Paul Barrett
@profpaulbarrett.bsky.social
Dinosaur researcher, birder, author, rugby fan and choral singer (he/him) 🦕🦖🐦⬛🏉🏳️🌈
In a somewhat jarring transition from the foothills of the Himalaya, currently gazing over the wilderness that’s the concourse at Euston Station waiting for a train to whisk me to Birmingham New Street and thence to SVP
November 12, 2025 at 9:03 AM
In a somewhat jarring transition from the foothills of the Himalaya, currently gazing over the wilderness that’s the concourse at Euston Station waiting for a train to whisk me to Birmingham New Street and thence to SVP
Made the mistake of watching Jurassic Park: Rebirth on the plane. Good grief 🤦♂️ The apple has rolled an extraordinarily long way from the tree
November 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Made the mistake of watching Jurassic Park: Rebirth on the plane. Good grief 🤦♂️ The apple has rolled an extraordinarily long way from the tree
This is excellent advice for all first time presenters … also, the quality of your talk will not impact your future career - that comes down to your CV & skills overall, not your ability to perform on the platform. So, if you slip up a bit don’t sweat it - most of the audience won’t realise anyway 🤷🏻♂️
The best advice I received back when I gave my first presentation was, "This is your study and you know this subject better than anyone else who might be listening. Relax." It helped. #2025SVP
Many of our student attendees will be giving their first talk or poster this meeting! What advice you give them to help make it the best experience possible?
#2025SVP
#2025SVP
November 10, 2025 at 3:16 PM
This is excellent advice for all first time presenters … also, the quality of your talk will not impact your future career - that comes down to your CV & skills overall, not your ability to perform on the platform. So, if you slip up a bit don’t sweat it - most of the audience won’t realise anyway 🤷🏻♂️
A bit misty, and from a distance, but a nice clear view of an Indian rhino, the other main wildlife target of the trip
November 10, 2025 at 3:42 AM
A bit misty, and from a distance, but a nice clear view of an Indian rhino, the other main wildlife target of the trip
Reposted by Paul Barrett
My students have set up a petition to persuade the University of Nottingham not to close our Plant Biology BSc course
c.org/VPhzVVrHPS
Please consider signing
c.org/VPhzVVrHPS
Please consider signing
November 8, 2025 at 12:46 PM
My students have set up a petition to persuade the University of Nottingham not to close our Plant Biology BSc course
c.org/VPhzVVrHPS
Please consider signing
c.org/VPhzVVrHPS
Please consider signing
Our wonderful travel advisory service has just sent me a ‘moderate’ risk reminder for my travel to Birmingham, UK for SVP … other than having family there who I might bump into I’m not sure what these risks really are …
November 9, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Our wonderful travel advisory service has just sent me a ‘moderate’ risk reminder for my travel to Birmingham, UK for SVP … other than having family there who I might bump into I’m not sure what these risks really are …
Major goal of this holiday was to see a gharial in the wild - was pleasantly surprised to see several while here, in the rivers bordering Chitwan
November 9, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Major goal of this holiday was to see a gharial in the wild - was pleasantly surprised to see several while here, in the rivers bordering Chitwan
I had a very brief interaction with James Watson in June 1993 - he literally pushed me out of his way on the stairs outside a lecture theatre in @camzoology.bsky.social when I was an undergrad. No apology, just a shove. He was there to unveil a plaque on the side of the Old Cavendish Lab. Rude twat
November 9, 2025 at 7:52 AM
I had a very brief interaction with James Watson in June 1993 - he literally pushed me out of his way on the stairs outside a lecture theatre in @camzoology.bsky.social when I was an undergrad. No apology, just a shove. He was there to unveil a plaque on the side of the Old Cavendish Lab. Rude twat
Sunrise on the Annapurna range
November 7, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Sunrise on the Annapurna range
For this #FossilFriday a Stegodon tooth from the Siwaliks of Nepal on display at the International Mountain Museum, Pokhara
November 7, 2025 at 4:43 AM
For this #FossilFriday a Stegodon tooth from the Siwaliks of Nepal on display at the International Mountain Museum, Pokhara
I’m sure we could find a good home for these dinos and put them to good use for science and education in the public trust …
UK Police Recover £12 Million in Dinosaur Bones From Laundering Suspect
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
UK Police Recover £12 Million in Dinosaur Bones From Laundering Suspect
British police have seized more than £12 million ($15.6 million) of dinosaur skeletons after agreeing a settlement with a Chinese national suspected of being part a huge money laundering scandal.
www.bloomberg.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:02 AM
I’m sure we could find a good home for these dinos and put them to good use for science and education in the public trust …
These cats have seen things that would haunt your worst nightmares … some of the most terrifying taxidermy I’ve seen in a while …
November 6, 2025 at 10:21 AM
These cats have seen things that would haunt your worst nightmares … some of the most terrifying taxidermy I’ve seen in a while …
Another failure for nature at the hands of @teamlabouruk.bsky.social who promised so much to protect our natural environment and are breaking promise after promise. Just the latest disappointment.
