Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
How did seals evolve to hear on land and underwater? This #ProcB study found a specialised ear tissue enables amphibious hearing in pinnipeds, revealing this unique adaptation evolved more than 26 million years ago. doi.org/10.1098/rspb... | #Evolution #Palaeontology
July 17, 2026 at 12:01 PM
How did seals evolve to hear on land and underwater? This #ProcB study found a specialised ear tissue enables amphibious hearing in pinnipeds, revealing this unique adaptation evolved more than 26 million years ago. doi.org/10.1098/rspb... | #Evolution #Palaeontology
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
If you want an up-to-date summary of whale and dolphin evolution, have a read of my new review paper in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com! I’ve tried to cover as much research as possible in this, so apologies if I’ve missed you!
doi.org/10.1038/s443...
doi.org/10.1038/s443...
The evolution and diversification of Cetacea - Nature Reviews Biodiversity
Cetaceans are a highly diverse and enigmatic group of animals with a well-documented evolutionary history. This Review describes the macroevolutionary and palaeobiological history of Cetacea, from the...
doi.org
July 16, 2026 at 12:08 AM
If you want an up-to-date summary of whale and dolphin evolution, have a read of my new review paper in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com! I’ve tried to cover as much research as possible in this, so apologies if I’ve missed you!
doi.org/10.1038/s443...
doi.org/10.1038/s443...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Rise of modern marine #fishes captured in an early Paleocene Lagerstätte
@sanaaelsayed.bsky.social @friedmanlab.bsky.social @belals.bsky.social @gohar.bsky.social @hesham-sallam.bsky.social et al
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@sanaaelsayed.bsky.social @friedmanlab.bsky.social @belals.bsky.social @gohar.bsky.social @hesham-sallam.bsky.social et al
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
June 3, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Rise of modern marine #fishes captured in an early Paleocene Lagerstätte
@sanaaelsayed.bsky.social @friedmanlab.bsky.social @belals.bsky.social @gohar.bsky.social @hesham-sallam.bsky.social et al
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@sanaaelsayed.bsky.social @friedmanlab.bsky.social @belals.bsky.social @gohar.bsky.social @hesham-sallam.bsky.social et al
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
A newly discovered fossil ape suggests the closest ancestors to modern apes may have emerged in northern Africa, outside the traditionally studied regions of East Africa.
Learn more in Science: https://scim.ag/4uSvmLJ
Learn more in Science: https://scim.ag/4uSvmLJ
![The map highlights Wadi Moghra, Egypt (star), which is the discovery site of Masripithecus—the first definitive North African ape—alongside key Miocene hominoid localities (see table S1) across Afro-Arabia and Eurasia. Arrows indicate inferred dispersal routes based on the phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses presented here. The inset phylogeny places Masripithecus as the closest sampled sister taxon of crown Hominoidea. At lower left, a life reconstruction of Masripithecus based on the Masripithecus mandible combined with the facial morphology of the middle Miocene hominoid Pierolapithecus. [Illustration: M. Antón]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vqgovau5gkirnk3ss5qwjdmz/bafkreihxbwkdx6trsi6zmbfgfenpb2cubhkvjvgfnlzc7mwpv3qd7eg43a)
April 6, 2026 at 7:23 PM
A newly discovered fossil ape suggests the closest ancestors to modern apes may have emerged in northern Africa, outside the traditionally studied regions of East Africa.
Learn more in Science: https://scim.ag/4uSvmLJ
Learn more in Science: https://scim.ag/4uSvmLJ
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
This major fossil discovery is also an important milestone for home-grown Egyptian paleontology. Congrats to the Mansoura University team, including UMMP's Sanaa El-Sayed! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
An Early Miocene ape from the biogeographic crossroads of African and Eurasian Hominoidea
The Early Miocene fossil record documenting hominoid evolution has long been restricted primarily to sites in East Africa, whereas contemporaneous North African sites have only yielded remains of cerc...
www.science.org
March 28, 2026 at 12:36 AM
This major fossil discovery is also an important milestone for home-grown Egyptian paleontology. Congrats to the Mansoura University team, including UMMP's Sanaa El-Sayed! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
There's also a Perspective on it, by Dr David M. Alba and I, check it out here👇👇
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Masripithecus was very interesting to learn and think about!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Masripithecus was very interesting to learn and think about!
