While folks are waiting, we made a little video for you. #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-13T23:57:24.372Z
Roots & Relicts are species that have endured mostly unchanged for MILLIONS of years or groups that were once widespread but now survive in small remnant populations. #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:01:59.500Z
RELICTS, not to be confused with relics. #2025MMM will not have bejeweled human skulls or other sacred objects in improbable combat.
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:03:34.997Z
RELICTS, not to be confused with relics. #2025MMM will not have bejeweled human skulls or other sacred objects in improbable combat.
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:03:34.997Z
FIRST UP: #4-seed Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) vs #13-seed Mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri) #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:04:49.031Z
Coelacanth is a BIG FISH, 2 m long & 100 kg with muscular, fleshy, & paired shoulder (pectoral) & hip (pelvic) fins, like our arms & legs (but she doesn't walk). Coelacanth also has a nonfunctional (vestigial) lung that does not breathe air http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jl_… #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:05:31.138Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamCoelacanth Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:05:52.777Z
Despite being members of the same species, two populations of Coelocanths in eastern Indonesia (Latimeria menadoensis) were 13 million years diverged. Isolation of these two populations is likely biogeographical in response to oceanic currents. #2025MMM doi.org/10.1038/s415…
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:06:12.209Z
Mudskipper is a SMALL FISH, < 0.3 m long with large front (pectoral) fins. Mudskippers spend time in the water & on land (amphibious) & they can BREATHE AIR. But Mudskippers don't use lungs to breathe when on land; they absorb oxygen through their skin & mouth lining #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:06:54.609Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamMudskipper Art by Olivia Pellicer @opellisms.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:07:29.450Z
Mudskippers have evolved visual adaptations for seeing in air. Comparative genomics showed that certain vision-related genes, like aanat1a, LWS1 and LWS2, are lost or altered in P. schlosseri, aligning with its need for aerial vision #2025MMM doi.org/10.3390/ani8…
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:07:33.709Z
Tonight, our nocturnal (active at night) Coelacanth is exploring the waters near Grande Comore Island off the eastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_…. Nighttime is feeding time & Coelacanth is hungry #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:08:22.135Z
MEANWHILE It's low tide in the mangrove forests along the Gigis River in Malaysia. Mudskipper is mending her burrow (Jabing et al. 2024), spitting a wad of mud out into the mudflat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYPb…. She dives down into the shallow pool to retrieve more mud #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:08:55.619Z
But Mudskipper never reaches her burrow! Instead, she's transported to the home field of Coelacanth, 400 m below the water's surface off the coast of Grand Comore. Mudskipper is fully submerged in cold, deep water, with the surface nowhere in sight #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:09:45.973Z
Coelacanth propels herself forward using her fins, then she glides (Fricke & Hissmann 1992; Fricke et al. 1987). She prefers these deep depths where prey can be abundant (Fricke & Hissmann 2000). Coelacanth slowly drifts toward Mudskipper #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:10:17.044Z
Mudskipper's maximum water depth is usually around 2 m fishbase.mnhn.fr/summary/Peri…; she's in much deeper water than normal. Mudskipper frantically flaps her large pectoral fins, trying to find the light of the surface. Coelacanth continues to drift towards Mudskipper #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:10:58.639Z
Mudskipper's frantic fin flapping suddenly slows. Mudskipper is highly adapted to terrestrial life; her gills are not suitable for full-time aquatic respiration. She's not getting enough oxygen! (Kok et al. 1998; Takeda et al. 1999) #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:11:38.956Z
Coelacanth continues slowly drifting closer & closer. Mudskipper is unable to move, watching the big fish approach #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:12:18.949Z
Mudskipper twitches a pectoral fin & Coelacanth strikes with rapid movement of her jaws (Fricke & Hissmann 2000) #blinkandyoumissit, swallowing Mudskipper whole! #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:12:54.899Z
COELACANTH INGESTS MUDSKIPPER!!!! #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:13:16.940Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamCoelacanth Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:13:34.465Z
