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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · Aug 6

My first 100 citation paper! And single author! It took a lot of work, setbacks, and doubt from myself and others, but in the end it shows its always best to write what interests you and to pursue the research questions you're genuinely curious about t.co/KvF37AE4ZY

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · Jun 4

In Portugal’s only national park, centuries-old village water tanks may be playing a surprising role in amphibian conservation 🐸 Our study shows these historical water tanks support breeding and diversity, highlighting the need to protect both natural and cultural heritage 🌍 doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...

Traditional water structures in villages support amphibian populations within a protected landscape

Amphibians are among the most globally threatened vertebrates, with habitat loss and degradation being the primary drivers of their decline. While natural waterbodies are essential for amphibian surv....

doi.org

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ESA Journals @esajournals.bsky.social · May 28

🆕 in Ecosphere's "Animal Ecology" track: Human-made pools support amphibians in a Portuguese park, showing the value of both natural and artificial habitat

📄Traditional water structures in villages support amphibian populations within a protected landscape
doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...

Types of waterbodies surveyed within Peneda-Gerês National Park. Natural waterbodies include (a) ponds, (b) streams, (c) stream pockets, and (d) caves. Artificial waterbodies are represented by (e) tanks, (f) drains, (g) fountains, and (h) cave-like structures.

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José M. Riascos, PhD @zambo-riascos.bsky.social · May 28

Well done! Here a nice illustration on how far "the Gollum effect" can go, supported by academic institutions, despite hindering science proggress: www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

The curse of Toumaï: an ancient skull, a disputed femur and a bitter feud over humanity’s origins

The long read: When fossilised remains were discovered in the Djurab desert in 2001, they were hailed as radically rewriting the history of our species. But not everyone was convinced – and the bitter...

www.theguardian.com

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Uni Halle @unihalle.bsky.social · May 26

Der „Gollum-Effekt“ in der Wissenschaft: Eine internationale Befragung der MLU und des @idiv-research.bsky.social zeigt, dass Daten und Erkenntnisse aus der Forschung nicht immer freimütig geteilt werden. Das behindert Kooperationen und Karrieren von weniger etablierten Forschenden. mlu.de/64yjw

a man with long hair is holding a ring in his hands and eating it .

ALT: a man with long hair is holding a ring in his hands and eating it .

media.tenor.com

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Ocean Hoptimism @oceanhoptimism.org · May 24

Nearly 20% of affected researchers left academia or science altogether.
That’s talent lost. Ideas silenced. Innovation stalled.
When knowledge becomes a power play, we all lose. Especially in fields like ocean conservation that demand collaboration.
#ToxicAcademia #OceanHoptimism

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · May 23

Another perfect example of the Gollum effect that is way too common in academic research. It's time to break our silence, tell our stories, and push for change in academia.

Cullen Anderson @cullenish.bsky.social · May 22

Can speak very personally to this effect. Former advisor claimed control over data they didn't own or collect, despite the actual owner's approval, which delayed my graduate by 2 semesters after I left their lab.

Now no one gets to use the data. Everyone lost.

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Cullen Anderson @cullenish.bsky.social · May 22

Can speak very personally to this effect. Former advisor claimed control over data they didn't own or collect, despite the actual owner's approval, which delayed my graduate by 2 semesters after I left their lab.

Now no one gets to use the data. Everyone lost.

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · May 22

For more detailed examples of the Gollum Effect and how to combat these behaviors read the original opinion piece here: www.frontiersin.org/journals/eco...

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · May 22

Nearly 1/5 of researchers admit to engaging in Gollum-like behaviors themselves. These behaviors are fueled by hypercompetition and fear of losing credit. Solutions include awareness of the issue, incentives for collaboration, mentorship reforms, and accountability mechanisms.

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · May 22

Behaviors ranged from blocking access to data/sites, to idea theft, bullying, authorship manipulation & sabotage. Perpetrators were often high-profile researchers or supervisors. Many victims abandoned research topics, changed institutions, and one-fifth left academia or science entirely.

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · May 22

Academia's silent epidemic: Our new study finds 44% of researchers have experienced the "Gollum Effect", the territorial gatekeeping over topics, ideas & resources. It obstructs research, derails careers, and disproportionately impacts early-career & marginalized researchers doi.org/10.1016/j.on...

Redirecting

doi.org

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Pere Suau-Sanchez @peresuausanchez.bsky.social · May 21

That academic workplaces are often toxic environments is hardly news, but the Gollum Effect is a root cause.
#academia #science
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Science’s ‘Gollum effect’: PhDs bear brunt of territorial behaviour

Survey respondents at all career stages report colleagues engaging in territorial and possessive behaviours — but early-career researchers are most often affected.

www.nature.com

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Nature @nature.com · May 20

💍 The Gollum Effect: possessive behaviours, attempts to undermine others, and efforts to restrict access to data, resources or opportunities

https://go.nature.com/4mnqGZW

Science’s ‘Gollum effect’: PhDs bear brunt of territorial behaviour

Survey respondents at all career stages report colleagues engaging in territorial and possessive behaviours — but early-career researchers are most often affected.

go.nature.com

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · Apr 14

In the Amazon, rivers don't just divide land-they divide species. We found 80% of new world primates are split by natural barriers and wider rivers = more genetically distinct monkeys! 🐒🌊 #evolution #biodiversity #primatebio #sciencetwitter #conservation onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Role of Rivers as Geographical Barriers in Shaping Molecular Divergence of Neotropical Primates

We tested the riverine barrier hypothesis in New World monkeys, finding that river width significantly correlates with molecular divergence across species. Our results suggest that rivers and mountai...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · Mar 19

Encuentra nuestro artículo traducido al español por
@Oceguemma aquí: preprints.scielo.org/index.php/sc...

Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · Mar 19

Thrilled for so many firsts! Huge congratulations to brilliant bachelor's student #LeaSchulte on her first paper. Honored to serve as her supervisor in my first-time role. Also congrats to #EmmanuelO on his first paper & translations furthering inclusivity. Here's to many more!

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · Mar 19

Our new study reveals that 75% of the 300+ fine-scale habitats in the Americas fall short of protection targetsAlarmingly, we also find over 40% of all threatened birds and mammals have more than half of their range within a single habitat type doi.org/10.1016/j.ge...

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Dr. Jose Valdez @josevaldez.bsky.social · Nov 29

Mosquitoes have a taste for frog nostrils 🐸🦟 They first sneak up a frogs back before targeting their deliciously thin vein-filled nostril skin. Talk about an up close and personal dining experience 😮
Great 3 year natural history observation and beautiful photos by John Gould doi.org/10.1111/eth....

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