Thomas Stroud
@tstroudd.bsky.social
PhD candidate at Northern Arizona University. Tennessee Tech and Ball State alum. Evolutionary biomechanics, functional morphology, and muscle physiology in turtles. Chelydridologist 🐢 🦴 💪 🌊 Views my own. he/him.
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
a baby alligator snapping turtle named Acorn, and an acorn named Baby Alligator Snapping Turtle ༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･
November 3, 2025 at 12:01 AM
a baby alligator snapping turtle named Acorn, and an acorn named Baby Alligator Snapping Turtle ༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Just thinking about her
November 6, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Just thinking about her
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Very happy that our new paper on the odd, looped optic nerves of chameleons is now out! It turns out having highly mobile eyes require some pretty specialized connections! doi.org/10.1038/s415...
November 10, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Very happy that our new paper on the odd, looped optic nerves of chameleons is now out! It turns out having highly mobile eyes require some pretty specialized connections! doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Your BONES 🦴 are WET💧.
Sorry, I know that's a weird thing to tell someone, but it's:
A. True.
B. Important, for reasons.
Your bones are about 30% water by weight & an adult skeleton contains ~3.2 liters of water, a little less than a gallon.
Sorry, I know that's a weird thing to tell someone, but it's:
A. True.
B. Important, for reasons.
Your bones are about 30% water by weight & an adult skeleton contains ~3.2 liters of water, a little less than a gallon.
November 3, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Your BONES 🦴 are WET💧.
Sorry, I know that's a weird thing to tell someone, but it's:
A. True.
B. Important, for reasons.
Your bones are about 30% water by weight & an adult skeleton contains ~3.2 liters of water, a little less than a gallon.
Sorry, I know that's a weird thing to tell someone, but it's:
A. True.
B. Important, for reasons.
Your bones are about 30% water by weight & an adult skeleton contains ~3.2 liters of water, a little less than a gallon.
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
This picture tells a story about who we are as humans:
we're monkeys that want to see the view from the hill, because it might be pretty, surprising, or neat.
We're driven by discovery, novelty, curiosity.
But you'll also notice how uniform the patterning is.
Let's talk about Desire Paths.
we're monkeys that want to see the view from the hill, because it might be pretty, surprising, or neat.
We're driven by discovery, novelty, curiosity.
But you'll also notice how uniform the patterning is.
Let's talk about Desire Paths.
November 3, 2025 at 2:18 PM
This picture tells a story about who we are as humans:
we're monkeys that want to see the view from the hill, because it might be pretty, surprising, or neat.
We're driven by discovery, novelty, curiosity.
But you'll also notice how uniform the patterning is.
Let's talk about Desire Paths.
we're monkeys that want to see the view from the hill, because it might be pretty, surprising, or neat.
We're driven by discovery, novelty, curiosity.
But you'll also notice how uniform the patterning is.
Let's talk about Desire Paths.
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
New PhD preprint! We studied the effects of habitat and multi-stage life cycles on salamander limb bones! Aquatic and terrestrial spp. have divergent morphs + semi-aquatic and multi-phasic spp. do their own thing + decoupled external and internal shape promote diversity. 🧪🦎
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 22, 2025 at 9:01 PM
New PhD preprint! We studied the effects of habitat and multi-stage life cycles on salamander limb bones! Aquatic and terrestrial spp. have divergent morphs + semi-aquatic and multi-phasic spp. do their own thing + decoupled external and internal shape promote diversity. 🧪🦎
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
New paper on crocodylian locomotor evolution led by Masaya Iijima, w/Richard Blob & me!
More erect hindlimb postures help extant gators support their weight (esp. at ankle), & how these mechanics constrained giant Deinosuchus to a slow walk at best!
The paper-- www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
More erect hindlimb postures help extant gators support their weight (esp. at ankle), & how these mechanics constrained giant Deinosuchus to a slow walk at best!
The paper-- www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Biomechanical simulations of hindlimb function in Alligator provide insights into postural shifts and body size evolution
Locomotor simulations in alligators reveal that transitions to erect limb postures facilitate the evolution of larger body sizes.
www.science.org
October 22, 2025 at 6:40 PM
New paper on crocodylian locomotor evolution led by Masaya Iijima, w/Richard Blob & me!
More erect hindlimb postures help extant gators support their weight (esp. at ankle), & how these mechanics constrained giant Deinosuchus to a slow walk at best!
The paper-- www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
More erect hindlimb postures help extant gators support their weight (esp. at ankle), & how these mechanics constrained giant Deinosuchus to a slow walk at best!
The paper-- www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Taphonomy is the science of what happens between death and discovery.
September 28, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Taphonomy is the science of what happens between death and discovery.
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
For this #FluorescenceFriday, a gorgeous image of an adult mouse kidney labeled with AQP2 and alpha SMA antibodies. AQP2 (green) marks the collecting duct and distal connecting segment while SMA marks the arterial tree. Courtesy of talented postdoc Sarah McLarnon.