Mudskippers famously “walk” on land using their front fins. Genome scans identified changes in certain Hox genes and show unique indels in a limb-related transcription factor gene (Tbx2) as well as modifications in genes involved in fin ray formation. #2025MMM #RIP
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:13:52.781Z
NEXT UP: #2 ALLIGATOR GAR (Atractosteus spatula) vs. CYANOBACTERIA (Prochlorococcus spp.) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:16:21.956Z
ALLIGATOR GAR "belong to an ancient lineage of fish dating back over 200 million years" in the Age of Dinosaurs. With a thick armor of grey-green scales & a long toothy snout, Gar looks very prehistoric (David et al. 2018) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:17:45.313Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamGar Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:18:03.707Z
Evolutionary stasis occurs when lineages show little phenotypic change. Gars were found to have one of the lowest substitution rates among jawed vertebrates. Two gar species, diverged for over 100 my, were shown to hybridize—the oldest known case in eukaryotes #2025MMM doi.org/10.1093/evol…
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:19:07.561Z
There are 4 types of CYANOBACTERIA, two of which can synthesize atmospheric nitrogen. Combatant Prochlorococcus is not one of them. It's strength is being so tiny & resourceful that it is the dominant oxygen-producing plankton in nutrient poor areas of the ocean (Partensky et al 1999) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:19:25.949Z
CYANOBACTERIA make their own food, like plants, with light! And a by-product is oxygen. These microorganism masters ruled for at least first 3.0-3.5 billion years of the Earth history and are responsible for our oxygen rich atmosphere (Sergeev etal 2012) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:19:56.488Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamCyanobacteria Art by Mary C Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:20:16.988Z
Polar lakes are dominated by Cyanobacteria, yet few polar genomes have been sequenced. Using genome-resolved metagenomics, 37 MAGs were recovered from Arctic, sub-Antarctic, and Antarctic mats, revealing 17 species, including a novel cold-adapted lineage. #2025MMM doi.org/10.1099/mgen…
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:20:44.012Z
Tonight's ALLIGATOR GAR combatant is an 68 year old queen weighing 350 lbs (159kg). In springtime, the waters of Trinity River, Texas begin to warm & soon she will migrate from the river estuary toward river areas with off-channel spawning habitat (Smith et al 2019) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:21:15.905Z
CYANOBACTERIA is afloat in the Pacific Gyre when a large shipping container passes, creating a mist that sends Cyanobacteria airborne. #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:22:29.961Z
#MMMagic translocates airborne Cyanobacteria to Texas, settling on the slightly rippling water surface. #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:23:20.855Z
SPLASHHHHHH!!!!!! WHAAM!!!!! #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:23:59.684Z
Ambush attack! ALLIGATOR GAR strikes a swimming snake with lethal accuracy, propelling both Gar & snake to the surface of the water (Marsaly et al. 2023) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:24:34.981Z
Alligator Gar & Snake send water droplets skyward, including CYANOBACTERIA as an aeresol particle… caught in the spring breeze and flown from the field of battle! #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:25:11.760Z
GAR LAUNCHES CYANOBACTERIA!!!!! #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:25:31.579Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamGar Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:25:54.447Z
The core proteins of PSII predated the Great Oxygenation Event (~2.3 Ga). Most cyanobacterial lineages, including chloroplast ancestors, diversified later, with planktonic cyanobacteria rising to dominance by the Precambrian’s end, shaping Earth's carbon cycle #2025MMM #RIP 10.1016/j.tim.2021.05.008
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:26:27.677Z
NEXT UP: #3 seed Frilled Shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) vs. #14 seed Fern (Claytosmunda claytoniana). This match-up was written by @docrowschaef.bsky.social #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:29:46.616Z
Clocking in at 6.6ft (5.92 stoats) in length, the Frilled Shark is an eel-like shark found near the ocean floor in the Atlantic and Pacific, named for its six pairs of wavy gill slits. This shark's most striking feature is its curved, needle-sharp teeth (300 in total!). (Garman, 1884). #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:31:13.562Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamShark Art by Valeria Pellicer @veppart.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:31:37.079Z
The frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) has barely changed for 80 million years! 🦈 Its DNA reveals it's one of the most ancient sharks, diverging before most modern species existed. A true relic of deep-sea evolution! 🌊 #2025MMM doi.org/10.1155/2013…
