Zach
@reallyoldfish.bsky.social
2nd year PhD student in the Friedman Lab at the University of Michigan. Volunteer @ Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Pitt alum
Fan of fishes, particularly extinct ones
Fan of fishes, particularly extinct ones
Reposted by Zach
So happy to announce our new preprint, “A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes.” We cultured a novel amoeba from Lassen Volcanic NP (CA, USA) that divides at 63°C (145°F) 🔥 - a new record for euk growth!
#protistsonsky 🧵
#protistsonsky 🧵
November 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
So happy to announce our new preprint, “A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes.” We cultured a novel amoeba from Lassen Volcanic NP (CA, USA) that divides at 63°C (145°F) 🔥 - a new record for euk growth!
#protistsonsky 🧵
#protistsonsky 🧵
parasphenoid. the most epic bone.
November 25, 2025 at 3:01 PM
parasphenoid. the most epic bone.
Good luck to all prospectives applying to labs— remember, no matter what happens, you matter and have value.
November 24, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Good luck to all prospectives applying to labs— remember, no matter what happens, you matter and have value.
If you can tell me what this is I will maybe give you 1 billion dollars #fossifriday.
November 22, 2025 at 3:39 AM
If you can tell me what this is I will maybe give you 1 billion dollars #fossifriday.
Every ray-finned fish from the Carbonifeorus looks the same as every other fish from the Carboniferous aside from the animals that look different.
November 21, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Every ray-finned fish from the Carbonifeorus looks the same as every other fish from the Carboniferous aside from the animals that look different.
A video like this reminds me why we do what we do.
Great video highlighting the value of natural history collections and the importance of preserving them for generations to come
The Library of Life - Dahiana Arcila, Ricardo Betancur-R., Ben Frable
YouTube video by FishEvolutionLab-Edu
youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:41 AM
A video like this reminds me why we do what we do.
Reposted by Zach
Great video highlighting the value of natural history collections and the importance of preserving them for generations to come
The Library of Life - Dahiana Arcila, Ricardo Betancur-R., Ben Frable
YouTube video by FishEvolutionLab-Edu
youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Great video highlighting the value of natural history collections and the importance of preserving them for generations to come
Reposted by Zach
Very excited to share my exploration of the phylogenetics of early ray-finned fishes, out today in the Anatomical Record! Really busy day but I’ll have more info shortly.
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
An ontological morphological phylogenetic framework for living and extinct ray‐finned fishes (Actinopterygii)
The ray-finned fishes include one out of every two species of living vertebrates on Earth and have an abundant fossil record stretching 380 million years into the past. The division of systematic kno...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Very excited to share my exploration of the phylogenetics of early ray-finned fishes, out today in the Anatomical Record! Really busy day but I’ll have more info shortly.
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Humbled and honored to be able to present my work at this year’s iteration of SVP, and to be provided funds by the society to support my travel. Great views from the plane back yesterday, including the St. Clair Delta. Back in the states now, ready to scan more fish !
November 17, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Humbled and honored to be able to present my work at this year’s iteration of SVP, and to be provided funds by the society to support my travel. Great views from the plane back yesterday, including the St. Clair Delta. Back in the states now, ready to scan more fish !
Reposted by Zach
Here the result of the Seaham Formation #paleostream, maybe the most relaxing formation stream we will ever have! This Carboniferous tundra wasn't chosen because of it's fossils, but because of its setting.
November 16, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Here the result of the Seaham Formation #paleostream, maybe the most relaxing formation stream we will ever have! This Carboniferous tundra wasn't chosen because of it's fossils, but because of its setting.
Reposted by Zach
CONGRATULATIONS to paleontologist Dr. Michael Benton for being awarded the highest and most esteemed award at #2025SVP: the Romer-Simpson Award!!! 🎉🎉🎉
November 15, 2025 at 10:06 PM
CONGRATULATIONS to paleontologist Dr. Michael Benton for being awarded the highest and most esteemed award at #2025SVP: the Romer-Simpson Award!!! 🎉🎉🎉
Reposted by Zach
Every person in this room studies an animal with a backbone - they're all paleontologists 🙌🦖🐟🐢🐦⬛🦎⛏️!
Thanks to the organizers of #2025SVP for another great Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting in Birmingham 🇬🇧!
Thanks to the organizers of #2025SVP for another great Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting in Birmingham 🇬🇧!
November 15, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Every person in this room studies an animal with a backbone - they're all paleontologists 🙌🦖🐟🐢🐦⬛🦎⛏️!
Thanks to the organizers of #2025SVP for another great Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting in Birmingham 🇬🇧!
Thanks to the organizers of #2025SVP for another great Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting in Birmingham 🇬🇧!