September 26, 2025 at 5:51 PM
For this #FluorescenceFriday, a gorgeous image of an adult mouse kidney labeled with AQP2 and alpha SMA antibodies. AQP2 (green) marks the collecting duct and distal connecting segment while SMA marks the arterial tree. Courtesy of talented postdoc Sarah McLarnon.
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Newest paper from the lab! Led by recent lab alum Maressa Kennedy, we utilized a novel nipple apparatus capable of modulating milk flow rate and stiffness to investigate the impact of multiple sensory inputs on suck-swallow-breathing coordination in an infant pig model. 🤖🐷🍼
doi.org/10.1152/japp...
doi.org/10.1152/japp...
September 14, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Newest paper from the lab! Led by recent lab alum Maressa Kennedy, we utilized a novel nipple apparatus capable of modulating milk flow rate and stiffness to investigate the impact of multiple sensory inputs on suck-swallow-breathing coordination in an infant pig model. 🤖🐷🍼
doi.org/10.1152/japp...
doi.org/10.1152/japp...
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Apply for the Scripps Postdoctoral Fellowship! I'm looking to support a strong candidate in fish physiology and/or biomechanics. Deadline: Oct 9, 2025. Eligibility: PhD by Nov 30, 2026 with ≤3 years postdoc experience. 2 years, $74K salary, $6K research allowance 👉 apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04348 🧪 🐟
Scripps Postdoctoral Scholar Award - 2026
University of California, San Diego is hiring. Apply now!
apol-recruit.ucsd.edu
September 10, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Apply for the Scripps Postdoctoral Fellowship! I'm looking to support a strong candidate in fish physiology and/or biomechanics. Deadline: Oct 9, 2025. Eligibility: PhD by Nov 30, 2026 with ≤3 years postdoc experience. 2 years, $74K salary, $6K research allowance 👉 apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04348 🧪 🐟
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
I'M LOSING MY MIND, THE BEST AND MOST EXCITING YHING JUST HAPPENED, BABY SNAPPING TURTLES HATCHED IN MY YARD, HOLY FUCKING SHIT WOW HOLY FUCK
September 5, 2025 at 9:17 PM
I'M LOSING MY MIND, THE BEST AND MOST EXCITING YHING JUST HAPPENED, BABY SNAPPING TURTLES HATCHED IN MY YARD, HOLY FUCKING SHIT WOW HOLY FUCK
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
I'm recruiting a PhD student to join the lab at @gtsciences.bsky.social in Fall 2026! Broad taxonomic and topical freedom under the umbrella of vertebrate joint form and function. Information here: www.manafzadeh.com – please share 🦴🩻
✨Some news✨: after finishing my postdoc, I’ll be starting my lab as an Assistant Professor at Georgia Tech. Join us in Atlanta to study how joints work and where they come from!
September 2, 2025 at 4:07 PM
I'm recruiting a PhD student to join the lab at @gtsciences.bsky.social in Fall 2026! Broad taxonomic and topical freedom under the umbrella of vertebrate joint form and function. Information here: www.manafzadeh.com – please share 🦴🩻
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
New paper out in Pediatric Research! We found that feeding in infant pigs raised on a ducted, biomimetic nipple more closely resembled the mechanics of breastfeeding, and that differences in nipple design impacted milk acquisition and overall feeding performance 🐷🍼
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
September 2, 2025 at 12:46 PM
New paper out in Pediatric Research! We found that feeding in infant pigs raised on a ducted, biomimetic nipple more closely resembled the mechanics of breastfeeding, and that differences in nipple design impacted milk acquisition and overall feeding performance 🐷🍼
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
From the depths of the pond.
Snapping turtle swimming underwater while painted turtles swim at the surface.
Snapping turtle swimming underwater while painted turtles swim at the surface.
August 22, 2025 at 11:47 PM
From the depths of the pond.
Snapping turtle swimming underwater while painted turtles swim at the surface.
Snapping turtle swimming underwater while painted turtles swim at the surface.
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Hatchlings are emerging! Look at the little sand beard on this baby snapper! 🐢
August 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Hatchlings are emerging! Look at the little sand beard on this baby snapper! 🐢
My Alma mater! So jealous!
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Scopes trial telling students in central Tennessee about their inner fish.
I’m so grateful to the high school and middle school teachers who brought their students from small schools to the event (some from almost an hr away).
I’m so grateful to the high school and middle school teachers who brought their students from small schools to the event (some from almost an hr away).
August 29, 2025 at 5:44 PM
My Alma mater! So jealous!
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Our new paper led by recent lab alumni Hannah Shideler and postdoc Elska Kaczmarek is out in ICB @sicbjournals.bsky.social! For the first time ever, we reconstructed the volume of the oral cavity during suckling, and found that nipple design impacts tongue function.
doi.org/10.1093/icb/...
doi.org/10.1093/icb/...