March 26, 2026 at 8:23 PM
There's also a Perspective on it, by Dr David M. Alba and I, check it out here👇👇
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Masripithecus was very interesting to learn and think about!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Masripithecus was very interesting to learn and think about!
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Check out this new Early Miocene ape, Masripithecus, from Egypt! 👀
Paper by Al-Ashqar et al.👇https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4102
Paper by Al-Ashqar et al.👇https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4102
An Early Miocene ape from the biogeographic crossroads of African and Eurasian Hominoidea
The Early Miocene fossil record documenting hominoid evolution has long been restricted primarily to sites in East Africa, whereas contemporaneous North African sites have only yielded remains of cerc...
www.science.org
March 26, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Check out this new Early Miocene ape, Masripithecus, from Egypt! 👀
Paper by Al-Ashqar et al.👇https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4102
Paper by Al-Ashqar et al.👇https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4102
Very happy to share that our paper on Masripithecus is now published in @science.org
A new Early Miocene ape from Egypt that helps fill an important gap in ape evolution.
Proud to be part of the Sallam Lab team, MUVP, and the Egyptian team behind this discovery.
A new Early Miocene ape from Egypt that helps fill an important gap in ape evolution.
Proud to be part of the Sallam Lab team, MUVP, and the Egyptian team behind this discovery.
March 26, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Very happy to share that our paper on Masripithecus is now published in @science.org
A new Early Miocene ape from Egypt that helps fill an important gap in ape evolution.
Proud to be part of the Sallam Lab team, MUVP, and the Egyptian team behind this discovery.
A new Early Miocene ape from Egypt that helps fill an important gap in ape evolution.
Proud to be part of the Sallam Lab team, MUVP, and the Egyptian team behind this discovery.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
March 21, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Great work by my graduate student Abdullah Gohar on bear femur and rib histology published today in the Journal of Anatomy!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 19, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Great work by my graduate student Abdullah Gohar on bear femur and rib histology published today in the Journal of Anatomy!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
New Publication Alert!
Our new paper on black bear bone histology is out today in the Journal of Anatomy!
Read the paper here:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Our new paper on black bear bone histology is out today in the Journal of Anatomy!
Read the paper here:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Bone histology reveals life history and regional remodeling in black bears
American black bears employ a dual skeletal strategy during hibernation: ribs remodel extensively, while femora maintain cortical strength to preserve locomotor capacity. This is the first comparativ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:54 PM
New Publication Alert!
Our new paper on black bear bone histology is out today in the Journal of Anatomy!
Read the paper here:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Our new paper on black bear bone histology is out today in the Journal of Anatomy!
Read the paper here:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Read our paper here: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
A new protocetid whale offers clues to biogeography and feeding ecology in early cetacean evolution | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Over about 10 million years, the ancestors of whales transformed from herbivorous,
deer-like, terrestrial mammals into carnivorous and fully aquatic cetaceans. Protocetids
are Eocene whales that repre...
royalsocietypublishing.org
August 25, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Read our paper here: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Phiomicetus anubis turns 4 today! So proud of the little guy 🥹P. anubis is a 42-43 million year old "walking whale" from the Fayum desert of Egypt. #whaleontology 🧪🦖
August 25, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Phiomicetus anubis turns 4 today! So proud of the little guy 🥹P. anubis is a 42-43 million year old "walking whale" from the Fayum desert of Egypt. #whaleontology 🧪🦖
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
#whalewednesday Endocranial anatomy of the OG protocetid whale, Protocetus atavus - protocetids had surprisingly large brains, indicating brain expansion occurred early in cetacean evolution; also retained well-developed olfactory bulbs (and smell). 🐬🧪🦖Read here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
July 2, 2025 at 5:37 PM
#whalewednesday Endocranial anatomy of the OG protocetid whale, Protocetus atavus - protocetids had surprisingly large brains, indicating brain expansion occurred early in cetacean evolution; also retained well-developed olfactory bulbs (and smell). 🐬🧪🦖Read here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
It was for me a first opportunity to work with @muvp-eg.bsky.social , i.e., @hesham-sallam.bsky.social and @gohar.bsky.social , which was a blast! Thank you as well to @gsferreira.bsky.social and all other co-authors not on Bluesky.
