Krista Koeller
@kristalerista.bsky.social
Researching why legless lizards and snakes don't have feet. (She/her) 😷
convergent evolution, paleontology, ADHD, disability rights, grants, whatever my hyperfixation is this week.
kkoeller3115.wixsite.com/kristakoeller
https://twitter.com/KristaLerista
convergent evolution, paleontology, ADHD, disability rights, grants, whatever my hyperfixation is this week.
kkoeller3115.wixsite.com/kristakoeller
https://twitter.com/KristaLerista
Reposted by Krista Koeller
A male rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in winter plumage.
Ptarmigan is from Gaelic 'tarmachan' meaning "croaker". The p- was added when people mistakenly assumed it was a Greek word.
A bird forever warning people: "A werewolf!" (just in case of werewolves).
Ptarmigan is from Gaelic 'tarmachan' meaning "croaker". The p- was added when people mistakenly assumed it was a Greek word.
A bird forever warning people: "A werewolf!" (just in case of werewolves).
December 6, 2025 at 1:46 PM
A male rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in winter plumage.
Ptarmigan is from Gaelic 'tarmachan' meaning "croaker". The p- was added when people mistakenly assumed it was a Greek word.
A bird forever warning people: "A werewolf!" (just in case of werewolves).
Ptarmigan is from Gaelic 'tarmachan' meaning "croaker". The p- was added when people mistakenly assumed it was a Greek word.
A bird forever warning people: "A werewolf!" (just in case of werewolves).
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Very excited to share that our latest paper is out in Science! We show that the type specimen of Nanotyrannus—an isolated skull—is fully grown, showing that it is not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex but a distinct species (1/12)
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org
December 4, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Very excited to share that our latest paper is out in Science! We show that the type specimen of Nanotyrannus—an isolated skull—is fully grown, showing that it is not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex but a distinct species (1/12)
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The windchill here is -4 degrees and I’m waiting for the bus. As I blink through the ice shards blowing into my eyeballs at 30 mph, I think about how glad I am they took the bus shelter down.
At least the unhoused will have cause to reflect on how little they contributed to the economy.
At least the unhoused will have cause to reflect on how little they contributed to the economy.
December 4, 2025 at 10:04 PM
The windchill here is -4 degrees and I’m waiting for the bus. As I blink through the ice shards blowing into my eyeballs at 30 mph, I think about how glad I am they took the bus shelter down.
At least the unhoused will have cause to reflect on how little they contributed to the economy.
At least the unhoused will have cause to reflect on how little they contributed to the economy.
Reposted by Krista Koeller
What are the most pressing questions
about the status of #insects? Our survey is available here in multiple languages: bit.ly/insectquestions! #insect #entomology #biodiversity
about the status of #insects? Our survey is available here in multiple languages: bit.ly/insectquestions! #insect #entomology #biodiversity
December 4, 2025 at 11:29 AM
What are the most pressing questions
about the status of #insects? Our survey is available here in multiple languages: bit.ly/insectquestions! #insect #entomology #biodiversity
about the status of #insects? Our survey is available here in multiple languages: bit.ly/insectquestions! #insect #entomology #biodiversity
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Pay careful attention to the SHAPES of the scales on this saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).
See how they're regular on the neck & back, but irregular polygons on the face/head? Why do you think that is?
As of 2012, we have an answer! A special process guides scale formation on the head.
See how they're regular on the neck & back, but irregular polygons on the face/head? Why do you think that is?
As of 2012, we have an answer! A special process guides scale formation on the head.
December 3, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Pay careful attention to the SHAPES of the scales on this saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).
See how they're regular on the neck & back, but irregular polygons on the face/head? Why do you think that is?
As of 2012, we have an answer! A special process guides scale formation on the head.
See how they're regular on the neck & back, but irregular polygons on the face/head? Why do you think that is?
As of 2012, we have an answer! A special process guides scale formation on the head.
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Exciting new #Zebrafish research from the #WeinsteinLab, led by Jong Park!
“Specialized gas-exchange endothelium of the zebrafish gill” —
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Amazing to see red blood cells moving through the gills! Don’t forget to check out the supplemental movies ;-)
“Specialized gas-exchange endothelium of the zebrafish gill” —
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Amazing to see red blood cells moving through the gills! Don’t forget to check out the supplemental movies ;-)
December 2, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Exciting new #Zebrafish research from the #WeinsteinLab, led by Jong Park!
“Specialized gas-exchange endothelium of the zebrafish gill” —
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Amazing to see red blood cells moving through the gills! Don’t forget to check out the supplemental movies ;-)
“Specialized gas-exchange endothelium of the zebrafish gill” —
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Amazing to see red blood cells moving through the gills! Don’t forget to check out the supplemental movies ;-)
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Yolo often stands with his little back toes crossed, which I find ridiculously cute!
