Huge eight-metre-long skeletons of the only dinosaurs known to have existed on the island of Ireland are set to go on display to the public for the very first time, in a spectacular new exhibition of Irish fossils.  

The Domain of the Dinosaurs will run in University College Cork’s Glucksman Gallery from Sunday November 16 until April 12 2026, and will feature over 250 real fossil specimens from land, sea and air, bringing the world of the Irish dinosaurs to life. These will be complemented by a series of older, pre-dinosaur Irish fossils that offer a tantalising glimpse of Ireland in deep time. By pairing these fossils with new artworks by Irish artists, the exhibition gives these ancient specimens a very human connection with the modern world. 

The exhibition is the largest dinosaur exhibition ever in Ireland, with over 250 real fossils and over 5 tonnes of material. It will take a team of twelve people a week to assemble, with specialists flying in from three countries to build the dinosaur skeletons.

First time for the public to see the dinosaurs that roamed Ireland 

The centrepiece of the exhibition will be skeleton casts of Megalosaurus and Scelidosaurus, the only known dinosaurs from the island of Ireland.  

Bones from both these dinosaurs were discovered in the 1980s by the late Roger Byrne, a schoolteacher and fossil collector, on a beach in Co. Antrim. 

Both these finds will be on display at The Domain of the Dinosaurs, as will skeletal casts of these creatures. Scelidosaurus was an armored herbivore, while Megalosaurus was a two-legged predator. This exhibition marks the first time the public can view casts of these dinosaurs in Ireland. 

Prof. Maria McNamara, Professor of Palaeontology at UCC, said, “This remarkable exhibition is a celebration of life in Ireland as it was during the time of the dinosaurs. That ancient Ireland would be unrecognisable to us today - ecosystems on land and in the ocean were dominated by reptiles, with many unfamiliar plants and animals. Visitors to the exhibition can see the real fossil evidence of those extinct creatures, including fossil footprints, trees, insects, giant flying reptiles called pterosaurs, and lots of marine animals including giant predators such as the ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. There’s even fossilized dinosaur eggs and poo!”  

Newly commissioned artworks

The unique exhibition incorporates newly commissioned artworks from contemporary Irish artists, that provide a creative response to key Irish fossils and current research on dinosaurs by palaeontologists at UCC.  

Prof. Fiona Kearney, Director of the Glucksman Gallery, said, "The artists bring a creative lens to the pioneering scientific research happening in our university and provide an imaginative response to the fascinating fossils that are on display.” 

“This exhibition redefines how we communicate science and the creative arts to the public,” said Prof. McNamara.  

“Fossils occupy a very special place in human society that defies definition. On one hand, fossils are hugely important scientific objects that record the evolution of life and climate on our planet, helping scientists predict how climate change will impact biodiversity. On the other hand, fossils invite us to reflect on the passage of time, and our place as individuals – and as a society – in time and space. We know that humans have been fascinated by fossils for thousands of years, and they still inspire children and adults around the world to learn about the natural world. The Domain of the Dinosaurs provides a special space to learn, to be inspired, and to reflect on what fossils mean to us.” 

President of UCC, Professor John O’Halloran said: 
 
“We are incredibly excited to bring this first-of-its-kind exhibition to UCC. Embedded in our strategic plan is the commitment to position our campus as a cultural heritage destination for Cork. I cannot think of a better example of meeting that goal than an exhibition that brings together science and art as The Domain of the Dinosaurs will. We are looking forward to welcoming generations of curious minds to the Glucksman for this special exhibit.” 

Programme of events

The exhibition will be accompanied by an exciting programme of events, including special tours led by UCC palaeontologists, panel discussions featuring international fossil experts and artists, public lectures and creative workshops for all ages and abilities. The full programme of events will be advertised on the Glucksman Gallery website at www.glucksman.org/events. 

