Maria McNamara’s research is projected on the walls of Barnardo Square in Dublin during Science Week!
#LoveIrishResearch
Maria McNamara’s portrait is featured in the Royal Irish Academy!
Maria recently traveled to Dublin as part of the Royal Irish Academy’s decision to commission a group portrait in honour eight female scientists that are currently based in Irish academic institutions.
New study sheds light on life in ancient tropical seas
A new study sheds new light on the creatures that inhabited the tropical seas surrounding the UK at the start of the age of the dinosaurs.
Some 210 million years ago, the UK consisted of many islands, surrounded by warm seas. Europe at the time lay farther south, at latitudes equivalent to North Africa today. Much of Europe was hot desert, and at this point was flooded by a great sea – the Rhaetian Transgression.
The study was led by Valentina Rossi, who is a PhD student with Maria McNamara in the School of BEES, but conducted the research while an intern with Mike Benton at the University of Bristol. The study, published in Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association (10.1016/j.pgeola.2016.05.003), is the most extensive ever published on the Rhaetian rocks and is based on more than 26,000 identified fossils of sharks, bony fishes, marine reptiles, and other creatures.
Valentina, who worked on the reptile remains, said “We found teeth and bones of ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, the classic great sea dragons of the Triassic and Jurassic.”
The new work has illuminates changes in marine ecosystems during a remarkable rise in sea level. The fossils even include dozens of examples of coprolites – fossil dung – some of which contain bones and scales of fish and reptiles – clear evidence of who was eating whom in those ancient seas.
NEW! Maria McNamara is featured in an article about successful women researchers
Maria McNamara is one of a handful of scientists selected by SiliconRepublic to promote STEM disciplines in Ireland.
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/research-science-humanities-irish-research-council
New Paper in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
NEW! Orr, P.J., Adler, L.B., Beardmore, S.R., Furrer, H., McNamara, M.E., Peñalver-Mollá, E., Redelstorff, R., 2016. “Stick ‘n’ peel”: Explaining unusual patterns of disarticulation and loss of completeness in fossil vertebrates. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, published online 24/5/2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.05.024.
Fossil colour research used to promote STEM in Ireland
On the 17th of May 2016, Maria’s fossil colour research was featured in the Irish Times. The article outlined the contribution her research made for STEM in Ireland.
New Paper in Palaeontology
NEW! McNamara M.E., Van Dongen B., Bull I., Orr P.J., 2016. Fossilisation of melanosomes via sulfurization. Palaeontology, published online 1/4/2016. OPEN ACCESS dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala.12238
New Paper in Current Biology
NEW! McNamara M.E., Orr, P.J., Kearns, S.L., Alcalá, L., Anadón, P., Peñalver, E., 2016. Reconstructing carotenoid-based and structural coloration in fossil skin. Current Biology, published online 31/3/2016. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.02.038
Visit to Áras an Uachtaráin
On 31st January Maria was invited to meet the President of Ireland, Dr Michael D. Higgins, and his wife Sabrina, at Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin at an event to celebrate the achievements of Irish women scientists. What a wonderful opportunity to form new links with other successful Irish scientists from diverse disciplines!