You can see vultures don't have bulky feet and talons built for grasping/carrying like other raptors. Their more chicken-like feet are meant for bracing on food to pull at it with their powerful beaks, instead.
You can see vultures don't have bulky feet and talons built for grasping/carrying like other raptors. Their more chicken-like feet are meant for bracing on food to pull at it with their powerful beaks, instead.
December 2, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Yolo often stands with his little back toes crossed, which I find ridiculously cute!
You can see vultures don't have bulky feet and talons built for grasping/carrying like other raptors. Their more chicken-like feet are meant for bracing on food to pull at it with their powerful beaks, instead.
You can see vultures don't have bulky feet and talons built for grasping/carrying like other raptors. Their more chicken-like feet are meant for bracing on food to pull at it with their powerful beaks, instead.
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Meet the carrier crab, an animal that brings its defence wherever it goes. Its back legs are specially adapted to hold anything it can wedge between itself and danger: a bit of dead coral, seaweed, a broken shell. Sometimes, though, that shield is alive – like this jellyfish! 🛡️🪼👇
🎥: Jacob Guy
🎥: Jacob Guy
December 2, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Man, I love the Carboniferous!
Worked on the Carboniferous chapter of the UT Press Texas Paleontology book today, and while I don't know whether this will make it into the finished manuscript (and it certainly needs some fact checking) I'm quite proud of this riff
December 3, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Man, I love the Carboniferous!
Reposted by Krista Koeller
This year, the NSF funded 35% fewer grants in geoscience, with 25% less money. Meanwhile, the Office of the Director spent almost three times as much money as in a regular year.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
December 2, 2025 at 2:34 PM
This year, the NSF funded 35% fewer grants in geoscience, with 25% less money. Meanwhile, the Office of the Director spent almost three times as much money as in a regular year.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
In order to get diagnosed with ADHD, you need to have the symptoms AND it needs to impair your life.
What is meant by impairment is almost entirely a subjective assessment of how much you annoy/disappoint your teachers.
If your grades are fine and you’re quiet, doesn’t matter if it could improve
What is meant by impairment is almost entirely a subjective assessment of how much you annoy/disappoint your teachers.
If your grades are fine and you’re quiet, doesn’t matter if it could improve
It's basically impossible to get an IEP if you have a disabled kid who is currently getting good grades, so you have to wait until the grades start falling to get necessary accommodation. 🙃
Once again, no one making these claims seems to understand the enormous hurdles in the way of getting a kid the help they need - in this case - I dare anyone suggesting this to go through an IEP process.
December 2, 2025 at 11:55 PM
In order to get diagnosed with ADHD, you need to have the symptoms AND it needs to impair your life.
What is meant by impairment is almost entirely a subjective assessment of how much you annoy/disappoint your teachers.
If your grades are fine and you’re quiet, doesn’t matter if it could improve
What is meant by impairment is almost entirely a subjective assessment of how much you annoy/disappoint your teachers.
If your grades are fine and you’re quiet, doesn’t matter if it could improve
Reposted by Krista Koeller
When fish are the SAME SIZE as me… it makes my uncomfy😂
December 2, 2025 at 11:37 PM
When fish are the SAME SIZE as me… it makes my uncomfy😂
Omg I love it so much!
New species of tinamou, the slaty-masked tinamou (Tinamus resonans): mapress.com/zt/article/v... 🪶🧪 (📷Luis A. Morais)
December 2, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Omg I love it so much!
My favorite thing about science is leaning about something I didn’t know about and, at the same time, learning there is a small group of people who care enough about it to have controversies.
December 2, 2025 at 8:22 PM
My favorite thing about science is leaning about something I didn’t know about and, at the same time, learning there is a small group of people who care enough about it to have controversies.
Reposted by Krista Koeller
PTEROSAURIA, from the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncta... I dedicated to these flying reptiles of the mesozoic 🪁 This art is now also available for Prints and other items at Redbubble/people/mariolanzas 🪁 #pterosauria #quetzalcoatlus #paleoart #pteranodon #sizechart
December 1, 2025 at 6:24 PM
PTEROSAURIA, from the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncta... I dedicated to these flying reptiles of the mesozoic 🪁 This art is now also available for Prints and other items at Redbubble/people/mariolanzas 🪁 #pterosauria #quetzalcoatlus #paleoart #pteranodon #sizechart
Reposted by Krista Koeller
This is a squat lobster, one of the most confusing names because they are not lobsters. They are also not crabs. Welcome to Anomura, the false crabs (also includes: hermit crabs, king crabs, porcelain crabs, mole crabs) #Crustmas
or the aegla. I would live in south america and just hang out with aegla, silly little water roaches guilty of nothing
December 2, 2025 at 5:36 PM
This is a squat lobster, one of the most confusing names because they are not lobsters. They are also not crabs. Welcome to Anomura, the false crabs (also includes: hermit crabs, king crabs, porcelain crabs, mole crabs) #Crustmas
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Fun fact, a lot of wonderful scientific illustrations you see in the 19th century natural science publications, were done by women, usually spouses of the researchers as uncredited free labour. The famous finches, came from John Gould, his wife, Elizabeth, illustrated his ornithology books.
