Dax Kellie
@daxkellie.bsky.social
Data Analyst & Science Lead at the Atlas of Living Australia | Evolutionary biologist & social psychologist (PhD) 🧪 | #rstats 📊 | Music enthusiast 🎵
www.daxkellie.com
Opinions are my own, and they do not express those of my employer
www.daxkellie.com
Opinions are my own, and they do not express those of my employer
Pinned
Dax Kellie
@daxkellie.bsky.social
· Sep 2
Reposted by Dax Kellie
For the first time, scientists have documented an unusual defense: Some species of arachnids build giant doppelgängers on their webs, creating a frightening deception that scares off would-be killers. https://scim.ag/487Myn0
November 12, 2025 at 5:08 PM
For the first time, scientists have documented an unusual defense: Some species of arachnids build giant doppelgängers on their webs, creating a frightening deception that scares off would-be killers. https://scim.ag/487Myn0
Large-eyed animals like owls 🦉 have a trade-off between large eyes & short optic nerves, which lowers eye mobility (to compensate they evolved swivelly necks)
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
The twisted secret behind a chameleon’s oddball eyes | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪
The twisted secret behind a chameleon’s oddball eyes
Coiled nerves allow the reptiles to move their peepers in multiple directions at once without moving their heads
www.science.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Large-eyed animals like owls 🦉 have a trade-off between large eyes & short optic nerves, which lowers eye mobility (to compensate they evolved swivelly necks)
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
Reposted by Dax Kellie
New #dataviz on summer heat-stress anomalies in Europe, 1950–2025. 🥵
This map shows hours with WBGT > 29.5 °C—extreme stress where work should be limited. Since 2010, positive anomalies dominate. 300h = 12.5 days of danger. It’s important to focus on the sub-daily exposure.
#rstats #climatechange
This map shows hours with WBGT > 29.5 °C—extreme stress where work should be limited. Since 2010, positive anomalies dominate. 300h = 12.5 days of danger. It’s important to focus on the sub-daily exposure.
#rstats #climatechange
November 8, 2025 at 2:13 PM
New #dataviz on summer heat-stress anomalies in Europe, 1950–2025. 🥵
This map shows hours with WBGT > 29.5 °C—extreme stress where work should be limited. Since 2010, positive anomalies dominate. 300h = 12.5 days of danger. It’s important to focus on the sub-daily exposure.
#rstats #climatechange
This map shows hours with WBGT > 29.5 °C—extreme stress where work should be limited. Since 2010, positive anomalies dominate. 300h = 12.5 days of danger. It’s important to focus on the sub-daily exposure.
#rstats #climatechange
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Spotted this beautifully hairy #owlfly (Acmonotus incusifer) this week.
One of the Split-eyed Owlflies, it seems this isn't a commonly observed species. There are only 5 observations in #inaturalist with all of those in Western Australia.
#ausinverts #Neuroptera #wildoz #insects #nature
One of the Split-eyed Owlflies, it seems this isn't a commonly observed species. There are only 5 observations in #inaturalist with all of those in Western Australia.
#ausinverts #Neuroptera #wildoz #insects #nature
November 4, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Spotted this beautifully hairy #owlfly (Acmonotus incusifer) this week.
One of the Split-eyed Owlflies, it seems this isn't a commonly observed species. There are only 5 observations in #inaturalist with all of those in Western Australia.
#ausinverts #Neuroptera #wildoz #insects #nature
One of the Split-eyed Owlflies, it seems this isn't a commonly observed species. There are only 5 observations in #inaturalist with all of those in Western Australia.
#ausinverts #Neuroptera #wildoz #insects #nature
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Heard about this at #LivingData2025, if you have biodiversity data you want to share but are not sure how, I think this will be really useful.
🚨Our new package {galaxias} is released in R & Python today! 🚨
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
October 27, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Heard about this at #LivingData2025, if you have biodiversity data you want to share but are not sure how, I think this will be really useful.
