Neil Kelley
@kelleypaleolab.bsky.social
A vertebrate paleontologist in the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Vanderbilt University with an affinity toward salty reptiles and an irreverent internet presence. Like Nardwuar meets AS Romer minus the fame & charisma.
I spotted this albino/leucistic alligator gar at @tnaquarium.bsky.social yesterday! Very auspicious omen for #garweek
November 6, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I spotted this albino/leucistic alligator gar at @tnaquarium.bsky.social yesterday! Very auspicious omen for #garweek
More Athens gems…
June 24, 2025 at 12:32 PM
More Athens gems…
Had a blast at #Evol2025 @evolmtg.bsky.social saw some great talks! Met cool new people & reconnected with old friends. Visited numerous Athens alt-rocj shrines.
June 24, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Had a blast at #Evol2025 @evolmtg.bsky.social saw some great talks! Met cool new people & reconnected with old friends. Visited numerous Athens alt-rocj shrines.
At my first Evolution meeting, #Evol2025 in Athens Ga. Talks have been great, but highlights have also included some fun wildlife encounters: Brown Thrasher and my first live Armadillo! @evolmtg.bsky.social
June 22, 2025 at 10:38 AM
At my first Evolution meeting, #Evol2025 in Athens Ga. Talks have been great, but highlights have also included some fun wildlife encounters: Brown Thrasher and my first live Armadillo! @evolmtg.bsky.social
Welcome the new (or at least newly described) Jurassic ichthyosaur 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘪 from British Columbia. Featured in a new paper by Massare & colleagues. www.sci.news/paleontology... #FossilFriday #Ichthyosaur
Full paper: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Full paper: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
June 20, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Welcome the new (or at least newly described) Jurassic ichthyosaur 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘪 from British Columbia. Featured in a new paper by Massare & colleagues. www.sci.news/paleontology... #FossilFriday #Ichthyosaur
Full paper: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Full paper: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Swimming crabs don’t look very effective but some are essentially pelagic!
April 24, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Swimming crabs don’t look very effective but some are essentially pelagic!
Reminds me of the old Athelstan Spilhaus educational "Our New Age" comics from the same era!
April 8, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reminds me of the old Athelstan Spilhaus educational "Our New Age" comics from the same era!
As someone who studies land/sea evolutionary transitions I will never cease to be amazed that a virtually identical body plan (albeit differently sized) is equally viable 4km down on the bottom of the ocean and under a rotten log in my yard.
February 25, 2025 at 6:18 PM
As someone who studies land/sea evolutionary transitions I will never cease to be amazed that a virtually identical body plan (albeit differently sized) is equally viable 4km down on the bottom of the ocean and under a rotten log in my yard.
Oh no! I'm trapped in a recursive ichthyosaur skeleton loop!! Help!
February 23, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Oh no! I'm trapped in a recursive ichthyosaur skeleton loop!! Help!
Daily affirmation_0.0.1: This does nothing for nobody but is at least a foundation.
February 13, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Daily affirmation_0.0.1: This does nothing for nobody but is at least a foundation.
Me using the very current and relatable analogy of accidentally putting a polaroid picture through the delicates cycle vs. towels cycle to explain variable diagenetic alteration of primary sedimentary geochemical records.
February 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Me using the very current and relatable analogy of accidentally putting a polaroid picture through the delicates cycle vs. towels cycle to explain variable diagenetic alteration of primary sedimentary geochemical records.
Happy International Women in Science day to Dr. Jessica Oster (photo center) geochemist, climate scientist, mom, wife, cave adventurer and real talk mentor extraordinaire!
February 11, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Happy International Women in Science day to Dr. Jessica Oster (photo center) geochemist, climate scientist, mom, wife, cave adventurer and real talk mentor extraordinaire!
“h-a-t-e” is a weird way to spell “love”!
February 11, 2025 at 3:35 PM
“h-a-t-e” is a weird way to spell “love”!
Fine. I'm not above it. Here are some #superb #owl fossil feet. The top bones (panels "a" and "b") belong to the 50 million year old owl 𝘠𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘹 described by Mayr & Kitchener in 2022. Remarkably one bone preserves the remains of a fossilized "toe-pad" ("tpd" in the photo).
February 9, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I think my fellow ex-San Luis Obispoean has this correct and to point 3:
February 8, 2025 at 1:36 PM
I think my fellow ex-San Luis Obispoean has this correct and to point 3:
