Lars Schmitz

The power of evolution is revealed through the diversity of life. On 24 November 1859 Charles Darwin's book 'On the Origins of Species' was first published, arguably one of the most important books of the 19th century and a book with a massive impact on later scientific research. Charles Darwin died in 1882 almost 20 years before the Nobel Prizes were first awarded - they are not awarded posthumously. 159 years after Darwin's book was published, the #NobelPrize in Chemistry was awarded to Frances Arnold, Gregory Winter and George Smith who took control of evolution and used it for purposes that bring the greatest benefit to humankind. Enzymes produced through directed evolution are used to manufacture everything from biofuels to pharmaceuticals. Antibodies evolved using a method called phage display can combat autoimmune diseases and in some cases cure metastatic cancer. Learn more: bit.ly/3mHG180

"Precluding major reductions in the current extinction rate, we are witnessing what will become the greatest extinction event since the demise of the non-avialan dinosaurs 66 million years ago." onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gc…

"Ancestral body plan and adaptive radiation of sauropterygian marine reptiles" (Wei Wang, et al. 2022) 海棲の鰭竜上目、その最基盤の姿形と適応放散 ・細長い体型のハノサウルス(Hanosaurus) ・彼らの高い多様性は適応放散を示す cell.com/iscience/fullt…

Our 400+ page comment on the DOE climate working group report is now out. Our conclusion: The merchants of doubt are back, and they're coming for climate science. sites.google.com/tamu.edu/doere…

Excited to announce that the 1st paper from my postdoc is now out in @CurrentBiology Using a large dataset of 3D preserved fossils, we explore the diversification of jaws in early bony fishes. 1/15 authors.elsevier.com/a/1liBj3QW8SA3…

Embattled US scientific society names palaeontologist to top job nature.com/articles/d4158…

This bizarre & nihilistic move to gut American environmental law denies reality & assaults basic science. It may help some polluters, but will do grievous harm to the American people. This must be stopped.

We are witnessing a very sad moment in American history. The President of the United States is aligning himself with the dictator of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to undermine the independence of Ukraine and its democracy. Here are my thoughts:

Powerful speech by ⁦@Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz⁩ nytimes.com/2025/02/15/wor… via @NYTimes

Ich weise ausdrücklich zurück, was US-Vizepräsident Vance bei der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz gesagt hat. Aus den Erfahrungen des Nationalsozialismus haben die demokratischen Parteien in Deutschland einen gemeinsamen Konsens: Das ist die Brandmauer gegen extrem rechte Parteien.

As a strong democracy we are very clear: The extreme right should be out of political decision making processes. We reject any idea working together with the extreme right and its not on others to give us advices to do so.

Today, it happened. Conservatives and liberals for the first time since World War II built a majority with the Far Right on a vote in the German Parliament. Just after the commemoration of the Holocaust. Today is a dark day for German democracy.

The outer ear is a mammalian innovation but where did it come from? In our study in @Nature, @MathiThiru95 and colleagues find that the outer ear arose from modification of an ancestral gill program first originating in marine invertebrates. nature.com/articles/s4158… 1/n

New paper about the functioning of saber teeth led by the amazing @TIPollock 🥳 combining 3DGM with biomechanical testing we identified functional optimality as a key driver underpinning the repeated evolution of extreme saber-tooth morphologies 🔪🦁 cell.com/current-biolog…

Our latest paper is out today: Oldest Gorgonopsian synapsid suggest therapsids may have originated in equatorial regions. Out in @NatureComms with several colleagues: #citeas" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">nature.com/articles/s4146…

Postdoc Alert!🚨 Application portal for the 2025 @Princeton EEB Postdoctoral Fellowship is now open! We encourage applicants to identify at least 2 faculty members who could be suitable mentors and collaborators on their independent work. puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/apply…

#ICYMI: A new Science study presents “Evo”—a machine learning model capable of decoding and designing DNA, RNA, and protein sequences, from molecular to genome scale, with unparalleled accuracy. Evo’s ability to predict, generate, and engineer entire genomic sequences could change the way synthetic biology is done. Learn more in this recent issue: bit.ly/3OsmUPr

Do you use 3D imaging like CT or MRI for research, teaching, outreach, or art? Check out our new article in @iScience_CP featuring a detailed workflow for producing 3D cinematic renderings with stunning realism! doi.org/10.1016/j.isci… @BIOTECH_UH @HiLIFE_helsinki @helsinkiuni

Unifying statistical #genetics & #phylogenetics. @jgschraiber @DocEdge85 & @mwpen show that the distinct ways of mapping phenotypes while controlling for ancestry in these two fields are actually special cases of the same general approach #PLOSBiology plos.io/4eZvKiv