Reposted by Dax Kellie
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Everyone deserves to see this beautiful piece of science communication.
🌏🧪🪶
There are many things I love about this, but I think number one is that it features the story a little known, but amazing seabird species, the Desertas Petrel.
Everyone deserves to see this beautiful piece of science communication.
🌏🧪🪶
There are many things I love about this, but I think number one is that it features the story a little known, but amazing seabird species, the Desertas Petrel.
Bird migration is changing. What does this reveal about our planet? – visualised
Bird migrations rank as one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Thanks to GPS tracking, scientists are uncovering extraordinary insights into ancient and mysterious journeys – and new threats that are re...
www.theguardian.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:57 AM
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Everyone deserves to see this beautiful piece of science communication.
🌏🧪🪶
There are many things I love about this, but I think number one is that it features the story a little known, but amazing seabird species, the Desertas Petrel.
Everyone deserves to see this beautiful piece of science communication.
🌏🧪🪶
There are many things I love about this, but I think number one is that it features the story a little known, but amazing seabird species, the Desertas Petrel.
Reposted by Dax Kellie
(1) 🥁 Announcing the 2025 Ebbe Nielsen Challenge winners!
First place: 🥇 @rukayaj.bsky.social (@gbifnorway.bsky.social) for BDQEmail
Sharing first place: 🥇 @daxkellie.bsky.social, Amanda Buyan, @shandiya.bsky.social and @rowdynerd.bsky.social (Atlas of Living Australia) for galaxias!
First place: 🥇 @rukayaj.bsky.social (@gbifnorway.bsky.social) for BDQEmail
Sharing first place: 🥇 @daxkellie.bsky.social, Amanda Buyan, @shandiya.bsky.social and @rowdynerd.bsky.social (Atlas of Living Australia) for galaxias!
October 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM
(1) 🥁 Announcing the 2025 Ebbe Nielsen Challenge winners!
First place: 🥇 @rukayaj.bsky.social (@gbifnorway.bsky.social) for BDQEmail
Sharing first place: 🥇 @daxkellie.bsky.social, Amanda Buyan, @shandiya.bsky.social and @rowdynerd.bsky.social (Atlas of Living Australia) for galaxias!
First place: 🥇 @rukayaj.bsky.social (@gbifnorway.bsky.social) for BDQEmail
Sharing first place: 🥇 @daxkellie.bsky.social, Amanda Buyan, @shandiya.bsky.social and @rowdynerd.bsky.social (Atlas of Living Australia) for galaxias!
I’m a few episodes in and this podcast is *fantastic*
Peabody Award-winning journalist Jad Abumrad is back with a new podcast series Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, investigating the icon's creation of Afrobeats and his fight against oppression. n.pr/47wArzy
'Fela Kuti: Fear No Man' podcast explores the icon's music and activism
Peabody Award-winning journalist Jad Abumrad is back with a new podcast series Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, investigating the icon's creation of Afrobeats and his fight against oppression.
n.pr
October 23, 2025 at 9:36 PM
I’m a few episodes in and this podcast is *fantastic*
Reposted by Dax Kellie
VERY proud to release the first version of the OceanOmics per-site #eDNA reports: every site we sampled over the past 4 years, summarised and visualised. We have >5,500 samples over 950 sites, so eventually we will have 950 reports.
Features:
(Thread: 1/6)
Features:
(Thread: 1/6)
October 23, 2025 at 11:06 AM
VERY proud to release the first version of the OceanOmics per-site #eDNA reports: every site we sampled over the past 4 years, summarised and visualised. We have >5,500 samples over 950 sites, so eventually we will have 950 reports.
Features:
(Thread: 1/6)
Features:
(Thread: 1/6)
Want to see what {galaxias} can do? 🤔
Check out slides from a talk we presented on galaxias this week at the Living Data conference:
martinwestgate.com/presentation...
Or, check out this intro video about galaxias:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4-...
#rstats 🌏🧪🐟
Check out slides from a talk we presented on galaxias this week at the Living Data conference:
martinwestgate.com/presentation...
