Maria McNamaraPreservation and palaeobiology of exceptionally preserved fossils

The study, published in the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, is led by TU Darmstadt Marco Colombo and his supervisor Prof. Wolfgang Ensinger, in collaboration with paleontologists Dr Valentina Rossi and Dr Thomas Lehmann, from University College Cork and Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, respectively. The pioneering study opens up a new avenue for studying in detail the elemental chemistry of fossils conserved in both solid and liquid media in research and museum collections worldwide. The team discovered striking chemical signals associated with fur, feathers and internal organs in nearly all of the analyzed fossils. This also demonstrates that all conservation methods used on the Messel fossils so far enable the preservation of their chemical composition.   

The Great Irish Fossil Hunt is here! This is your chance to help scientists at UCC find Ireland's hidden fossil treasures.   We can find fossils in natural rocky outcrops and also in urban buildings and footpaths. We need your help to gather information on what fossils can be found in locations all over Ireland. Simply take a picture of any fossil you find while you're out and about in your local village, town or city, and send it to the UCC team—who will check out as many finds as possible. Your discoveries will help build a brand new fossil map of Ireland!   See our interviews on:  RTE Drivetime at 2:13:37                | RTE Today at 1:00:43   Find out more!    

A huge congratulations to Daniel on attending his PhD Conferring!