Taylor Mitchell Brown

I spoke with several leading archaeologists to better understand the impact recent federal funding cuts will have on archaeology in the US. The future doesn’t look good. #NSF #NEH #archaeology #paleoanthropology #heritage New at @science.org 🏺🧪

Ancient Egypt’s first female king revealed by long-lost royal seals www.scientificamerican.com/article/anci...

Around 5,000 years ago a mysterious woman was given a royal burial in ancient Egypt. Now, after years of debate, scientists reveal that she was the civilization’s first female king sciam.com/article/anci...

So excited to see our recent paper on chimp friendship expectations covered in the New York Times! Thanks to @tmitchellbrown.bsky.social for the beautiful write up! www.nytimes.com/2026/10/23/s...

A newly uncovered fossil of a turkey-sized dino reveals it likely munched fruit like a parrot—the first-ever evidence of a dinosaur frugivore. It would have dined on the Cretaceous equivalent of cherries and peaches. #Paleontology #FossilFriday 🧪🧪 New for @science.org

Researchers just found chimps are less likely to steal from their friends. In some trials, good chimp pals refused to engage with the experiment at all. The new work reveals novel norms around fairness and friendship in our hairy ape cousins. #Primatology #BioAnth 🧪🧪 New at @nytimes.com

A set of clay seals uncovered from a tomb in Saqqara bear a royal hieroglyph indicating Meretneith was Egypt’s first true female king. She ruled long before Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, or Cleopatra. #Egyptology #Archaeology 🧪🏺 New at @sciam.bsky.social

Our more in-depth story on the sudden shut down of Chronicle Heritage. I talk to a handful of employees who recount their experience and concerns following the company’s dissolution. Many worry about the thousands of artifacts still in Chronicle’s care. #Archaeology #CRM 🧪🏺 New at @science.org

It's rare for CRM issues to get news coverage so I'm absolutely THRILLED that @science.org is reporting on the Chronicle Heritage shutdown!! Excellent work by @tmitchellbrown.bsky.social 🙌

Chronicle Heritage, the largest cultural resources management firm in the US, abruptly shuttered its operations last week. The sudden closure leaves many archaeologists without work just as the US field season is coming to a close. This is a developing story. 🧪🏺 #Archaeology at @science.org

Researchers just documented the two loudest birds ever recorded—the bare-throated bellbird and red-legged seriema. Yes, they are even louder than gas-powered leaf blowers. 🧪🧪 New for @nytimes.com

Retraction watch watching the retraction of a paper. Though we still don't know quite how the retraction happened, that it did happen is a small win. retractionwatch.com/2026/10/02/p...

A paper that called into question many central data linking carbon dioxide to the rapidly warming climate has been retracted for “significant concerns,” including “unsupported conclusions” and “inaccuracies” in the interpretation of the data.

Oh retractionwatch.com/2026/10/02/p...

These frogs “see” prey with their star-shaped toes. Learn more: https://scim.ag/4daOBJh

New research finds the Suriname toad’s strange star-shaped fingertips are a kind of tactile eyeball that allow them to ‘see’ their prey. The toes detect subtle vibrations in the water and translate them into details about size and speed. #ToadToesTuesday 🧪🧪 New at @science.org

Scientists observed a family of pygmy raccoons near a beach club in Cozumel, Mexico, learning from one another how to craft balls from paper, an indication that the animals have a culture.

A family of endangered pygmy raccoons were recorded making, playing with, and teaching each other how to make small toy balls. The mother tried to make one too but failed because she was drunk on stolen margarita. 🧪🧪 New at @nytimes.com

This so-called fire amoeba may survive in volcanic lakes thanks to a static blanket that shields its proteins from the heat. https://scim.ag/3Te3fss

Scientists in California just discovered a record-breaking “fire amoeba” that can endure temperatures hotter than any other complex life. The researchers found part of its hardy nature comes from positively charged proteins that act as a protective blanket. #FireAmoeba 🧪🧪 New at @science.org

Scientists have found singing lemurs, known as indris, and opera singers use similar mouth shapes to create loud, high-pitched calls.

Scientists just found Madagascar’s singing lemurs belt like opera stars—literally. Using face-tracking technology, the researchers found the lemurs use the same vocal technique as trained sopranos to send their calls vast distances through the thick jungle. #Primatology 🧪🧪 New at @nytimes.com

Peruvian archaeologists just unearthed a once-in-a-lifetime discovery of unlooted tombs from the mysterious Chimú culture. The lavish burials provide the clearest look yet into the elites that once governed a vast empire that rivaled the Inca. 🧪🏺 #Archaeology #Inca #Chimú #NationalGeographic

I'm endlessly fascinated by inter-species interactions! We tend to think we're the only ones doing stuff out in the environment, but some of these creatures have been pinging off of each other for millions of years. And I'm sure we've observed <1% of it. 🧪 www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/s...

