‘Extraordinary’ 315-million-year-old fossil sponge found near the Cliffs of Moher
An extraordinary new species of fossil sponge, dating back to a time when County Clare was located close to the Equator has been discovered in the rocks that make up the Cliffs of Moher, by Dr. Eamon Doyle, geologist for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.
The 315-million-year-old sponge, named Cyathophycus balori, is up to 50cm tall and is the largest known example of its kind anywhere in the world.
When it was alive the vase-shaped sponge featured a circular opening at the top surrounded by a ring of eyelash-like structures. It would have resembled the modern-day Venus Flower Basket sponge, which is found the Pacific Ocean and often features on deep sea wildlife documentaries.
The new species was named after the mythological giant Balor, whose eye wreaked havoc on his enemies when opened.
Commenting on his discovery, Dr. Doyle said, “This is an exceptionally large example of a type of fossil sponge that was previously only known from much older rocks elsewhere in the world. It is the first record of this type of fossil sponge from Ireland and its excellent preservation is highly unusual.”
He continued, “The sponge was originally composed of a rectangular meshwork of tiny spicules made of silica, held together by a thin organic membrane. When they die, they usually fall apart quickly, and often only scattered remains of the spicules are preserved as fossils, so I was delighted to find these largely intact specimens. The excellently preserved fossil dates back to a time when the Atlantic Ocean had not even started to form and what we now call County Clare was part of an earlier sea, located near the Equator,” explained Dr. Doyle. “Discoveries like this help us to promote awareness about the wonderful geological legacy we have on our doorstop here in County Clare and to encourage a new generation of palaeontologists, that is, geologists that specialise in the study of fossils to visit and learn more about the unique geology of Ireland’s west coast.”
The new discovery has been published in the latest edition of international geological journal Geobios, with the collaboration of lead author and international fossil sponge expert Dr. Joseph Botting and co-author Dr. Lucy Muir, both Honorary Research Fellows at National Museum Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru), who worked closely with Dr. Doyle.
According to Dr. Botting, “I was amazed to see the size and excellent state of preservation of this fossil; this was totally unexpected. This find offers important insights into the evolution of sponges and how some species can survive in niche environments where few other species can live. Finding such large and intact specimens is exceptional.”
Dr. Lucy Muir commented, “This is a wonderful find and reminds us that there are still new and interesting fossils to be found which help us understand the story of Life on Earth.”
Sponges are creatures with a very basic body plan, they do not have a nervous system or circulatory system, but they are very abundant and form an important part of our biodiversity today. They filter large volumes of water for microscopic organisms that they feed on.
Not sure how long your turkey should be in the oven. Don’t stress, instead simply visit HERE
The Safefood website offer a turkey cooking timer calculator and a whole host of other handy tips on how to cook, store and reheat food this festive season.
Due to a significant increase in flu cases, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are offering free walk-in clinics to administer the nasal flu vaccine for children aged between 2 years-17 years. Clinics will be available from December 27th to 29th. Recent data has indicated a surge in influenza cases across all age groups, with children being twice as likely to contract the virus when compared to adults.
Dr. Aparna Keegan, (Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the HSE National Immunisation Office), emphasizes the importance of parents getting their children vaccinated. The vaccine not only protects young children from the effects of the flu, but also helps prevent the spread of the virus within families and communities.
The nasal flu vaccine can still be obtained from GP practices and pharmacies participating. Additionally, the HSE continues to provide the free nasal spray flu vaccine to children in Senior Infants and all children in Primary Age Special Schools.
According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the number of confirmed influenza cases notified to HPSC has increased in the past week, with 283 confirmed influenza cases notified in week 49 (week ending December 10th) and 170 cases reported in week 48 (week ending December 3rd). During week 49, 2023, influenza increased in almost all age groups but mainly in those aged 0-4 years.
The common symptoms of flu in children include high temperature, muscle pains, headache, and extreme tiredness.
The locations of the clinics are as follows:
Tipperary—Thurles Primary Care Centre, Mitchell Street, Thurles on December 28th, from 11:00am – 3:00pm.
Limerick—Great National South Court Hotel, Raheen Gardens, Raheen, Limerick on December 27th, from 11:00am – 4:00pm.
