Todd Oakley
I am an evolutionary and marine biologist interested in how new structures and functions originate during evolution. Eyes, vision; photophores, bioluminescence. Macroevolution. Phylogenetics. Molecular Evolution. Integrative and Comparative Biology.
- Reposted by Todd OakleyNeil H. Shubin has been elected as the next NAS President! A leading evolutionary biologist and science communicator, Shubin will succeed Marcia McNutt on July 1. The Academy also named Cherry Murray as International Secretary and elected new councilors. Read more: www.nasonline.org/news/2026_pr...
- Reposted by Todd Oakley📣 Welcome to DPCB! We’re SICB’s Division of Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology — the home for tree-thinking, evolutionary relationships, and comparative approaches across organisms. #DPCB #SICB2026 #Phylogenetics
- Reposted by Todd Oakley🌟 Whether you build trees, test models, or work with traits, DPCB is your home for comparative and phylogenetic science. Follow, connect, and say hi — we’re glad you’re here! #DPCB #PhylogeneticsCommunity #TreeThinking
- Reposted by Todd Oakley🌳 Don’t confuse us with DCPB — we’re DPCB! Just remember: P’s before C’s if you’re thinking in trees. #DPCB #Phylogenetics #TreeThinking
- Reposted by Todd OakleyNilkant et al. construct the phylogeny of the tri-PDZ domains in DLG4 (one of the most abundant synaptic proteins) to its deep ancestral origin in Filozoa, which includes animals and their nearest unicellular relatives. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf309 #evobio #molbio
- Reposted by Todd OakleyBREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!! We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
- Reposted by Todd OakleyI am so excited to share new work on a TE insertion that regulates iridescence in swordtails, led by fantastic grad student @nadiahaghani.bsky.social and with help from many coauthors! In a time that has been so difficult to navigate, this & other projects have kept my spirits up: shorturl.at/NE65A
- Reposted by Todd Oakley"Saving Science by the Sea" – a piece on the importance of marine laboratories in advancing biomedical science, including the beginning of the Meselson-Stahl collaboration that ultimately elucidated the process of DNA replication: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyCheck out the recent publication in Annual Reviews of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics where the authors explore genomic species delimitation in depth. You'll see a number of #sciart figures I created to help explain some of the concepts! www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyWhy are some species smaller than a paperclip while others grow longer than a school bus? How is body size evolution governed in animals? Out now in @pnas.org we tackle these longstanding questions through a genetic lens using my favorite group of fishes as our model!! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyAdaptive Disruption of Carotenoid Metabolism in Cavefish via Loss of Beta-carotene oxygenase 2a (Bco2a) biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…
- Reposted by Todd OakleyA paper in Nature Ecology & Evolution presents a time-calibrated phylogeny of Fungi. This timescale suggests an older age of crown Fungi, as well as a minimum age for ancient interactions involving fungi and the algal ancestors of embryophytes in terrestrial ecosystems. #phylo 🧪
- We have sea pansies (Renilla) for our inverts class and we got some photos of the bioluminescence
- Reposted by Todd OakleyGreat to see Sergi's blog post about the recent study on the macroevolutionary dynamics of arcade games. doi.org/10.1017/ehs.... 🧪 ⚒️ #Complexity #EvoBio
- Reposted by Todd Oakley👁️The retina — strikingly conserved across vertebrates, but an oddity among bilaterians! So how did it evolve? With @mikebok.bsky.social, @neurofishh.bsky.social and @denilsson.bsky.social, we argue that retinal complexity may 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑦𝑒 𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 1/n
- Reposted by Todd OakleyFirst, first-author paper alert! “Shedding Light on Patterns of Unconventional Expression of Opsin Genes in Hydra vulgaris” is out and open access in @sicbjournals.bsky.social academic.oup.com/icb/advance-... Keep reading for some highlights in the thread below! 🦑🧪
- Fun fact - the photo of me in this article was taken in Mendel’s Garden (in Brno, Czechia)!
