Fossils contain valuable clues about what organisms living hundreds of millions of years ago looked like and the environments they inhabited. However, revealing their secrets can be tricky. At the University of São Paulo in Brazil, Dr Gabriel Ladeira Osés is using an array of advanced techniques to study fossils, with each method revealing different pieces of the puzzle. He is particularly interested in soft-tissue preservation and early biomineralised animals – the first organisms to produce mineral-built body parts.

This brochure introduces Gabriel's work, offers an insight into careers in palaeontology, contains an interview with Gabriel and includes an activity sheet that challenges students to portray Gabriel's research through artwork.