This is not an attack on Biorender, which serves a useful function.
It’s exposing a troubling phenomenon that is unconsciously sucking the artistry out of science and reinforcing a silent conformity in its presentation and perception.
It’s exposing a troubling phenomenon that is unconsciously sucking the artistry out of science and reinforcing a silent conformity in its presentation and perception.
December 1, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Fun fact, a lot of wonderful scientific illustrations you see in the 19th century natural science publications, were done by women, usually spouses of the researchers as uncredited free labour. The famous finches, came from John Gould, his wife, Elizabeth, illustrated his ornithology books.
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Oh no I'm almost failing #Crustmas on day 2! Did you know that barnacles are crustaceans? They hold on by their antennae, secrete cement and their plates, and feed using their legs!
🧪🦑
🧪🦑
December 2, 2023 at 5:17 PM
Oh no I'm almost failing #Crustmas on day 2! Did you know that barnacles are crustaceans? They hold on by their antennae, secrete cement and their plates, and feed using their legs!
🧪🦑
🧪🦑
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Matonia pectinata is a beautifully-shaped fern, and the family it belongs to can be traced back to the Late Triassic. When researching I often make reference sheets like this of the most useful figures, photos & illustrations I can find. Most pics from iNaturalist or Flickr. #paleobotany #botany
November 28, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Matonia pectinata is a beautifully-shaped fern, and the family it belongs to can be traced back to the Late Triassic. When researching I often make reference sheets like this of the most useful figures, photos & illustrations I can find. Most pics from iNaturalist or Flickr. #paleobotany #botany
On the first day of Crustmas…
Cool Antarctic ISOPOD Pleuroprion, about 700m from the USNM collections! #Antarcticaday #crustmas
December 1, 2025 at 5:40 PM
On the first day of Crustmas…
Reposted by Krista Koeller
Imagine a British PhD student having to write entire thesis in fluent Chinese. Deliver talks & network at Chinese conferences and Chinese dominated social media. Without any support. Weird? That's a norm for every academic not born in an Anglophone country. And it's not treated as a crisis. 🤔
November 27, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Imagine a British PhD student having to write entire thesis in fluent Chinese. Deliver talks & network at Chinese conferences and Chinese dominated social media. Without any support. Weird? That's a norm for every academic not born in an Anglophone country. And it's not treated as a crisis. 🤔
IDEA is the reason I was able to succeed in elementary school. My individualized education plan was so effective, I didn’t even realize my ADHD was a disability until I left the public school system for college.
I’ve published scientific papers, got a masters degree and now have a good, steady job.
I’ve published scientific papers, got a masters degree and now have a good, steady job.
Saturday was the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). I wrote about how the law helped make me who I am today and how losing it's protections may stifle the talent of generations of disabled individuals after me. www.the74million.org/article/weak...
Weakening the IDEA Threatens Millions of Disabled Americans Like Me
Ives-Rublee: Federal law made it possible for disabled students like me to go to school. Those opportunities may vanish for the next generation.
www.the74million.org
December 1, 2025 at 4:15 PM
IDEA is the reason I was able to succeed in elementary school. My individualized education plan was so effective, I didn’t even realize my ADHD was a disability until I left the public school system for college.
I’ve published scientific papers, got a masters degree and now have a good, steady job.
I’ve published scientific papers, got a masters degree and now have a good, steady job.
Reposted by Krista Koeller
I'm teaching a literature based class next semester and plan to share a method for reading a paper focused on note taking.
I think many graduate students don't take notes when reading research articles and consequently don't retain information well.
I'd love to hear what people think. 1/🧵
I think many graduate students don't take notes when reading research articles and consequently don't retain information well.
I'd love to hear what people think. 1/🧵
December 1, 2025 at 3:19 PM
I'm teaching a literature based class next semester and plan to share a method for reading a paper focused on note taking.
I think many graduate students don't take notes when reading research articles and consequently don't retain information well.
I'd love to hear what people think. 1/🧵
I think many graduate students don't take notes when reading research articles and consequently don't retain information well.
I'd love to hear what people think. 1/🧵