmetal Alchemist.
October 5, 2025 at 6:02 PM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Actual highlight of yesterday was having a woman in the botanical gardens overhear us talking about work and say "Oh, I didn't think paleontologists existed anymore".
October 1, 2025 at 1:08 PM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Somehow ended up becoming American.
A photograph of a man in a shirt picking up a naturalization certificate and looking nonplussed, next to the famous meme from the office of a very shellshocked looking Steve Carrell with long hair shaking the hand of a smiling man.
October 1, 2025 at 1:35 AM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Shrimp update
A view of an aquarium with many blue shrimp moving around on the sand. A fossil brachiopod is partially buried, and multiple snails can be seen in the background alongside moss and wood.
September 26, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
prehistorica.art
Meet Palaeocampa anthrax, a newly discovered Carboniferous lobopodian, and 150 year old mystery fossil!

Palaeocampa is an exceptional lobopodian - it lived in rivers and lakes, bristled with thousands of poisonous spines, and more. 🧵

Open access: nature.com/articles/s42...
July 23, 2025 at 9:46 AM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Waiting for a surprise webinar (we were told about it an hour ago) on "the future of the research corporation" to start which is called "Meeting with supervisors" on zoom.
July 23, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
hormiga.bsky.social
Hey folks sizing up academic jobs, one thing I'd like you to know:

-Faculty at PUIs spend more time on research than most people realize.
-Faculty at R1s spend more time on teaching than most people realize.

I think the biggest difference between these jobs is the career stage of your mentees.
July 21, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
fossildetective.bsky.social
*nirnroot noises*
A picture of a plant that is likely a dandelion relative that looks just like a nirnroot from Oblivion.
July 14, 2025 at 11:44 AM
fossildetective.bsky.social
Having just finished reading Day of the Triffids I can recognize a potential society-ending event when I see it.
A screenshot from the news with the headline "Sheetz to offer free hot dogs for 'National Hot Dog Day' later this week.
July 15, 2025 at 12:53 PM
fossildetective.bsky.social
*nirnroot noises*
A picture of a plant that is likely a dandelion relative that looks just like a nirnroot from Oblivion.
July 14, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
benoitevol.bsky.social
Junior Professor Chair at MNHN Paris :
Integrative Taxonomy for Describing Biological Diversity

odyssee.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/procedures/r...

filesender.renater.fr?s=download&t...
Odyssée
odyssee.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr
July 10, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Reposted by James Lamsdell, PhD
jacquelyngill.bsky.social
Fellow educators: Please join me in co-signing!
emilymbender.bsky.social Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · Jul 10
A strong statement of resistance to the relentless marketing of "AI" in education spaces. I encourage all educators to have a look and consider signing on:

openletter.earth/an-open-lett...
An open letter from educators who refuse the call to adopt GenAI in education
openletter.earth
July 10, 2025 at 11:40 AM