— Nicolas Alexandre (@nicmalexandre.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:31:52.543Z
Behold, the humble fern! In particular, today's combatant is the Interrupted Fern, found in Eastern North America and Eastern Asia. A true relic, some of this species closest relatives were alive in the Triassic, ~237 million years ago! (Bomfleur, 2017) #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:36:52.202Z
The Interrupted Fern gets its name from the structure of their blades. In the middle of each blade is a section of dark-colored leaf structures that are used for reproduction. When they dry up and fall off, they leave an "interrupted" gap behind. #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:37:38.662Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamFern Art by Mary C Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:37:53.418Z
Ferns are the second most species-rich lineage of land plants. Fujiwara et al 2023 found that fern genome sizes have grown as fern have diversified, showing large structural complexity between different fern species due to whole genome duplications and polyploidy #2025MMM doi.org/10.1093/aob/…
— Nicolas Alexandre (@nicmalexandre.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:37:57.057Z
We begin our battle in Suruga Bay, Japan, where Frilled Shark is rising from the depths toward the surface to follow the daily movements of squid which makes up about 60% of her diet #DielCycle (Kubota, 1991). #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:38:44.992Z
Meanwhile, in the Minnesota forest, Interrupted Fern shifts in the spring breeze. Fern's deep root system holds it steady. Interrupted Ferns grow large rhizomes, a modified stem that expands underground into a system of rootin' and shootin' goodness, allowing fern clones to pop-up nearby. #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:39:20.981Z
Suddenly #MMMagic translocates Interrupted Fern UNDERWATER at the border of the twilight and sunlight realms of Surgura Bay. #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:39:55.395Z
Detecting a change in the movement of the water with sensory cells along her body (her lateral line), Frilled Shark swims in her long, eel-like body, a body plan inherited from ancestors arising 350 million years ago in the Carboniferous & why this species is considered a 'living fossil' #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:40:28.769Z
Frilled Shark, mouth wide to catch prey whole, swims into the Fern's wiry roots… that get thoroughly caught in Frilled sharks multi-row teeth… "each tooth consists of three backwardly directed briar-like fangs." (Gudger 1937) #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:41:02.276Z
Swimming forward, Frilled Shark thrashes her eel-like body & whipping her head against the fern, dragging the fern with force in the ocean water. #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:41:30.253Z
Frilled Sharks violent thrashing creates turbulence, chaotic changes in pressure and flow against the plant until… Frilled Shark RIPS Fern into disintegrating pieces! #FernInterrupted #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:42:17.128Z
With a final thrash of her head, Frilled Shark breaks free, between two fern chunks drifting slowly toward the midnight realm of the ocean… and off the field of battle. #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:42:49.075Z
FRILLED SHARK SHREDS FERN! #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:43:10.767Z
FRILLED SHARK SHREDS FERN! #2025MMM
— Jessica Light (she/her) (@jeclight.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:43:10.767Z
A fern genome contains all the instructions for two independent multi-cellular phases: a gametophyte (prothallus) and a sporophyte (fern). Yet, Marchant et al 2023 find only 273 and 1,397 genes were specifically expressed in the gametophyte and sporophyte #2025MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1038/s414…
— Nicolas Alexandre (@nicmalexandre.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:43:34.563Z
A fern genome contains all the instructions for two independent multi-cellular phases: a gametophyte (prothallus) and a sporophyte (fern). Yet, Marchant et al 2023 find only 273 and 1,397 genes were specifically expressed in the gametophyte and sporophyte #2025MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1038/s414…
— Nicolas Alexandre (@nicmalexandre.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:43:34.563Z
Next Up: 5-Seed Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) vs. 12-Seed Olm (Proteus anguinus) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:47:06.379Z
A medium sized pinniped, the largest ringed seals can be ~5.5 feet long & ~270lbs. They have short heads, cat-like snoots, & their bellies have silver fur, with silver rings on the darker fur of their sides & back. (Spicer 2013; Hammill 2009) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:47:56.604Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamRingedSeal Art by Olivia Pellicer @opellisms.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:48:21.463Z