Scientists just found that narwhal tusks harbor a hidden layer that spins in the opposite direction of the outer tusk. The juxtaposed spins give the lengthy lance added resilience and allow it to become the only straight tusk in nature. #Narwhals #AnimalBiology 🧪🧪 New at @nytimes.com

Researchers in Egypt recently uncovered a cache of coffins hidden deep within a buried tunnel. One of the coffins belonged to a mysterious Chantress named Merit. #Archaeology #AncientEgypt #Egyptology 🏺🧪 New at #NationalGeographic

wonderful news: monkeys have pets www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/s...

Newly uncovered fossil footprints from Brazil reveal what could be the largest mammal ever to walk alongside dinosaurs. The discovery suggests mammals weren’t always relegated to the shadows of their mega-sized carnivore contemporaries. #Paleontology #Ichnology 🧪🧪 New at @science.org

A pair of studies dissects the stature and diets of Denisovans. Learn more: https://scim.ag/4qtqCdK

A new study suggests that we are not the only animals that like to take care of other species. The roots of wanting a pet companion may stretch deep into our primate past. nyti.ms/4iex7Pg

Fleeting primate friendships hint at the deep roots of pet-keeping behavior. “There’s no real equivalent of pet-keeping in nonhuman primates,” but we can examine the “ingredients” that might have led to its evolution. #Primatology #BiologicalAnthropology New at @nytimes.com 🧪🏺

Scientists just found two leg bones dredged from the seafloor near Taiwan belonged to Denisovans—and one of the them stood around 6’3”! The work provides a rare glimpse into the body plan and diets of these little-understood hominins. #Archaeology #Paleoanthropology 🧪🏺 New at @science.org

New research reports nearly 300 large stone circles in the Atbai Desert linked to a mysterious and little-understood cattle culture. The ancient desert nomads have long been overlooked for their more famous counterparts in Egypt. Until now… #Archaeology #Egyptology 🧪🏺 New at #NationalGeographic

“Cette étude place ce qui pourrait être le dernier clou dans le cercueil de l’opinion dominante selon laquelle plus d’oxygène rendait les insectes anciens plus gros” commente Caleb Gordon, paléontologue du Musée d’histoire naturelle de Floride.

Not remotely clear oxygen levels at any point in the Paleozoic were above modern levels. Direct samples preserved in halite do not show this at all outside of the mid-Silurian.

A new study finds many saber-toothed cats had hampered mobility, a side effect of heritable deformities and rare nerve tumors brought on by generations of inbreeding. https://scim.ag/4x74V5c

Scientists just found sabertooth cats from the La Brea Tar Pits suffered an abnormally high rate of rare spinal diseases. The incest-driven disorders likely hampered mobility, compelling the cats toward weakened animals entrapped in tar. #Paleontology #Smilodon @tarpits.org New at @science.org 🧪

The long fangs of Smilodon were thought to be rather delicate, but a study of large herbivore remains from Argentina shows these extinct cats had no trouble biting through hard bones

📰 Archaeologists decipher the name of a #Maya astronomer for the first time! 🏺 #AntiquityResearch #ArchaeologyNews via National Geographic www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...

New research identified 160 million small wetlands largely overlooked by typical wetlands surveys. The data reveal the surprising emissions from small wetlands. 🧪 eos.org/articles/big...

Ancient DNA confirms that Grand Duke Francesco de Medici and his older brother, Cardinal Giovanni de Medici, contracted malaria. Learn more: https://scim.ag/3RimiAO

Scientists just found the first-ever name of a Maya astronomer. His name was Sak Tahn Waax, meaning “White-chested Fox.” Maya astronomers have long lived in obscurity, uncredited for their work. Now we finally have a name. #Archaeology #AncientMaya @antiquity.ac.uk 🧪🏺 New at #NationalGeographic

I’ve seen a lot of fine rocks in my day, but among my favorites are the 12.5-million-year-old intrusions at Torres del Paine, Chile. The younger, light-colored volcanic rock Oreo’d itself between the darker, 94-million-year-old sedimentary rock. #InternationalRockDay #Geology #Patagonia 📸: me

“Mutual grooming does not mean the same thing in all contexts.” Cat behavioral scientists have found that sometimes cats groom each other specifically to be annoying.

Not all cat licks are equal. Researchers just found that a subset of licks are dedicated to “social tension” and employed by one cat to annoy another. The tactic might be a subtle way to antagonize a furry foe without starting a serious fight. #Caturday #Allogrooming 🧪🧪 New at @nytimes.com

Scientists just found rare ancient DNA evidence that resolves a 500-year-old murder mystery. Rather than poison, the Grand Duke Francesco de Medici likely died of malaria. His bones help reveal how the deadly parasite once ravaged Italy. #Archaeology #aDNA 🏺🧪 New at @science.org

Even 700 years ago people were dropping cherished belongings into toilets. A newly excavated medieval latrine in Germany revealed a pristinely preserved wax journal, which still bears the neatly jotted notes of its former wealthy owner. #Archaeology 🧪🏺 New for #NationalGeographic