Or, check out this intro video about galaxias:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4-...
#rstats 🌏🧪🐟
October 23, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Want to see what {galaxias} can do? 🤔
Check out slides from a talk we presented on galaxias this week at the Living Data conference:
martinwestgate.com/presentation...
Or, check out this intro video about galaxias:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4-...
#rstats 🌏🧪🐟
Check out slides from a talk we presented on galaxias this week at the Living Data conference:
martinwestgate.com/presentation...
Or, check out this intro video about galaxias:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4-...
#rstats 🌏🧪🐟
🚨Our new package {galaxias} is released in R & Python today! 🚨
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
October 23, 2025 at 2:41 AM
🚨Our new package {galaxias} is released in R & Python today! 🚨
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
📦 galaxias makes it easy to standardise data to Darwin Core, the accepted format for sharing ecological data with infrastructures like @gbif.org and the Atlas of Living Australia
galaxias.ala.org.au
#rstats #python 🧪🌏🐟
A thread 🧵👇
These worms can jump up to 20 times their body length—the equivalent of a human jumping the height of an 11-story building—by riding on electrostatic charges 🪱⚡😮
An incredible example of how important electrostatic forces are for many insects & plants (eg pollination)
🧪🌏🐙
An incredible example of how important electrostatic forces are for many insects & plants (eg pollination)
🧪🌏🐙
my first story back as a freelancer is a fun one: a quick hit for @science.org about the electrostatic tricks that parasitic worms take to infect their hosts... featuring very cool videos! 🧪
Bull’s-eye! Static electricity pulls worm through air to its insect victim
Electrostatic charges may help roundworms infect a wide variety of hosts
www.science.org
October 20, 2025 at 12:20 AM
These worms can jump up to 20 times their body length—the equivalent of a human jumping the height of an 11-story building—by riding on electrostatic charges 🪱⚡😮
An incredible example of how important electrostatic forces are for many insects & plants (eg pollination)
🧪🌏🐙
An incredible example of how important electrostatic forces are for many insects & plants (eg pollination)
🧪🌏🐙
🎉Congrats to 2025's Australian Bird of the Year, the Tawny Frogmouth (everyone's favourite tree-stump-that's-not-actually-a-tree-stump)! 🦉
Here's a map of where they've been recorded. Take a photo of the next tree stump you see, it might be a bird of the year!😉
🌏🧪📊 #rstats @birdlifeoz.bsky.social
Here's a map of where they've been recorded. Take a photo of the next tree stump you see, it might be a bird of the year!😉
🌏🧪📊 #rstats @birdlifeoz.bsky.social
October 17, 2025 at 6:23 AM
🎉Congrats to 2025's Australian Bird of the Year, the Tawny Frogmouth (everyone's favourite tree-stump-that's-not-actually-a-tree-stump)! 🦉
Here's a map of where they've been recorded. Take a photo of the next tree stump you see, it might be a bird of the year!😉
🌏🧪📊 #rstats @birdlifeoz.bsky.social
Here's a map of where they've been recorded. Take a photo of the next tree stump you see, it might be a bird of the year!😉
🌏🧪📊 #rstats @birdlifeoz.bsky.social
And of course a big benefit of joining a group like SORTEE is meeting other like-minded people who care about robust and transparent science. Many are on Bluesky!
If you’re a member and want to be added, send me a DM 😀 🧪🌏
go.bsky.app/44PpngU
If you’re a member and want to be added, send me a DM 😀 🧪🌏
go.bsky.app/44PpngU
October 15, 2025 at 12:26 PM
And of course a big benefit of joining a group like SORTEE is meeting other like-minded people who care about robust and transparent science. Many are on Bluesky!
If you’re a member and want to be added, send me a DM 😀 🧪🌏
go.bsky.app/44PpngU
If you’re a member and want to be added, send me a DM 😀 🧪🌏
go.bsky.app/44PpngU
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Looks like a good guide - the general data cleaning part is a lean intro to some very common issues in all sorts of data. Would be great if every phd who touches raw data was offered a short course in these basics (in R or Python or whatever HipsterScript) cleaning-data-r.ala.org.au/2_general-cl...
