James McCulloch

Genomics PhD student @Cambridge_Uni & @sangerinstitute. Fascinated by social evolution, soil mesofauna, taxonomy, entomology…

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

Inspiring keynote at this week’s International Colloquium on Apterygota & #ICSZ2024 in Cape Town. Daoyuan Yu on how phylogenomics may be putting to rest a century-long debate surrounding the (even order-level) phylogeny of springtails!

[Dr Juliet Turner @juliet_turner6]

Very excited to announce that we just published our research in Nature Ecology & Evolution!

We collected data on 794 species of ant to examine which characteristics influence the evolution of social complexity 🐜

I’m happy to answer any questions!

https://t.co/gyMgJ5JS0o

[Merton Biology @MertonBiology]

Lucy Cooke: Has evolutionary biology been hijacked by sexist bias?
At 19:00 on 20 May, we and @OxfordBioSoc are hosting zoologist, author, and TV presenter @mslucycooke who will be talking about how the scientific patriarchy has pervaded evo bio. Tickets: https://t.co/KmSXtOQyLz

[Finley Hutchinson @FinleyHutchins2]

My first full-length paper has just been published! Co-authored with @jamesimcc on the discovery of Fasciosminthurus quinquefasciatus new to Britain from Cornwall. More springtail stuff in the works so keep your eyes peeled 👀 Have a read of this one at https://t.co/4zMrCVUqHC

[Merton Biology @MertonBiology]

We're very excited to be welcoming @AdamRutherford for our 2024 annual lecture! Come along on Wednesday 7th Feb to hear about "Eugenics and the misuse of Mendel" 🧬
FREE tickets available here: https://t.co/Uo0ZTi7swk

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@GoWildForBees That interests me - I'm not sure exactly 'indigenous knowledge' encompasses, but can you give an example of where that may be more accurate than our current global scientific understanding of sexual systems?

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@GoWildForBees True it's hard to judge purpose associated w/ a behaviour, but having a replicable and widely-applicable definition for sexual behaviour still allows it to be studied in the same-sex context. And luckily the ± binary sexual system in most land vertebrates facilitates this!

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@GoWildForBees I think this emphasises well the importance of having clearly-defined terms! ◡̈ I've been referring solely to sexual behaviour - I agree that the gender/identity aspect of orientation cannot be applied to non-humans.

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@GoWildForBees You may have lost me somewhat! It may be an issue of semantics; some people argue against using "homosexual" when referring to animal behaviour, but for me homosexual behaviour = same-sex sexual behaviour. How could this differ whether or not seen through an anthropocentric lens?

[Finley Hutchinson @FinleyHutchins2]

My short paper on discovering Mycena picta new to Cornwall has been published in the August volume of Field Mycology 🥳 It's my first publication on the fungal kingdom (though keep your eyes peeled for the Autumn volume 👀). PDF available on ResearchGate: https://t.co/oeoqK7t35x

[Peter Mulhair @PeterMulhair]

How do moths and butterflies see?🦋👀

Our new preprint looks at the evolution of #opsin genes across #Lepidoptera. We uncover fascinating patterns of opsin duplication, translocation, and expression by analysing 219 genomes (most from @darwintreelife)

🔗https://t.co/GgR0qTZeyl

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

David and Goliath. It was very cool to see both giant kingfisher and pied kingfisher together at the Grootrivier mouth this week - the giant kingfisher is roughly the same size as a woodpigeon!

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@FinleyHutchins2 I can pinpoint exactly where this is - will take a peak over the bridge the next time I pass over!

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@FinleyHutchins2 @Lophophanes @Sibthorpia You’d be surprised what springtails can achieve! https://t.co/obljcQ6yjD

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

Highly envious of Finley’s find… look out for a paper sometime soon! Would be awesome to do a genetic comparison with other populations (Europe & N America) to help decide whether native vs introduced. Feasibility tbd!

[Finley Hutchinson @FinleyHutchins2]

OH MY GOD!! These tiny but stunning springtails are Fasciosminthurus quinquefasciatus, a species never before seen in the UK - and yet I found 30+ on the Cornish coast yesterday! Question is, established introduction or overlooked native?? Given location I suspect the latter

[WWT @WWTworldwide]

The hypnotic movement of knots at Snettisham.

🎥 @jamesimcc #WildIsles

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@WWTworldwide Hi, yes not a problem!

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

I've never seen anything quite like the density of Knots at Snettisham Pits on the weekend. This short clip shows waves moving through a flock caused by the birds being packed so tightly together. And just metres from the hide too!

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@FinleyHutchins2 @madjanev I’m not too sure about H. major given that this species should usually have a dense covering of grey scales. It is of course possible they’ve been lost, but it still has the long pilosity on the thoracic segments. I think Pseudosinella must be most likely - hard to be sure!

[James McCulloch @jamesimcc]

@TimothyJonas @ecology_digest Agreed!