Clare—Ennis Primary Care Centre, Station Road, Ennis on December 28th, from 10:00am – 2:00pm.
For a list of participating pharmacies, please visit the Flu Finder website.
This initiative by the HSE aims to combat the rising flu cases and ensure the well-being of children during this flu season. Getting vaccinated remains the most effective way to protect against the flu virus.
The Allied Irish Bank Fraud Prevention Unit (Mr Tom Mullen) points to the ‘Seven Deadly Scams‘ currently known to be in operation during this festive Xmas season; warning that criminals don’t take holidays and are finding smarter ways to steal your money.
Hereunder, the Allied Irish Bank Fraud Prevention Unit point out just seven of the ways to avoid being scammed this Xmas holiday period.
Being bombarded with texts containing links? Don’t click on that link. Take a moment and ask yourself does this seem legitimate. If in doubt, contact the sender on a verified number to check its legitimacy.
Taxi collecting your card? AIB will never send a taxi or courier to collect your physical card, PIN, or any security details. Always keep these details in your possession.
Offer to fix your PC? A helpful caller wants to fix broadband or account issues or give you a refund, but needs to take control of your device. Stop. Do not download software or applications (apps) that can allow a scammer access to your personal device. Never provide one time pass codes or card reader codes to any cold caller.
Investment Opportunity too good to be true? Then it generally is just that. Be cautious of ads advertising high returns on investments. Make sure that you’re dealing with the real provider. Always verify the provider is regulated and seek independent financial advice before parting with your money.
Checking in on your accounts? Always login to your account by using our website at AIB.ie or by using our secure Mobile App on your phone. Browsing the internet for login pages can be unsafe and may result in you landing on non-AIB sites.
Security Codes being requested? Always be cautious when providing codes from your AIB security device. Be familiar with when these are required. Do not provide extra codes when requested out of the blue.
Received an email with payment instructions? Never make a payment on the back of an email instruction. Verbally confirm the details with the sender on a known and trusted contact number.
Please do discuss the above information with elderly parents, relatives and friends who, because of age, may not be fully IT literate.
EPA Publishes National Criteria that allow for the safe reuse of site-won asphalt (road planings) as by-product.
The generation of construction and demolition waste needs to vastly reduce: the sector is responsible for over 50 per cent of all of Ireland’s waste.
The EPA new national by-product criteria supports the prevention construction waste and instead allows its reuse, as a lower-carbon alternative to virgin materials.
National by-product criteria will provide the construction sector with an efficient regulatory process to reuse road planings in the production of consistent and quality road surface products.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published National By-Product Criteria for Site-Won Asphalt (road planings) from road developments.
Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary at 3:15 pm today.
These criteria allow for the classification of road planings as a by-product, meaning it is not waste. The by-product can subsequently be used or placed on the market in the same way as virgin material. These criteria support waste prevention and facilitate the reuse of materials in new construction projects, in line with the circular economy.
There is a strong demand for secondary construction products in Ireland to support development of new infrastructure with a low carbon footprint. The criteria allow used asphalt to be remanufactured into new bituminous products for road building.
Commenting on the criteria, Mr David Flynn, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability, said: “The publication of national by-product criteria for site-won asphalt is an important step for the ‘greening’ of Ireland’s construction industry. The criteria will support waste prevention and circular economy ambitions, by tackling the generation of construction waste, the largest waste stream in the country, while encouraging the reuse of materials. This is the type of progress needed if Ireland is to move in a meaningful way from the linear to the circular economy.”
The criteria provide a simple way to assess materials for re-use, and will support green procurement ambitions for road development projects.
Mr Warren Phelan, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Circular Economy Programme noted: “The publication of the national criteria show the EPA’s commitment to streamlining the regulation to support secondary products. The shift away from the assessment of case-by-case applications to national criteria, which is available to all producers, offers more regulatory certainty to the stakeholders involved. These criteria will introduce a level playing field for industry and introduce a single set of rules that are easy to implement.”
The EPA calls on relevant stakeholders in the construction sector to adopt and implement the new criteria.
Further information on the national by-product criteria and other initiatives of the circular economy programme are available on the EPA website, HERE.
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