I was still an undergrad student in Barcelona when I decided that I wanted to do a semester abroad. I sent the application paperwork and won a scholarship to do a “lab training experience” in Finland. I now needed to find a lab.

I had known for years that Paleontology was something that excited me, so when I found out that Dr. Michael Fortelius, one of the best mammal Paleontologists I’ve ever met, was at the University of Helsinki, I emailed him to enquire whether he’d be willing to be my supervisor during my time there. 

He accepted to be my mentor with his characteristic kindness, but with a condition: I had to find my own fossil material and bring it with me. He suggested that I contact the Catalan Institute of Paleontology Miquel Crusafont (ICP), and so I did. 

That was, singlehandedly, one of the best steps I took in my career. Dr. Salvador Moyà-Solà, director of the research institution, saw potential in me and introduced me to the whole team, and hence, I started collaborating with them. 

Being at the ICP was an amazing experience, and I will never forget attending my first conference and, of course, participating in my first fossil dig led by Dr. Josep Fortuny. 

Over the years, and even after I left the institution to do my PhD in Australia, I have stayed in touch with my old friends at the ICP, and seeing a new cool discovery from the team always brings a smile to my face. 

That’s why I’m so excited to introduce today’s story: the discovery of the oldest known mammal relative in the Balearian island of Mallorca. 

Sometimes, science uncovers fossils that not only reshape how we understand the past but also where we look for answers. This was the case with a gorgonopsian fossil recently discovered on the Spanish island of Mallorca, just a few miles across the Mediterranean Sea from where I was born. 

Read the full story in the link below. 

Thank you for being a part of this journey!