Matthew Steele

A human much like all the other ones / Generally just trying to be good at life / Biology PhD studying crows & their tools

[ANU Media @ANUmedia]

Crafty crows are making tools to forage for food. But what are they using?

#ANUExpert @Linda_Neaves used DNA to solve the mystery. “It felt like searching for a needle in a haystack, it was amazing to finally work it out.”

📖 https://t.co/zEyJtmNbV8 #birdnerd
📷 James St Clair

[Linda Neaves @Linda_Neaves]

That #NewCaledonianCrow make tools amazes me, working out the plant they used only intrigues me more. Loved working with #craftycrows & humans @steele_mp, @DrBarbaraKlump, James St Clair, @jujasfernandes, Vanessa Hequet, Phil Shaw, @HollingsworthPM & Christian Rutz #DNAbarcoding

[Linda Neaves @Linda_Neaves]

Very lucky to work with this team and learn more about the #crafty #NewCaledonianCrow, and use my #dnabarcoding skills to learn which plant they pick to make their tools in this population!!

[PNASNews @PNASNews]

DNA barcoding can help identify the plant species that New Caledonian crows use as tools. In PNAS: https://t.co/FfCsb0X1Vu

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

The team: @Linda_Neaves, @DrBarbaraKlump, James St Clair, @jujasfernandes, Vanessa Hequet, Phil Shaw, Pete Hollingsworth & Christian Rutz

Together, we solved a #NewCaledonianCrow #AnimalToolUse mystery using #DNAbarcoding! 2/

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

New paper out this week!

DNA barcoding identifies cryptic animal tool materials

Available #openaccess in #PNAS @PNASNews :
https://t.co/6OQJTx88Zj

An exciting collaboration between @CentreBioDiv @univofstandrews @RBGE_Science @ANUFennerSchool and @ird_fr 1/

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

@JacanaJones It my greatest achievement so far this year

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

happy valentines innit

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

@GuillMcIvor Hi Guill! Sorry, I logged of twitter over Christmas and I seem to have since completely forgotten that the internet exists... This was in Cupar, Scotland. Thanks a lot for your help!

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

Birdy-friends! I have a Grizzly Yuletide Puzzle for you. To my surprise, this wee beastie was eating brunch in our garden this morning. Only just managed to assemble my camera in time and get a few shaky shots leaning over the kitchen sink.

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

@scedwards19 @arjundevamar Ah excellent, thanks for letting me know Sophie! I'll send them off now :)

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

@LBagdonaite Thanks! I haven't seen any sparrowhawks this close, but I did think it looked quite big. Nice to know I wasn't hallucinating.

Hälsningar till alla i Ottenby 😊

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

@scedwards19 @JacanaJones @MurielleAlund @ErynMcFarlane @jujasfernandes @Bioblogo Thanks for looking! I'll keep camera ready in case she visits again.

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

@ErynMcFarlane @JacanaJones @MurielleAlund Cool! Looks like it could have been a giant predatory robin instead 😂

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

@JacanaJones @MurielleAlund @ErynMcFarlane @jujasfernandes @Bioblogo Thanks guys! Mystery successfully solved then 😊 I don't know why robin genuinely never occurred to me! The white and orange tipped feathers together threw me I think. Didn't know robins were secretly all brown underneath. Ornitopoints for everyone!

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

@JacanaJones @ErynMcFarlane @MurielleAlund @jujasfernandes @Bioblogo I can't help but feel this is your kind of puzzle...

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

Question the second:
What was for brunch? Of course I poked around in the leftovers (who could resist?). Only feathers, but from what?

[Matthew Steele @steele_mp]

Question the third: The ring! Any chance we could work out where it came from on this blurry evidence?