School groups can explore the exhibition and create responsive art through dedicated tours and workshops tailored for different age groups at primary and secondary levels. These sessions will be offered from December to April, and advance booking is essential.  

Members of the public can visit the exhibition between 11am and 5pm from Tuesday– Saturday. General admission is free; guided tours will have priority access.  

The exhibition opens on Sunday November 16 and will run until April 12 2026.

New Triassic wonder reptile forces rethink of feather evolution

An international team of researchers including UCC palaeontologists has discovered a new species of fossil reptile from the Triassic period that had a large crest made of complex plume-like structures, long before modern-type feathers evolved. This dramatic breakthrough shakes our view of the evolution of skin and feathers in reptiles.

Prof. McNamara and Dr Rossi with a fossil specimen showing the Mirasaura crest

The 247-million-year old Mirasaura grauvogeli, from the Grès à Voltzia locality in southern France, had a bizarre showy plume of long integumentary structures. Remarkably, these share similarities with feathers, despite existing 70 million years before the oldest fossil feathers.

Fossil Mirasaura

The UCC team discovered that the fossil tissue is rich in preserved melanosomes – cell organelles that contain melanin pigments – that are common in fossil and modern vertebrate animals. These melanosomes are similar in shape to those in feathers, but not mammal hair or reptilian skin. Unlike feathers in modern birds, however, the Mirasaura structures lack branching, showing instead a simple long, medial feature that superficially resembles the shaft of modern bird feathers. Mirasaura reveals that feather evolution is more complex than we previously thought.

Reconstruction and illustration of Mirasaura in its natural forested environment, hunting insects. Copyright: Gabriel Ugueto

The study, published in the journal Nature, included UCC palaeontologists Prof. Maria McNamara, Dr Valentina Rossi and Dr Tiffany Slater.

To find out more, visit: www.mariamcnamara.ucc.ie

To access the scientific paper for free, click here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/mariamcnamara/research/publications/s41586-025-09167-9.pdf

Full citation: Spiekman, S.N.F., Foth, C., Rossi, V., Gascó Martín, C., Slater, T.S., Bath Enright, O.G., Dollmann, K.N., Serafini, G., Seegis, D., Grauvogel-Stamm, L., McNamara, M.E., Sues, H.-D., Schoch, R.R. et al. Triassic diapsid shows early diversification of skin appendages in reptiles. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09167-9

New fossilization experiments signpost the origins of organic matter in fossil soft tissues

Palaeontologists at University College Cork (UCC) have developed a new method to distinguish between remnants of the pigment melanin and other compounds in fossils. 

Dr Valentina Rossi

The soft parts of animals’ bodies (such as skin and internal organs), plus fossil plants and microbes, are rarely fossilized. When these tissues are preserved in the fossil record, they are usually altered by the effects of heat and pressure as they are buried in the Earth’s crust. Analysis of these tissues is tricky as most of the common laboratory methods that are currently available are destructive or require large amounts of sample (that are not available). As a result, it can be very difficult – if not impossible – to determine the original chemical composition of the fossil tissues.

Schematic showing a summary of the main findings of the paper. 

Now, palaeontologists at UCC have discovered a solution to this problem, by analysing samples using non-destructive Raman spectroscopy and then examining the detailed shape of peaks in the spectra using statistical analysis. The team applied their experimental model to fossil vertebrates (fish and feathers) and plants, and were able to successfully discriminate the fossils according to their original chemistry. This exciting new development will allow palaeontologists to determine the true nature of organic matter in many fossils, especially those that are older and/or more thermally altered. 

The study, published in RSC Advances, was led by UCC palaeontologists Dr Valentina Rossi and Prof. Maria McNamara. 