August 18, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Our new paper led by recent lab alumni Hannah Shideler and postdoc Elska Kaczmarek is out in ICB @sicbjournals.bsky.social! For the first time ever, we reconstructed the volume of the oral cavity during suckling, and found that nipple design impacts tongue function.
doi.org/10.1093/icb/...
doi.org/10.1093/icb/...
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
I NEED to tell you the story of Tae Heung “William” Kim.
He's a graduate student at Texas A&M where he's working on a vaccine for Lyme disease.
He's a *legal permanent resident* of the United States.
And he's been in ICE detention for 12 days & counting, transferred Tuesday to South Texas.
He's a graduate student at Texas A&M where he's working on a vaccine for Lyme disease.
He's a *legal permanent resident* of the United States.
And he's been in ICE detention for 12 days & counting, transferred Tuesday to South Texas.
July 31, 2025 at 11:35 AM
I NEED to tell you the story of Tae Heung “William” Kim.
He's a graduate student at Texas A&M where he's working on a vaccine for Lyme disease.
He's a *legal permanent resident* of the United States.
And he's been in ICE detention for 12 days & counting, transferred Tuesday to South Texas.
He's a graduate student at Texas A&M where he's working on a vaccine for Lyme disease.
He's a *legal permanent resident* of the United States.
And he's been in ICE detention for 12 days & counting, transferred Tuesday to South Texas.
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
July 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
📣I’m hiring!
Two weeks to apply for an October start.
Start date is also flexible.
#PhD #Morphology #evolution
Two weeks to apply for an October start.
Start date is also flexible.
#PhD #Morphology #evolution
Are you looking for a PhD project starting this year?
I have a funded (UK rates) project on mammal skull diversity and function, looking at skull allometry and how mammal heads adapt to trade-offs in tissue demands during growth 🦌🦘🐘🦥
Please share and apply: www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/buil...
I have a funded (UK rates) project on mammal skull diversity and function, looking at skull allometry and how mammal heads adapt to trade-offs in tissue demands during growth 🦌🦘🐘🦥
Please share and apply: www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/buil...
Building giants: tissue relationships during skull growth in large mammals | Courses | University of Liverpool
From elephants to rhinos to bison, enormous increases in body mass have repeatedly evolved within Mammalia over relatively short timescales, leading to a diversity of size and shape. In this project, ...
www.liverpool.ac.uk
July 28, 2025 at 7:11 AM
📣I’m hiring!
Two weeks to apply for an October start.
Start date is also flexible.
#PhD #Morphology #evolution
Two weeks to apply for an October start.
Start date is also flexible.
#PhD #Morphology #evolution
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
New review in PRX Life, where we propose a tangibility scale for the physics of social interactions, and highlight a few tangible examples - from dead fish “swimming” to efficient schooling, warm penguin huddles, and dry ant rafts.
Written with the brilliant Chantal Nguyen 🐟🐧🐜
tinyurl.com/naet5tdh
Written with the brilliant Chantal Nguyen 🐟🐧🐜
tinyurl.com/naet5tdh
July 27, 2025 at 12:11 AM
New review in PRX Life, where we propose a tangibility scale for the physics of social interactions, and highlight a few tangible examples - from dead fish “swimming” to efficient schooling, warm penguin huddles, and dry ant rafts.
Written with the brilliant Chantal Nguyen 🐟🐧🐜
tinyurl.com/naet5tdh
Written with the brilliant Chantal Nguyen 🐟🐧🐜
tinyurl.com/naet5tdh
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
Say hello to Florida's newest established species, Typhlonectes natans - the Rio Cauca Caecilian! You can read about their relative abundance, distribution, & natural history, in our brand new paper:
journals.ku.edu/reptilesanda...
Here is one individual I CT scanned that had 7 babies inside!
journals.ku.edu/reptilesanda...
Here is one individual I CT scanned that had 7 babies inside!
July 26, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Say hello to Florida's newest established species, Typhlonectes natans - the Rio Cauca Caecilian! You can read about their relative abundance, distribution, & natural history, in our brand new paper:
journals.ku.edu/reptilesanda...
Here is one individual I CT scanned that had 7 babies inside!
journals.ku.edu/reptilesanda...
Here is one individual I CT scanned that had 7 babies inside!
Reposted by Thomas Stroud
One of the most irritating things about RFK Jr is how he makes things that are usually fun biologist anecdotes ("I found some neat roadkill, I got to hold a lamprey" etc) seem uncool and weird
July 27, 2025 at 3:58 AM
One of the most irritating things about RFK Jr is how he makes things that are usually fun biologist anecdotes ("I found some neat roadkill, I got to hold a lamprey" etc) seem uncool and weird