Keeper of Ireland’s Natural History Museum, Paolo Viscardi talks weird collections, ‘sexy’ science and the role of museums in a biodiversity crisis.

For this week's mystery object, I have a skull from the collections of the Dead Zoo to test your identification skills: I look forward to hearing what you think it might be. Have fun with it!

Last week I gave you this mystery mandible to help me identify: It was found in a box of mixed shells and bony fragments, with no label, and nothing to offer a clue to its origin. This is very unusual, since these sorts of boxes of miscellany were mainly addressed years ago, but this one was well tucked away and somehow escaped being dealt with.

This week I have a genuine mystery object for you, found in an unmarked box in the depths of the Dead Zoo: It's not too tricky, but hopefully it'll prove interesting to work out. Have fun!

Last week I presented this mystery bone from the Words on the Wave exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street: The bone is over a thousand years old, so it's unsurprising that a few of the processes that could be useful for identification have been worn down a little: That said, there was plenty of information remaining to allow several of you to identify the animal, bone type and side of the animal this is from.

This week I have another bony mystery object for you: This one is currently on display in the beautiful Words on the Wave exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street, but the focus is on the inscription on the bone, rather than the species the bone came from: So, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what this is? Have fun with it!

Last week I had a genuine mystery object for you to identify that was freshly dug out of the ground: While there were a few suggestions of baked goods on social media, plenty of you spotted what it actually is - with a nod to Adam Yates who was first with the correct identification. The side view is probably the most useful for setting context, as it shows the smooth curve of the head of an articular surface, with an adjacent tuberosity (or sticky-up-bit, if you prefer):