- Congratulations to @jgi.doe.gov's 2025 Functional Genomics awardees: @ostratodd.bsky.social @philmuslab.bsky.social @aaronrashotte.bsky.social @taylorlabgroup.bsky.social Hao Chen, Matthew Cope-Arguello, Olufemi Isimikalu, Paul Scesa, K. Scott, S. Wakao, B. Woolston jgi.doe.gov/user-science...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyIt was great meeting @masahitotsuboi.bsky.social at #eseb2025 and learning about his fantastic research. Check his paper showing the interaction between micro and macro evolution! 🔥
- Using a dataset of wing variation in Drosophila flies, the authors demonstrate that micro- and macroevolution align across levels and they propose multi-directional causal paths to explain the pattern, contributing to the development of a unified theory of evolution. www.nature.com/articles/s42...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyKatherine Esau on Plant Anatomy, Electron Microscopy, and Why Foundational Science Matters: The Botanist Who Wrote the Book on Plant Life voxmeditantis.com/2025/08/19/k... #WomenInSTEM #STEM #Botany #Phloem #Microscopy
- Writing is sculpting -- get the slab of rock down first -- all the ideas. Then start to carve the story from the slab. Then the rough sanding and the fine sanding -- and one day you will get to the polish. Progress comes from processing the words, feedback of others, and the labor of co-authors.
- Applications are now open for the Guggenheim Fellowship: www.gf.org/program/how-...
- Reposted by Todd Oakley📢 deeptime: an R package that facilitates highly customizable and reproducible visualizations of data over geological time intervals 🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2096... Fully #openaccess in @bigearthdata1.bsky.social with insight about deeptime📦 development and code examples! #rstats #geology #paleontology
- Visual information in the dark: Bioluminescence and perceptual design through evolution - Oakley - Functional Ecology - Wiley Online Library besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
- I am happy to share a new review article, as part of a future special issue on vision in challenging environments, led by @fishevo.bsky.social and @drfishvis.bsky.social
- I try to compare and contrast how evolution has molded dark (bioluminescent) and bright (especially color) visual information systems
-
View full threadJust for fun, one of the famous videos of a fish spitting out a glowing ostracod after the latter's anti-predator display
- Reposted by Todd Oakley📢 NEW GENOME ALERT In #G3journal, @aidemm.bsky.social and colleagues sequenced and assembled the genome of Bougainvillia—a jellyfish, not the plant!—with 28 eyes and identified 20 cnidarian opsins in the species. Read more: buff.ly/MSyC8Aa
- Reposted by Todd OakleyOrthoFinder just dropped a major update It’s faster, more accurate, and ready for thousands of genomes Let’s break it down (1/10) github.com/OrthoFinder/... www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Reposted by Todd Oakley🧪 BREAKING (good news): Senate subcommittee says NO! to Trump's proposed slashes to NASA & NSF funding. Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24. See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it. 🧵 1/3
- Reposted by Todd OakleyWhat theoretical and methodological challenges emerge when investigating #behavior across the tree of life? 📢 Final reminder: CfA for an interdisciplinary workshop (September 26-27) at KU Leuven! Come join us, and please help us share! hiw.kuleuven.be/clps/events/... #philsci #HPbio #evosky #ecology
- Reposted by Todd OakleyPlease RT! I'm hiring a postdoc to work in my new lab at UCSB (!) on an NSF-funded project investigating the phenotypic consequences of WGD for photosynthesis and respiration. Check out the full posting here: recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02986 And more info about the lab here: sharbroughlab.com
- Reposted by Todd OakleyInterested in (studying) biological #clocks? Here is a brilliant and concise introduction to the field, focussing on #ciradian clocks, and stressing the #adaptive nature of clocks. And it's #OpenAccess ! #chronobiology 🧪 @doabooks.bsky.social doi.org/10.21827/686...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyExcited to share our new work on the 3D architecture of the ctenophore aboral organ! We explored its remarkable cellular diversity and integration with the syncytial nerve net, uncovering connectivity and insights into the evolution of sensory complexes. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyDid you know that a study of lizard venom led to the development of Wegovy and Ozempic? American Scientist explains how even the most obscure research can lead to life-changing results.
- Reposted by Todd OakleyGlad to see this paper finally out! An episodic burst of massive genomic rearrangements and the origin of non-marine annelids @natecoevo.nature.com @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social @csic.es @erc.europa.eu www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyHonored to be awarded the Whitman Fellowship and can't wait to be in my element this Fall @mblscience.bsky.social .
- Reposted by Todd OakleyCalMatters just released an article about our lab's students that have been affected by the funding cuts 💔 Thanks to the journalists for amplifying their voices. calmatters.org/education/hi...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyTeeth evolved as sensory tissue in the armored exoskeletons of ancient fish The origin of vertebrate teeth and evolution of sensory exoskeletons 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41... The organs in armor of diverse animals evolved separately in vertebrates and invertebrates to help them sense the world
- Reposted by Todd OakleyHere is our attempt at summarizing the state of the evidence for the punctuated equilibrium hypothesis. The paper is part of a special issue of Paleobiology celebrating the 50th anniversary of the PE Hypothesis. Work led by Gene Hunt. @lhliow.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyYou have 2 days left to comment (by May 23 at 11:59 pm)! Go to the link if you don’t want your NSF or NIH program officers who took an oath to the constitution (not a political party) to instead be subject to the whims of a president and fired if they don’t “conform”.