To find out more, visit: https://www.ucc.ie/en/mariamcnamara/

To access the scientific paper for free, click here: ht https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2024/RA/D4RA04364B

Full Citation:  Rossi, V., Unitt, R., McNamara, M.E. A new non-destructive method to decipher the origin of organic matter in fossils using Raman spectroscopy.
RSC Adv., 2024,14, 26747–26759. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RA04364B

New fossil evidence reveals hidden step in dinosaur feather evolution

Palaeontologists at University College Cork (UCC) have discovered that some feathered dinosaurs had scaly skin like reptiles today, thus shedding new light on the evolutionary transition from scales to feathers.

Dr Zixiao Yang of University College Cork, Ireland, who led the research team that discovered zoned skin development in the feathered dinosaur Psittacosaurus. Pic Ruben Tapia/UCC TV

The fossil evidence came from a new specimen of the feathered dinosaur Psittacosaurus from about 130 million years ago. Researchers discovered that Psittacosaurus, and probably other early feathered animals, had both scaly, reptile-style skin and soft, bird-like skin with feathers, in different parts of the body.

The studied Psittacosaurus specimen NJUES-10 under natural (upper half) and UV light (lower half) showing the orange-yellow fluorescence of the fossilised skin. Pic Dr Zixiao Yang

This was almost certainly for protection against abrasion, dehydration and pathogens. This way, the early feathered animals would have a good chance to survive and pass down the feather genes to their offspring and ultimately, to birds today.

The study, published today in Nature Communications, was led by UCC palaeontologists Dr Zixiao Yang and Prof. Maria McNamara. 

Scanning electron microscopy image of the fossil skin showing mineralised cell layers. Pic Dr Zixiao Yang

To find out more, visit: https://www.ucc.ie/en/mariamcnamara/news/zixiaos-discovery-on-dinosaur-skin-published-in-nature-communications.html

To access the scientific paper for free, click here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48400-3

Yang, Z.X., Jiang, B.Y., Xu, J.X. & McNamara, M.E. Cellular structure of dinosaur scales reveals retention of reptile-type skin during the evolutionary transition to feathers. Nature Communications 15, 4063 (2024). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48400-3.

Mystery solved: the oldest fossil reptile from the Alps has fake skin

A 280-million-year-old fossil that has baffled researchers for decades has been shown to be, in part, a forgery following new examination of the remnants.

Dr Valentina Rossi of University College Cork, Ireland, who led the research team which discovered that a 280-million-year-old lizard fossil is, in part, a forgery. (Image credit: Zixiao Yang)

Tridentinosaurus antiquus was discovered in the Italian alps in 1931 and was thought to be an important specimen for understanding early reptile evolution.

Its body outline, appearing dark against the surrounding rock, was initially interpreted as preserved soft tissues. This led to its classification as a member of the reptile group Protorosauria.

Tridentinosaurus antiquus, which was discovered in the Italian Alps in 1931. It was long thought that the dark outline was preserved soft tissues. However researchers have now discovered that this colouring is, in fact, paint. (Image credit: Dr Valentina Rossi, UCC)

However, this new research, published in the scientific journal Palaeontology, reveals that the fossil renowned for its remarkable preservation is mostly just black paint on a carved lizard-shaped rock surface.

The discovery has led the team led by Dr Valentina Rossi of University College Cork, Ireland (UCC) to urge caution in how the fossil is used in future research.

Find out more: https://www.ucc.ie/en/mariamcnamara/news/valentinas-discovery-on-fossil-forgery-published-in-palaeontology.html

You can access the scientific article on the publisher’s website here: https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12690

Full Citation: Rossi, V., Bernardi, M., Fornasiero, M., Nestola, F., Unitt, R., Castelli, S., Kustatscher, E., 2024. Forged soft tissues revealed in the oldest fossil reptile from the early Permian of the Alps. Palaeontology, 67, e12690. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12690.

New 315-million-year old fossil found in Co. Clare

Dr Eamon Doyle, Dr Joseph Botting and Dr Lucy Muir with the new fossil sponges discovered near the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare. Photo credit:Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark

An Irish palaeontologist has discovered a new fossil sponge species in rocks near the Cliffs of Moher.

