In the media: who do fossils belong to?

A CORDIS article published on 12 June 2026, "Who do fossils belong to?", draws on Yates as its expert. The piece asks whether fossils are scientific specimens, cultural artefacts, or property for sale, noting that the answer shifts depending on who is asking, where, and why. Ownership rules differ sharply between countries, and the 1970 UNESCO Convention covers fossils without clearly defining them.

It draws on the ERC-funded TRANSFORM project, which examined people's complicated relationships with Tyrannosaurus rex fossils and the conflicts and crimes these can produce. The article focuses on the ethical questions, including whether public museums should display privately owned fossils.

Read the article here.