Assembling a new genome is difficult, normally we use the genome of a close species as a template, but relicts don't have close species. Olsen et al 2011 find a workaround to get some genetic data for the ringed seal until we have a complete genome #2025MMM doi.org/10.1111/j.17…
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:51:41.652Z
The Olm is an amphibian with a long eel-like body, skin covered eyes that can't see but can detect light, with lifespans similar to humans- reaching adulthood around 15 years of age and living 70-100 years. Females are larger than males (Meaton 2011). #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:51:37.507Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamOlm Art by Valeria Pellicer @veppart.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:51:59.305Z
The Olm genome is of great interest but it remains unsequenced due to its large size. Kostanjšek et al 2021 estimate a size of ~50 Giga base pairs, comparable to the largest sequenced animal genomes so far: lungfishes and axolotl. The human genome is only 3.2 Gpb. #2025MMM doi.org/10.1111/nyas…
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:52:11.638Z
Tonight's Battle takes place at Lake Saimaa, Finland, where a population of freshwater ringed seals became landlocked since the last glacial period & isolated for 9500 years. #SealedInALake (Auttila et al. 2014; Kunnasranta et al. 2021). #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:52:49.842Z
Ringed Seal is hauled out in his SNOW LAIR. Since the lake began to freeze in December, Ringed Seal has used the sharp claws of his front flipper to carve and maintain a breathing & access hole into the lake water through the ice. (Kunnasranta et al. 2021) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:54:17.713Z
As snow drifts formed, growing deepest in February and March, Ringed Seal dug & excavated his winter lair with snow providing insulation & defense from wind, along with the blubber that is half his winter body mass. (Kunnasranta et al. 2021) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:54:37.030Z
MEANWHILE in Slovenia, an apex predator- THE OLM- hunts bugs and fishes in the "subterranean, freshwater lakes and streams of limestone caves in the Dinaric Alps" (Meaton 2011) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:55:06.048Z
In this Stygian realm, the Olm relies on hearing, scent, & taste to hunt prey and "unidentified receptors to orientate in Earth’s magnetic field" to navigate aquatic and terrestrial cave systems descending hundreds of feet (Zakšek et al. 2023) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:55:41.769Z
Olm is MMMagically translocated to the snow lair, ripped from the aquatic environment where the Olm breathes with gills and skin, the Olm seems to be air gulping for her internal lungs to breathe (Lewarne & Balázs 2020) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:56:21.244Z
Olm smells and hears the nearby lake waters and scramble slithers RIGHT PAST THE SEAL'S FACE… #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:56:53.861Z
Olm has no known predators in her home habitat and is unaware of the dangers at the exhale of fishy breath in the darkness of the snow lair. #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:57:38.434Z
Ringed Seal's teeth snap onto Olm's torso and tosses Olm back to be swallowed whole!!! (Kunnasranta et al. 2021) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:58:32.352Z
But the writhing Olm is THREE TIMES BIGGER than the smelt and perch fish Ringed Seal normally swallows whole! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:59:11.227Z
Ringed Seal hock-a-loogies the Olm through the hole in the ice INTO THE 42 DEGREES FARENHEIT LAKE WATERS!!!! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:59:33.170Z
Lake Saimaa is within the water temperature of Olm's home cave system!!! Catching her breath, Olm swims away from the field of battle #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T01:00:53.341Z
RINGED SEAL DEFEATS OLM!!! #2025MMM(& Check out the proposal to list the The Ringed Seal Archipelagos of Lake Saimaa as a World Heritage site! whc.unesco.org/en/tentative…)
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T01:01:33.333Z
#2025MMM #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamRingedSeal Art by Mary C Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- art commissions open! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T01:01:45.510Z
Vörös et al 2019 find that genetic diversity for 4 cave populations of Olm in Croatia is low, but genetic differentiation between the 4 populations was very high, implying these might be separate species that have not admixed in millions of years #2025MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1093/jher…
— Lucas R Moreira (@lucasrocm.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T01:02:21.484Z
#InspirationalIntermission #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T01:03:58.789Z
#InspirationalIntermission #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T01:05:40.583Z
Christopher N Anderson 
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