Reposted by Zach
Congrats to Michigan paleo awardees at #2025SVP: Evan Unruh-Friesen (Lindsay Award) and Zach Lyons-Weiler (Jackson School of Geosciences Travel Award).
November 15, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Congrats to Michigan paleo awardees at #2025SVP: Evan Unruh-Friesen (Lindsay Award) and Zach Lyons-Weiler (Jackson School of Geosciences Travel Award).
Reposted by Zach
On my way to #2025SVP #SVP2025. I'll be presenting a poster on behalf of Indian and U.S. colleagues on Friday afternoon — focused on a wonderful new turtle skull and on Indian Plate biotic endemism during the K-Pg. Stop by!
(The paper describing this new turtle is in review at JVP...)
(The paper describing this new turtle is in review at JVP...)
November 11, 2025 at 11:40 PM
A bit of a pleasant surprise to wake up to actual snow this morning. Hopefully it stays this way this winter!
November 9, 2025 at 11:18 PM
A bit of a pleasant surprise to wake up to actual snow this morning. Hopefully it stays this way this winter!
Reposted by Zach
I didn't get to do #FishOfTheWeek last week because I was in Poland for field work, but it's gar week this week so of course I have to talk about one of my all-time favorite fishes. And there's a lot know, so get ready to learn something new
1/8
1/8
November 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I didn't get to do #FishOfTheWeek last week because I was in Poland for field work, but it's gar week this week so of course I have to talk about one of my all-time favorite fishes. And there's a lot know, so get ready to learn something new
1/8
1/8
Reposted by Zach
New paper in JSP: Gonçalves & Luccisano reassess the taxonomy and phylogeny of Aeduellidae, Carboniferous ray-finned fish from Decazeville Basin, France 🐟
Results hint at a North American origin… or convergent traits that muddy the family waters.
Read the study: buff.ly/huDEsiU #paleosky #fossilfish
Results hint at a North American origin… or convergent traits that muddy the family waters.
Read the study: buff.ly/huDEsiU #paleosky #fossilfish
November 3, 2025 at 10:53 AM
New paper in JSP: Gonçalves & Luccisano reassess the taxonomy and phylogeny of Aeduellidae, Carboniferous ray-finned fish from Decazeville Basin, France 🐟
Results hint at a North American origin… or convergent traits that muddy the family waters.
Read the study: buff.ly/huDEsiU #paleosky #fossilfish
Results hint at a North American origin… or convergent traits that muddy the family waters.
Read the study: buff.ly/huDEsiU #paleosky #fossilfish
Yet another reason why data centers are terrible.
1/4 I typically do not use preprint services, but our findings are important to the residents of Bessemer, Alabama impacted by the Marvel Project...a mega datacenter that will have a huge environmental impact.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 8, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Yet another reason why data centers are terrible.
Vestiges of a once great radiation persist in another “ganoid” of North American slackwaters (Amia, the bowfin). Halecomorphs, of which Amia is a part, include things as unique as the marine pelagic predator Caturus, from the Jurassic of Germany. #fossilfriday #neoptposting
November 7, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Vestiges of a once great radiation persist in another “ganoid” of North American slackwaters (Amia, the bowfin). Halecomorphs, of which Amia is a part, include things as unique as the marine pelagic predator Caturus, from the Jurassic of Germany. #fossilfriday #neoptposting
I dream of being a long snouted predator in the backwaters of Laurentian rivers, but for now I crush shells with my round teeth and am sad #garweek #scheenstiaposting #totalgroupginglymodi
November 5, 2025 at 11:55 PM
I dream of being a long snouted predator in the backwaters of Laurentian rivers, but for now I crush shells with my round teeth and am sad #garweek #scheenstiaposting #totalgroupginglymodi
Reposted by Zach
“I hope every woman who has ever faced an abuser like Cuomo knows she doesn’t have to be ashamed, she doesn’t have to hide. Because we will beat these monsters. New Yorkers said “no more” to Andrew Cuomo, and that is just remarkable.” indypendent.org/2025/07/we-w...
‘We Will Beat These Monsters’: Lindsey Boylan Reacts to Cuomo’s Defeat
The former Cuomo aide was the first of eleven women to publicly denounce the
disgraced governor for sexual harassment.
indypendent.org
July 11, 2025 at 1:33 PM
“I hope every woman who has ever faced an abuser like Cuomo knows she doesn’t have to be ashamed, she doesn’t have to hide. Because we will beat these monsters. New Yorkers said “no more” to Andrew Cuomo, and that is just remarkable.” indypendent.org/2025/07/we-w...
Go dahn to dem polls and vote!!
November 4, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Go dahn to dem polls and vote!!
US folks!! There’s an election tomorrow . Be there or be ◼️
November 4, 2025 at 3:40 AM
US folks!! There’s an election tomorrow . Be there or be ◼️