News feature on #IrritatorBelongstoBR in The Guardian

Making my research as accessible as a possible is a central pillar of how I understand my role as an academic. This is the reason why I speak at outreach events, go on podcasts, write my blog, and am active on Bluesky and LinkedIn. This can feel like a bit of a one-man show at times, and I would lie if I pretended like I never felt awkward about pushing so much for my expertise to be visible. I do believe in its relevance, and I have a genuine passion for the topics on which I work but as an academic, but I take considerable comfort in those rare moments where I feel that my expertise is actively sought.

Last week brought such a moment: when Nicola Davis, science correspondent for The Guardian, asked me to comment on the return of the dinosaur fossil Irritator challengeri to Brazil that was recently announced. I could tell from the interview already that Nicola had been extremely thorough in her research, and the article which came out on 2 May 2026 confirmed that suspicion. Nicola gets the ethical, legal, and political issues surrounding the repatriation right, draws on the scholarship which discusses them, she spoke to all the right people (and more person)—and all of that in a remarkably concise and accessible piece. This is hands down among the best pieces of reporting on law and ethics and palaeontology that I’ve seen so far, and I’m proud to have been a part of it.

Read the full article here.