FHSU Paleo

Home of the #paleontology program @FortHaysState and @SternbergMuseum, run by Dr. Laura E. Wilson (@LEW999)

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

Reminder that our vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology database can be accessed by the public! If you're looking for Western Interior Seaway or Neogene and Quaternary fossils, you can find them here: https://t.co/etRmOqwI70

[Canadian Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology @CanSVP]

We are thrilled to have keynote speaker @LEW999 Dr. Laura Wilson present at #CSVP2024 in Winnipeg! Everyone is welcome to attend, thanks to @RiddellFaculty!

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

El Niños also bring increased rainfall, making the islands lush with vegetation. The increased food supply on land can increase the population of Darwin’s finches, but also increase the number of invasive species like rats. (4/4) #DarwinDay

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

El Niño is a natural event that is based in the Pacific Ocean and happens every two to seven years. The Galapagos Islands are located on the Equator, and it is particularly affected by El Niño. 🧵(1/4) #DarwinDay #DarwinDay2024

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

Fish are the Galapagos penguins’ favorite food, and the lack of them leads to the penguin population to decrease. El Niño also kills off algae, which in turn leads to a decline in the marine iguana population. (3/4)

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

In Argentina in 1832, Charles Darwin collected his first large vertebrate fossil: Megatherium, a giant ground sloth. He soon realized that studying fossils was essential for understanding how evolution worked.
#FossilFriday #DarwinDay #DarwinDay2024 #evolution #SciComm

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

#DarwinDay #DarwinDay2024 #evolution #SciComm

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

#DarwinDay #DarwinDay2024 #evolution #SciComm

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

#DarwinDay #DarwinDay2024 #evolution #SciComm

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

#DarwinDay #DarwinDay2024 #evolution #SciComm

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

🐦‍⬛Hey, did you know that the Galapagos Cormorant lost flight because there weren't mammal predators on the islands? #DarwinDay #DarwinDay2024 #evolution 🦆

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

The Galapagos tortoise is large because of island gigantism. Their ancestors arrived at the islands around 12 Ma. Without competition and predation from large mammals, the tortoises grew bigger over generations to become the primary herbivores. #galapagos #evolution #DarwinDay

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading this thread. I hope you learned something about what made Darwin so fascinated by these Islands. 🧵End of Thread

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

🧵To understand the story of Charles Darwin, we need to first look at how the Galapagos Islands formed, and its climate. This thread is to give insight to why Darwin and many others find the animals they did on the Galapagos 🧵 #DarwinDay

[FHSU Paleo @FHSU_Paleo]

These terrestrial zones lead to a high variety of different species thriving in the Galapagos from the Galapagos sea lion to the Blue-footed booby.