The fossil sponge species, Cyathophycus balori, lived in an inhospitable “niche” environment where few other species could live. It was up to 50 cm tall and had a circular opening surrounded by delicate eyelash-like structures.

The upper part of the new fossil sponge shows the vertical eyelash-like structures at the very top. Photo credit: Dr. Joe Botting.

The study, published in the journal Geobios, was led by Dr Joe Botting, an international sponge expert, in collaboration with Dr Eamon Doyle, consultant geologist with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Geopark, who discovered the specimen.

To find out more, visit: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016699523000736

Botting, JP, Muir, LA and Doyle, E. 2023. An oversized, late-surviving reticulosan sponge from the Carboniferous of Ireland. Geobios 80, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geobios.2023.07.004

Ginger pigment molecules found in fossil frogs 

Illustration of the main findings reported in Slater et al., 2023 published in Nature Communications. Design by Science Graphic Design. 

Palaeontologists at University College Cork (UCC) have found the first molecular evidence of phaeomelanin, the pigment that produces ginger colouration, in the fossil record.  

The new study reports the preservation of molecular fragments of the pigment phaeomelanin in 10-million-year-old frogs, adding molecular analysis to the palaeontologists’ arsenal when reconstructing the original colours of extinct organisms. 

The study, published today in Nature Communications, was led by UCC palaeontologists Dr Tiffany Slater and Prof. Maria McNamara. 

False colour scanning electron microscopy image of zebrafinch feather showing the feather cortex (in blue) and melanosomes (melanin-rich granules, in orange). Scale bar indicates 1 µm. Pic Dr Tiffany Slater. 

To find out more, visit: https://www.ucc.ie/en/mariamcnamara/news/tiffanys-findings-on-ginger-pigments-in-fossil-record-published-in-nat-comms.html  

To access the scientific paper for free, click here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40570-w  

Dr Tiffany Slater and Prof Maria McNamara pictured at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision. 

Slater, T.S., Ito, S., Wakamatsu, K., Zhang, F., Sjövall, P., Jarenmark, M., Lindgren, J., McNamara, M.E., 2023. Taphonomic experiments reveal authentic molecular signals for fossil melanins and verify preservation of phaeomelanin in fossils. Nature Communications 14, 5651 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40570-w  

Ancient rivers and Ireland’s oldest fossil forest 

An international team of palaeontologists, including Emeritus Professor Ken Higgs from University College Cork, have discovered new evidence of what the first forests on Earth looked like. The researchers studied fossil plants from the Late Devonian rocks of Hook Head, Co. Wexford (about 360 million years old). The study reports the oldest log jam – a buildup of wood and logs formed during floods – plus driftwood and evidence of how river channels were stabilized by plant roots. Some fragments of driftwood even show meandering trails and burrows, indicating that they acted as a nutrient source for burrowing organisms. These interactions between plants, the sediment surface, and animals were common during the younger Carboniferous Period, but the new research shows that even the earliest forests in the Devonian Period were having a major impact on terrestrial environments.  

Fossil plant roots from Late Devonian rocks of Hook Head, Co. Wexford (ca. 360 million years old)

You can access the scientific article on the publisher’s website here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111579 

Yorick P. Veenma, Neil S. Davies, Kenneth T. Higgs, William J. McMahon. Biogeomorphology of Ireland's oldest fossil forest: Plant-sediment and plant-animal interactions recorded in the Late Devonian Harrylock Formation, Co. Wexford. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 621, 111579. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111579.  

Dinosaur feathers reveal traces of ancient proteins  

New method reveals similarities between dinosaurs and birds  

  This paper finds evidence of proteins in 125 million-year-old feathers, which show that ancient feathers were much more like modern-day feathers than previously thought. Design by Science Graphic Design.

Palaeontologists at University College Cork (UCC) have discovered X-ray evidence of proteins in fossil feathers that sheds new light on feather evolution.