Gabriel S. Ferreira (he/his) (@gsferreira.bsky.social)
🇧🇷 in 🇩🇪, 🐢 virtual paleo, functional morph -researcher at Senckenberg HEP | sci. coordinator of 3D Imaging Lab of the Uni. Tübingen
gabrielsferreira.com
gsferreira.bsky.social
July 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
It was for me a first opportunity to work with @muvp-eg.bsky.social , i.e., @hesham-sallam.bsky.social and @gohar.bsky.social , which was a blast! Thank you as well to @gsferreira.bsky.social and all other co-authors not on Bluesky.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
…and the accompanying models on MorphoMuseuM here:
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...
MorphoMuseuM - Articles
morphomuseum.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
…and the accompanying models on MorphoMuseuM here:
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
You can find the paper here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
July 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
You can find the paper here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Regarding the sense of smell, we basically found that no part of the olfactory apparatus was significantly reduced, indicating that these amphibious cetaceans most likely had a good nose (likely much better than ours), and that the reduction of this sense most likely came later in their evolution.
patrick star from spongebob squarepants smells real good up hea
ALT: patrick star from spongebob squarepants smells real good up hea
media.tenor.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Regarding the sense of smell, we basically found that no part of the olfactory apparatus was significantly reduced, indicating that these amphibious cetaceans most likely had a good nose (likely much better than ours), and that the reduction of this sense most likely came later in their evolution.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Comparing the relative volume of the brain endocast, we found that this early whale was quite brainy, which is a surprise, as the first cetaceans with big brains were so far understood to be the fully aquatic basilosaurids.
July 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Comparing the relative volume of the brain endocast, we found that this early whale was quite brainy, which is a surprise, as the first cetaceans with big brains were so far understood to be the fully aquatic basilosaurids.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
We addressed two aspects of cetacean evolution: their acquisition of a relatively big brain and the evolution of their sense of smell. As other mammals secondarily adapted to the aquatic environment, cetaceans have been assumed to reduce their sense of smell (which is air-born in this group).
a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open
ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open
media.tenor.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:13 PM
We addressed two aspects of cetacean evolution: their acquisition of a relatively big brain and the evolution of their sense of smell. As other mammals secondarily adapted to the aquatic environment, cetaceans have been assumed to reduce their sense of smell (which is air-born in this group).
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity.
July 2, 2025 at 2:12 PM
We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Fossil brain 🧠🧟 of a 45-million-year-old cetacean! We are proud to publish @journal-evo.bsky.social l the result of Elena Berger’s Bachelor’s thesis @smnstuttgart.bsky.social. Thread 👇
July 2, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Fossil brain 🧠🧟 of a 45-million-year-old cetacean! We are proud to publish @journal-evo.bsky.social l the result of Elena Berger’s Bachelor’s thesis @smnstuttgart.bsky.social. Thread 👇
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Named after the cat-headed goddess Bastet, Bastetodon is symbolically linked to Sekhmetops, inspired by the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet. Mythology meets science in this incredible find! #SallamLab #MUVP
February 17, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Named after the cat-headed goddess Bastet, Bastetodon is symbolically linked to Sekhmetops, inspired by the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet. Mythology meets science in this incredible find! #SallamLab #MUVP
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Our new discovery, led by @shorouqalashqar.bsky.social , has unveiled a new 30-million-year-old species of apex predator, #Bastetodon, in Egypt’s Fayum Desert! Check out the study in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. @matt-borths.bsky.social @erikseiffert.bsky.social #SallamLab #MUVP
February 17, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Our new discovery, led by @shorouqalashqar.bsky.social , has unveiled a new 30-million-year-old species of apex predator, #Bastetodon, in Egypt’s Fayum Desert! Check out the study in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. @matt-borths.bsky.social @erikseiffert.bsky.social #SallamLab #MUVP