Lizzy Steell
@lizzysteell.bsky.social
Birds 🦜 Passerines 🐦 Fossils 🦴 Macroevolution
Post-doc at Girton College and Cambridge University (Sarah Woodhead Research Fellow in Earth Science)
Post-doc at Girton College and Cambridge University (Sarah Woodhead Research Fellow in Earth Science)
Eurasian Jay posing for the camera this weekend ☺️ #birding #photography
October 26, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Eurasian Jay posing for the camera this weekend ☺️ #birding #photography
We estimated the mass of A. gracilis at ~33g, which would make it the smallest of all bowerbirds. Living bowerbirds range from ~62g-292g. Our fossil bird would be about the same size as the NZ Bellbird, but with longer feet.
📸 New Zealand Bellbird. © Daniel J. Field @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social
(7/11)
📸 New Zealand Bellbird. © Daniel J. Field @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social
(7/11)
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
We estimated the mass of A. gracilis at ~33g, which would make it the smallest of all bowerbirds. Living bowerbirds range from ~62g-292g. Our fossil bird would be about the same size as the NZ Bellbird, but with longer feet.
📸 New Zealand Bellbird. © Daniel J. Field @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social
(7/11)
📸 New Zealand Bellbird. © Daniel J. Field @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social
(7/11)
Aeviperditus gracilis has a foot most similar to the avenue bowerbird clade. Bowerbirds are famous for their colourfully decorated bowers, which males of many species build to attract mates.
📸 Satin Bowerbird at his avenue bower decorated in blue. © Daniel J. Field @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social
(6/11)
📸 Satin Bowerbird at his avenue bower decorated in blue. © Daniel J. Field @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social
(6/11)
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Aeviperditus gracilis has a foot most similar to the avenue bowerbird clade. Bowerbirds are famous for their colourfully decorated bowers, which males of many species build to attract mates.
📸 Satin Bowerbird at his avenue bower decorated in blue. © Daniel J. Field @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social
(6/11)
📸 Satin Bowerbird at his avenue bower decorated in blue. © Daniel J. Field @fieldpalaeo.bsky.social
(6/11)
A trait similarity analysis revealed it was very similar in shape to the bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) from Australia and New Guinea, which are not endemic in New Zealand or known from the NZ fossil record! (5/11)
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
A trait similarity analysis revealed it was very similar in shape to the bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) from Australia and New Guinea, which are not endemic in New Zealand or known from the NZ fossil record! (5/11)
Unfortunately it was broken at the proximal end, but the proportions are long and gracile, hence 'gracilis' in the species name. We compared it to all the endemic NZ passerine species, but nothing was similar. Scratching our heads, we looked further afield to Australian species. (4/11)
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Unfortunately it was broken at the proximal end, but the proportions are long and gracile, hence 'gracilis' in the species name. We compared it to all the endemic NZ passerine species, but nothing was similar. Scratching our heads, we looked further afield to Australian species. (4/11)
Our new fossil was described from a single 3D well preserved foot (tarsometatarsus). The bone is from a small passerine, and only measures about ~3cm in length. Micro-CT scanning meant we could study it in greater detail than under a microscope. (3/11)
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Our new fossil was described from a single 3D well preserved foot (tarsometatarsus). The bone is from a small passerine, and only measures about ~3cm in length. Micro-CT scanning meant we could study it in greater detail than under a microscope. (3/11)
🦴New fossil alert🦴 Introducing Aeviperditus gracilis, a possible bowerbird from the Miocene of New Zealand. My first fossil description!
Artwork by the amazing Sasha Votyakova (Te Papa CC-BY-SA) (🧵1/11)
Artwork by the amazing Sasha Votyakova (Te Papa CC-BY-SA) (🧵1/11)
October 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
🦴New fossil alert🦴 Introducing Aeviperditus gracilis, a possible bowerbird from the Miocene of New Zealand. My first fossil description!
Artwork by the amazing Sasha Votyakova (Te Papa CC-BY-SA) (🧵1/11)
Artwork by the amazing Sasha Votyakova (Te Papa CC-BY-SA) (🧵1/11)
A happy afternoon practicing some warbler photography in @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton 😊
June 14, 2025 at 7:45 PM
A happy afternoon practicing some warbler photography in @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton 😊
Finally, we explored the effect of relative homoplasy on discrete morphospace and artificially increased homoplasy in simulated matrices. (6/n)
May 13, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Finally, we explored the effect of relative homoplasy on discrete morphospace and artificially increased homoplasy in simulated matrices. (6/n)
RHI differs from other methods like RI (retention index) and HER (homoplasy excess ratio) in being generally better at detecting differences between datasets when homoplasy levels are high. (3/n)
May 13, 2025 at 2:37 PM
RHI differs from other methods like RI (retention index) and HER (homoplasy excess ratio) in being generally better at detecting differences between datasets when homoplasy levels are high. (3/n)