Previous studies suggested that ancient feathers had a different composition to the feathers of birds today. The new research, however, reveals that the protein composition of modern-day feathers was also present in the feathers of dinosaurs and early birds, confirming that the chemistry of feathers originated much earlier than previously thought.  

 Fossil feather 1 cm: 50-million-year-old fossil feather from Green River, USA, which was analysed as part of the study.  

The research, published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution, was led by palaeontologists Dr Tiffany Slater and Prof. Maria McNamara of UCC’s School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences.  

 Dr Tiffany Slater and Prof. Maria McNamara pictured at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision.

Find out more: https://www.ucc.ie/en/mariamcnamara/news/tiffany-has-new-paper-on-fossil-feather-proteins-in-nature-ecology-and-evolution.html  

The scientific article is provided on the journal website here:  

Slater, T.S., Edwards, N.P., Webb, S.M., Zhang, F., McNamara, M.E., 2023. Preservation of corneous β-proteins in Mesozoic feathers. Nature Ecology and Evolution.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02177-8  

To request a copy of the scientific article, please email tiffany.slater@ucc.ie or maria.mcnamara@ucc.ie.  

360-million-year-old Irish fossils provides oldest evidence of plant self-defence in wood 

In April this year, an international team of scientists, co-led by Dr Carla J. Harper, Assistant Professor in Botany in the School of Natural Sciences at Trinity College Dublin, discovered the oldest evidence of plant self-defence in wood in a 360-million-year-old fossil from south-eastern Ireland.  

Microscopic observation of a section of Devonian fossil wood containing tyloses and detail of an area showing several tyloses (arrows) produced by parenchyma cells (P) inside a conductor cell (C); scale: 0.05 mm (50 µm). Photos: A-L Decombeix.

Plants can protect their wood from infection and water loss by forming special structures called “tyloses”. These prevent bacterial and fungal pathogens from getting into the heartwood of living trees and damaging it. The palaeontologists discovered that very early woody plants from the Hook Head Peninsula area, Co. Wexford, Ireland, show evidence of such defences. The fossil plants lived during the Late Devonian period, 360 million years ago. These fossil plants formed the first primeval forests and were the first plants to resemble modern-day trees, with a woody trunk, branches, and complex roots – and they were capable of producing tyloses to protect from microbial attack. 

You can read the scientific article on the publisher’s website here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-023-01394-0  

To read more, see: https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/2023/360-million-year-old-irish-fossil-provides-oldest-evidence-of-plant-self-defence-in-wood/  

The origin of colour patterns in fossil insects 

Fossil orthopteran from the Jurassic Yanliao biota of NE China, showing colour patterns on its wings. Credit: Shengyu Wang. 

Research at UCC has resolved a long-standing question about colour patterns in fossil insects, revealing that they reflect the original colour patterns in life. The research was led by Dr Shengyu Wang, who completed part of the work on the paper during a research visit to UCC, with Prof. Maria McNamara of the UCC Palaeontology Group. The palaeontologists did thermal maturation experiments on modern insects, in order to study how their colour patterns are degraded by the effects of heating. The results showed that during progressive heating, colour patterns are initially lost as cuticles turn black, but then reappear at higher temperatures. This happens because regions of the cuticle that are rich in melanin persist but cuticle regions with little or no melanin preferentially degrade. The scientists also found that these changes happen at different temperatures, for different insect species: the thicker the cuticle, the higher the temperature these changes happen at. Therefore, when studying fossil insect biotas, the absence of colour patterns in certain species may be an artefact of fossilization. 

Shengyu Wang

You can access the scientific article for free here: 

Wang, S., McNamara, M.E., Wang, B., Hui, H., Jiang, B., 2023. The origins of colour patterns in fossil insects revealed by maturation experiments. Proceedings B, 290, 20231333.  

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.1333