Dragonfly Naiad, From A Freshwater Pond. 40x Magnification.

Wahoo! May your sciencing uncover new swathes of knowledge :D

You might know this tiny frog.

This is Mini mum (photo by Andolalao Rakotoarison), a species I had the pleasure to name—together with a team of amazing colleagues—back in 2019.

That was the start of a fascination with the process and consequences of miniaturisation for vertebrates. How the hell does this tiny frog manage to fit all of its vital organs—more or less all the same senses and organs that we have—into a package the size of a tic-tac‽ Why and how has it evolved to be so small? And why don't we get frogs that are much smaller?

Well, I just secured 1.5 MILLION Euros (!!!) in the form of a European Research Commission Starting Grant, to answer these and other related questions in the genomes of Mini frogs and other miniaturised vertebrates.

Because it turns out, there are *lots* of miniaturised vertebrates, and they push the boundaries of how small we think it is possible for a vertebrate to be! Here is a little graphic of some of them, scaled to a BIC ballpoint pen.

The project is called GEMINI: The Genomics of Miniaturisation in Vertebrates! You can read more about it on my website here, and in the press release, here!

FUCK-

You know what to do, do it with style.

some messy stuff

My girl posing like a supermodel...if only I wasn't broke and had a better camera :'')

His face is almost muscle memory at this point

The thing I admire most about David Tennant is that the man wanted to be doctor who since childhood. Worked hard to become an actor.And actually fucking did it. And I dig that energy.

To dream and to actually do it

I want to apply that to my own life

Yes I will be the next david Attenborough. .Yes I will work for it. And no it isn't a childish fantasy.i want it and I will fucking do it and you don't get to tell me otherwise

@thatskindarough @willowcrowley @saintianthe-gaitanosversion

<3

i have a weird emotional attachment to some of you even though i dont know you is that weird

neutrophil girl ripping her chest open, breaking her ribs and spiking her guts with it, lassoing an asshole with it and spitting her stomach acid on him, then getting up and curtseying

red blood cell girl bringing you oxygen on a cute little platter and then curtseying

*sob*

[WH Auden]

A certified Duke of a demon