- Reposted by Todd OakleyOur paper on myxozoan genomes is out now in G3! See thread below for a brief recap (slight change of title from the preprint, same content). Thank you also to @arunsethuraman.bsky.social for handling the manuscript and @joannamasel.bsky.social for helpful comments. academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
- Looking to pioneer a new field — accidental genomics track.smtpsendmail.com/9032119/c?p=...
- Reposted by Todd Oakley
- Reposted by Todd OakleyRoy Plotnick and Co. about the paleontology jobs in the USA cambridge.org/core/journal... 🧪 ⚒️ #Geology #Paleobio
- Reposted by Todd OakleyI need to regulate both my travel and spending the next month, but yesterday there was a RECORD number of humpback whales spotted in the Santa Barbara Channel. If you can afford to get on a boat, get on a boat! 🦑
- Reposted by Todd OakleyZancolli, @marcrr.bsky.social @agneeshbarua.bsky.social et al. show that venom glands in marine predatory snails evolved via functional divergence from digestive organs, involving gene expression shifts and enhanced secretory machinery. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf095 #evobio #venom #mollusca
- Reposted by Todd Oakley🧵5 Top Free Alternatives to BioRender for Scientific Illustrations! These five websites offer free scientific illustrations for biologists. Great for presentations, research papers and other research communication needs. Save and share the post!
- Reposted by Todd Oakley@emilylau.bsky.social @ostratodd.bsky.social et al. show that bioluminescent luciferases in brittle stars and octocorals evolved in parallel from haloalkane dehalogenases, highlighting how gene function and genomic availability shape convergent evolution. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molb... #evolbio #molbio
- Reposted by Todd OakleyJoin us in the evolution tri-societies Week of Action for NSF! Call/write congress, engage with colleagues, friends and family about the importance of NSF funding! Scan the QR code on the attached image for instructions and scripts. We must make noise! Pls RT!!!! #WithoutNSF #SaveNSF #SupportNSF
- Reposted by Todd OakleySaveNSF is a coalition of concerned scientists and allies who are working to save funding for scientific grants through the NSF. The mission is to support and advocate for the continuation of vital research and innovation. Join: www.savensf.com
- Reposted by Todd OakleyI am so heartened to this seriously AWESOME #SaveNSF website go up today!!!! Has a take action toolkit with: 1. Press outreach templates 2. Social media toolkit 3. Elected official outreach 4. Talking points Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come. www.savensf.com
- Reposted by Todd OakleySingle-cell analyses reveal scyphozoan conserved and specific genes contribution during tissue regeneration in two jellyfish biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…
- Reposted by Todd OakleyIt's publication day of my first book: The Tree of Life. The tree of life is a time machine that can take us back 4 billion years to meet our most distant ancestor. It is the magic that lets us tell the origin stories, beginning with this ancient relative, of everything from mushrooms to man.
- Reposted by Todd OakleyCongratulations to the new members elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences including in evolution and ecology: Anurag Agrawal (@anurag-asclepias.bsky.social), Graham Coop (@gcbias.bsky.social), and Jennifer Martiny, among others! www.amacad.org/new-members-...
- Huge blooms and beaching of Valella valella lately in SB!
- Reposted by Todd OakleyDOGE in the NSF house y'all... If you are an NSF funded scientists and have not been active, now is a good time to start. Call your representatives (5calls.org is a good place to start), go to the protest next Saturday (www.fiftyfifty.one is a good place to start). Do not be silent.
- Reposted by Todd OakleyNot really my announcement to make--I am but a lesser co-author--but IQ-TREE 3 has just been released! (Most credit to Minh Bui and @roblanfear.bsky.social and their labs) ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyBUGS. ARE. SHRIMPS. It me, about papers with @jimmybernot.bsky.social and @ostratodd.bsky.social 🧪🦑
- Reposted by Todd Oakley🚨 Not a drill: NSF GRFP results are NOW OUT!!!!! But...good news and bad news. 👍 I'm *thrilled* for the grad students for whom getting this award will be life-changing, esp now. 👎 # of fellowships went down by 51% (1000 this year vs. 2036 last year) See here: www.research.gov/grfp/Awardee...
- Reposted by Todd OakleyThe International Society for Neuroethology has a grant for disadvantaged scientists investigating the mechanisms of animal behaviour. Apply for funds to help overcome any barriers you face! Membership fees can be included in your application. Details here: www.neuroethology.org/diversity-aw...