Last night, Peers voted against Swift bricks: rejecting a simple, proven way to help one of our fastest declining birds recover. ❌
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
November 5, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Another failure for nature at the hands of @teamlabouruk.bsky.social who promised so much to protect our natural environment and are breaking promise after promise. Just the latest disappointment.
I had no idea it was going to be so easy to spot the elusive yeti, but here’s one in plain sight lurking among the displays at the International Mountain Museum, Pokhara
November 5, 2025 at 10:34 AM
I had no idea it was going to be so easy to spot the elusive yeti, but here’s one in plain sight lurking among the displays at the International Mountain Museum, Pokhara
Kathmandu and Patan atmospheric despite the rain
November 1, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Kathmandu and Patan atmospheric despite the rain
Also interesting to read recent comments on dino extinction. Despite a handful of detractors, most of us have agreed for some time that dinos were likely diverse until the very end. Recent work on this issue has been confirmatory in terms of the macro picture rather than startling 🤷🏻♂️
October 31, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Also interesting to read recent comments on dino extinction. Despite a handful of detractors, most of us have agreed for some time that dinos were likely diverse until the very end. Recent work on this issue has been confirmatory in terms of the macro picture rather than startling 🤷🏻♂️
Enjoying watching that section of dino science that obsesses about tyrannosaurs go insane with the latest genus level taxonomic revision … those of us with the good sense to work on other parts of the tree deal with these relatively minor taxonomic rearrangements rather more phlegmatically … 🦕🦕🦕
October 30, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Enjoying watching that section of dino science that obsesses about tyrannosaurs go insane with the latest genus level taxonomic revision … those of us with the good sense to work on other parts of the tree deal with these relatively minor taxonomic rearrangements rather more phlegmatically … 🦕🦕🦕
Reposted by Paul Barrett
In honour of #2025SVP #SVP2025 in the UK, @journalsystpal.bsky.social has a special collection of landmark papers in vertebrate palaeontology. These papers have revolutionised our understanding of the systematics of major vertebrare groups, and are open access for Nov: share.google/1DIgZYMyjXUH...
JSP Landmark Papers in Vertebrate Palaeontology
Explore the article collection: JSP Landmark Papers in Vertebrate Palaeontology. Published in Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
share.google
October 29, 2025 at 6:14 PM
In honour of #2025SVP #SVP2025 in the UK, @journalsystpal.bsky.social has a special collection of landmark papers in vertebrate palaeontology. These papers have revolutionised our understanding of the systematics of major vertebrare groups, and are open access for Nov: share.google/1DIgZYMyjXUH...
New paper just out on the histology of Liaoningosaurus where we demonstrate that these tiny animals are all one year old or less www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Bone histology of Liaoningosaurus paradoxus (Ornithischia: Ankylosauria) from the Lower Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China
The ankylosaurian dinosaur Liaoningosaurus paradoxus, from the Lower Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China, is represented by numerous specimens identified as juvenile individuals based on their b...
www.tandfonline.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:43 AM
New paper just out on the histology of Liaoningosaurus where we demonstrate that these tiny animals are all one year old or less www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
It’s very dispiriting to see some bad actors in our field receiving plaudits through the praise of other colleagues who should know better … ethics should trump a desire to be in the news
October 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM
It’s very dispiriting to see some bad actors in our field receiving plaudits through the praise of other colleagues who should know better … ethics should trump a desire to be in the news
Found this while browsing in a Honiton bookshop: a nice 1863 (6th Ed.) Natural History of Selborne with sons nice woodcut illustrations
October 11, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Found this while browsing in a Honiton bookshop: a nice 1863 (6th Ed.) Natural History of Selborne with sons nice woodcut illustrations
Back after a whirlwind trip to the Nopcsa meeting - lots of interesting talks on his life and legacy and some good chances to hatch new research projects, as well as a couple of hours to run around Budapest
October 3, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Back after a whirlwind trip to the Nopcsa meeting - lots of interesting talks on his life and legacy and some good chances to hatch new research projects, as well as a couple of hours to run around Budapest
In a sunny autumnal Budapest (my first time in Hungary) for the Nopcsa memorial meeting. Nice to see Attila Ösi, Eric Buffetaut and others in attendance
October 2, 2025 at 8:57 AM
In a sunny autumnal Budapest (my first time in Hungary) for the Nopcsa memorial meeting. Nice to see Attila Ösi, Eric Buffetaut and others in attendance
Sad news, the passing of a giant of the conservation world www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Dame Jane Goodall remembered as 'true hero for the planet'
Leonardo DiCaprio and Barack Obama are among those paying tribute to the leading conservationist.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 2, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Sad news, the passing of a giant of the conservation world www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...