A group of fossils of elasmosaurs — some of the most famous in North America — have just been formally identified as belonging to a “very odd” new genus of the sea monster, unlike any previously known. Long-necked and measuring in at 12 metres, Traskasaura sandrae — as it is officially named today in this new study — possessed heavy, sharp, robust teeth, ideal for crushing. Findings, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, highlight Traskasaura as having a strange mix of primitive and derived traits unlike any other elasmosaur. Its unique suite of adaptations enabled this plesiosaurto hunt…

The Guardian recently published an article saying “People won’t get ‘tired’ of social distancing – and it’s unscientific to suggest otherwise”. “Behavioural fatigue” the piece said, “has no basis in science”. ‘Behavioural fatigue’ became a hot topic because it was part of the UK Government’s justification for delaying the introduction of stricter public health measures. They quickly reversed this position and we’re now in the “empty streets” stage of infection control. But it’s an important topic and is relevant to all of us as we try to maintain important behavioural changes that benefit others. For me, one key point is…

Unverifiable researchers are a harbinger of paper mill activity. While journals have clues to identifying fake personas — lack of professional affiliation, no profile on ORCID or strings of random numbers in email addresses, to name a few — there isn’t a standard template for doing so.  The International Association of Scientific, Technical, & Medical Publishers (STM) has taken a stab at developing a framework for journals and institutions to validate researcher identity, with its Research Identity Verification Framework, released in March. The proposal suggests identifying “good” and “bad” actors based on what validated information they can provide, using passport…