October 15, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Looks like a good guide - the general data cleaning part is a lean intro to some very common issues in all sorts of data. Would be great if every phd who touches raw data was offered a short course in these basics (in R or Python or whatever HipsterScript) cleaning-data-r.ala.org.au/2_general-cl...
Still want to make cleaning biodiversity data shrimp-ler? 🦐
Good news: We just updated our Cleaning Biodiversity Data in R book, so you still can! We've updated data for 2025, added new content & fixed lots of silly typos 😀
Live the shrimp-le life:
cleaning-data-r.ala.org.au
#rstats #ecology 🧪🌏
Good news: We just updated our Cleaning Biodiversity Data in R book, so you still can! We've updated data for 2025, added new content & fixed lots of silly typos 😀
Live the shrimp-le life:
cleaning-data-r.ala.org.au
#rstats #ecology 🧪🌏
October 15, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Still want to make cleaning biodiversity data shrimp-ler? 🦐
Good news: We just updated our Cleaning Biodiversity Data in R book, so you still can! We've updated data for 2025, added new content & fixed lots of silly typos 😀
Live the shrimp-le life:
cleaning-data-r.ala.org.au
#rstats #ecology 🧪🌏
Good news: We just updated our Cleaning Biodiversity Data in R book, so you still can! We've updated data for 2025, added new content & fixed lots of silly typos 😀
Live the shrimp-le life:
cleaning-data-r.ala.org.au
#rstats #ecology 🧪🌏
Was listening to D’Angelo just yesterday talking about how he’s one of the greats. Huge loss 💔 RIP
pitchfork.com/news/dangelo...
pitchfork.com/news/dangelo...
D’Angelo, Groundbreaking R&B Artist, Dies at 51
From his 1995 debut Brown Sugar to his 2014 comeback Black Messiah, he helped define the neo-soul movement
pitchfork.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Was listening to D’Angelo just yesterday talking about how he’s one of the greats. Huge loss 💔 RIP
pitchfork.com/news/dangelo...
pitchfork.com/news/dangelo...
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Southern emu wren is a good one for targeted conservation action too. It needs immediate saving from a tenth of it's habitat being converted to a rocket launching facility
October 14, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Southern emu wren is a good one for targeted conservation action too. It needs immediate saving from a tenth of it's habitat being converted to a rocket launching facility
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Vote now, if you haven't already, for the Guardian's Bird of the Year 2025
It helps to nominate a bird that's endangered, giving it a much higher profile - like Baudin's black cockatoo for example
Please vote - this is a wonderful environmental exercise
🙏🏽 🦜
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
It helps to nominate a bird that's endangered, giving it a much higher profile - like Baudin's black cockatoo for example
Please vote - this is a wonderful environmental exercise
🙏🏽 🦜
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Australian bird of the year 2025: vote for your favourite #birdoftheyear in the Guardian / BirdLife Australia poll
From little penguins to (very big) cassowaries, every bird has its fans. Vote for your favourite in the 2025 Guardian/BirdLife Australia poll
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Vote now, if you haven't already, for the Guardian's Bird of the Year 2025
It helps to nominate a bird that's endangered, giving it a much higher profile - like Baudin's black cockatoo for example
Please vote - this is a wonderful environmental exercise
🙏🏽 🦜
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
It helps to nominate a bird that's endangered, giving it a much higher profile - like Baudin's black cockatoo for example
Please vote - this is a wonderful environmental exercise
🙏🏽 🦜
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Field crickets (Gryllinae) aren't just plain brown chirping things in backyards - the group is actually pretty diverse, with >3,000 species. Maybe the weirdest are in the genus Sciobia, which all have these delightful Pikmin-like "hats" 🥺
📸: Sciobia barbara, Pierre-Henri Fabre
#EverydayEnsifera
📸: Sciobia barbara, Pierre-Henri Fabre
#EverydayEnsifera
October 12, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Field crickets (Gryllinae) aren't just plain brown chirping things in backyards - the group is actually pretty diverse, with >3,000 species. Maybe the weirdest are in the genus Sciobia, which all have these delightful Pikmin-like "hats" 🥺
📸: Sciobia barbara, Pierre-Henri Fabre
#EverydayEnsifera
📸: Sciobia barbara, Pierre-Henri Fabre
#EverydayEnsifera
Reposted by Dax Kellie
So much this!! Code is so valuable and literally the thing that creates your results. When you include it in your paper it can be such a valuable resource to everyone (plus earn you a couple more citations).
This:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Absolutely yes. And I'm proud that @asn-amnat.bsky.social has led the way on this with requiring code and data editors checking code for about five years now!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Absolutely yes. And I'm proud that @asn-amnat.bsky.social has led the way on this with requiring code and data editors checking code for about five years now!
Stop treating code like an afterthought: record, share and value it
Scientists, research institutions, funders, libraries and publishers must all improve software practices.
www.nature.com
October 9, 2025 at 5:15 PM
So much this!! Code is so valuable and literally the thing that creates your results. When you include it in your paper it can be such a valuable resource to everyone (plus earn you a couple more citations).
Reposted by Dax Kellie
Pink empress Mantis
October 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Pink empress Mantis
Reposted by Dax Kellie
The threat of extinction is not spread evenly across the tree of life. To protect animals, it’s important to know which ones are most threatened and why.
Of all vertebrates (animals with a backbone and skull), amphibians are most threatened with extinction.
Of all vertebrates (animals with a backbone and skull), amphibians are most threatened with extinction.
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
The threat of extinction is not spread evenly across the tree of life. To protect animals, it’s important to know which ones are most threatened and why.
Of all vertebrates (animals with a backbone and skull), amphibians are most threatened with extinction.
Of all vertebrates (animals with a backbone and skull), amphibians are most threatened with extinction.
That’s me asking a question that appears to be causing everyone else in the audience to have an existential crisis 🥲
Thanks #WOMBAT2025! I had a great time listening to cool speakers and meeting many nice, passionate and impressive people. See ya next time 👋
#rstats
Thanks #WOMBAT2025! I had a great time listening to cool speakers and meeting many nice, passionate and impressive people. See ya next time 👋
#rstats
Thank you so much too all the speakers and participants. #WOMBAT2025 was lovely and we hope to have you for #WOMBAT2026!
We'll share the recordings on youtube, so follow us for news!
#RStats #DataScience
We'll share the recordings on youtube, so follow us for news!
#RStats #DataScience
September 30, 2025 at 12:36 PM
That’s me asking a question that appears to be causing everyone else in the audience to have an existential crisis 🥲
Thanks #WOMBAT2025! I had a great time listening to cool speakers and meeting many nice, passionate and impressive people. See ya next time 👋
#rstats
Thanks #WOMBAT2025! I had a great time listening to cool speakers and meeting many nice, passionate and impressive people. See ya next time 👋
#rstats
Reposted by Dax Kellie
SquidSim is the coolest package - it let's you build complex hierarchical data structures and then simulate data from the world you create. The best tool for doing proper power analyses and testing how well your models can uncover the 'truth'. I've been recommending it to everyone!
Interested in simulating the kind of data that you might commonly find in evolutionary and ecological studies?
Then we have the R package for you - squidSim!!
Check our new preprint:
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Then we have the R package for you - squidSim!!
Check our new preprint:
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
squidSim: a flexible R package for structured and reproducible simulations in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
ecoevorxiv.org
September 15, 2025 at 5:08 PM
SquidSim is the coolest package - it let's you build complex hierarchical data structures and then simulate data from the world you create. The best tool for doing proper power analyses and testing how well your models can uncover the 'truth'. I've been recommending it to everyone!