Tuesday, 8 July 2025
18:00 - 19:00 (Doors open 17:45)
This event is free but booking is required. Click here to book your ticket.
About the event
A talk by palaeontologist Dr Emma Nicholls, Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Join us for a journey of exploration into the first ever dinosaurs to be scientifically named and described, and discover how they led to the invention of the word ‘dinosaur’ itself. How did an enigmatic toothy fossil from Oxfordshire kickstart the last 200 years of global dinosaur research and fandom, and what do we know now about these animals, compared with two centuries years ago? You will also hear why the vertebrate palaeontology collections at OUMNH are of global importance as well as some exciting stories about the Museum’s recent dinosaur-related discoveries.
About the speaker
Dr Emma Nicholls, FGS, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the University Museum of Natural History vertebrate palaeontology collections, including its access, care, development, and research. She has worked across a variety of vertebrate groups but her primary research interest lies in sharks, and Mesozoic reptiles. Her PhD involved devising a novel approach to categorising elasmobranchs into eco-groups and then testing for patterns in cohabitation across geological time and geographical space. In 2021, Dr Nicholls was part of the team of specialists that excavated the Rutland ichthyosaur, thought to be the largest, near-complete reptile skeleton found in Britain. In 2024, Dr Nicholls co-led the excavation of the largest dinosaur trackway site in the UK, located in North Oxfordshire.
Accessibility information
| Wheelchair accessible? |
Yes |
| Hearing loops? |
Yes |
| Seating? |
Yes |
| Refreshments? |
No |
| Flashing lights? |
No |
| Loud noises? |
No |
For more information, please visit our accessibility webpage.
