PD Dr Olivier Maridet | Jurassica Museum

Curator of the collections / Teacher-Researcher

JURASSICA Museum
Route de Fontenais 21
2900 Porrentruy
Switzerland
Tel. +41 32 420 9204
olivier.maridet[at]jurassica.ch

Associate researcher

Department of Geosciences
University of Fribourg
Chemin du musée 6
1700 Fribourg
Switzerland

Research thematics

Revision of the European « Grande Coupure »: Compared analysis of the evolutionary and diversity dynamics between small and large herbivorous mammals (Project supported by the Swiss National Fund for Research)

Just before the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, 34 millions years ago, the Turgaï Strait which separated Europe and Asia suddenly dried out, forming new terrestrial passage between the two landmasses. This phenomenon was due to the general lowering of sea levels and temperatures, and a strong reinforcement of seasonal variations together with the settlement of a permanent ice sheet at the North Pole. The evolutionary history of terrestrial mammals underwent at that time a drastic turnover at Eurasian scale, known as the “Grande Coupure”. This event is well document in the fossil record of Western Europe. However, with recent discoveries, the chronology of mammalian invasions is now questioned, some group of mammals arriving in Eastern Europe as soon as the Late Eocene. This project aims at reinvestigating the “Grande Coupure” at European scale by refining its chronological framework and better understanding its impact on the evolutionary history and biodiversity of mammals.

Evolution of the Miocene faunal diversity across Eurasia: to the roots of modern climates (Project SPARK supported by the Swiss National Fund for Research)

In Eurasia, between 35° and 45° of latitude north, today’s climate is expected to be temperate, either semi-humid next to seas and oceans to semi-dry in more continental areas. However, the regional climates show much disparity across Eurasia with the occurrence of colder and dryer regional climates (e.g. Central Europe, Central Asia, North-eastern Asia; Fig. 1a,b). Indeed where mountain ranges are high enough, temperatures a significantly lower (not only on the ranges but also around) and the modification of air circulation induce a deficit of precipitations in some areas. The most striking phenomenon in the mid-latitudes is the desertification in Central and North-Eastern Asia with cooler climate, amplified by the distances to the nearest seas. However, this Eurasian geographic pattern is relatively recent and the past records need to be taken into account in order to understand the roots of today’s climate.

Keywords

Small mammals, Rodent, Palaeoecology, Palaeoclimate, Macroecology, Palaeobiogeography

CV ►

Publications

Scientific editing

(1) Costeur L, Maridet O. 2012. Special volume in Honor of Burkart Engesser. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 131(1).

Abstracts

(43) Kimura Y., Maridet O., Ando Y., Goda T. 2023. Rare dental traits characterize the first record of the Neogene talpid mole in Japan. 172^th annual meeting of the Paleontological Society of Japan, Kyushu, Japan, 3^rd–5^th February. [Oral presentation, Abstract, translated from Japanese].
(42) Maridet O. 2022. La préparation en géosciences : paléontologie et fossiles. Remise des titres Bachelor of Arts HES-SO en Conservation-Restauration. 15^th November 2022, Porrentruy, Switzerland [Oral presentation, Invited]
(41) Tissier J., Balme C., Coster P., Costeur L, Lapauze O., Legal S., Maridet O., Mennecart B., Roch R., Röschli P. 2022. The last of its kind – Contributions of newly discovered postcranial remains and endocranial characters to the palaeoecology and the reconstruction of Plagiolophus huerzeleri (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from Murs (Early Oligocene; Vaucluse, France). 82^nd Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, November 2^nd–5^th November. [Oral presentation, Abstract].
(40) Legal S., Coster P., Costeur L., Maridet O., Mennecart B., Tissier J., Lapauze O. 2022. The Oligocene deposit of Murs (Luberon UNESCO Global Geopark, France), from the research to the appropriation by the local population. 16^th European Geoparks Conference, Verbania, Italy, 26^th-30^th September. [Oral presentation, Abstract].
(39) Maridet O., Tissier J., Becker D., Codrea V. 2021. Towards a new scenario of the "Grande Coupure" in Europe: New data on the Eocene-Oligocene mammals of Central and Eastern Europe. Mianchi Online Symposium, 9^th December. [Oral presentation, Invited].
(38) Maridet O., Gueriau P., Lu X.-Y., Costeur L. 2019. Did dormice ever glide? Reinvestigation of Glirulus aff. lissiensis from the late Miocene of Saint-Bauzile (Ardéche, France). 17th Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Fribourg, 22th-23th November. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(37) Codrea V.A., Maridet O., Tissier J., Fărcaș C., Solomon A., Bordeianu M., Petrișor A.D. 2019. The vertebrate locality Morlaca, keystone for the uppermost Eocene terrestrial bio-events from Transylvania (Romania). PalEurAfrica Meeting, Brussels, Belgium, 10th‐13th September. [Poster, Abstract]
(36) Tissier J., Codrea V., Becker D., Maridet O. 2019. New data about the Eocene-Oligocene mammals of Western and Eastern Europe: towards a new scenario of the “Grande Coupure” in Europe. PalEurAfrica Meeting, Brussels, Belgium, 10th‐13th September. [Poster, Abstract]
(35) Maridet O., Lu X.-Y., Costeur L. 2019. Reinvestigation of Glirulus aff. lissiensis, a gliding rodent from the Late Miocene of Saint-Bauzile (Ardèche, France). 17^th Annual Meeting of the Association of European Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Bruxelles, Belgium, 2^nd-6^th July. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(34) Mennecart B., Maridet O., Balme C., Lapauze O., Legal S., Lu X.-Y., Roch R., Tissier J., Vasilyan D., Costeur L. 2019. 100 ans de fouilles à Murs (Oligocène inférieur, Luberon): bienvenue au XXIe siècle. Congress of the French Palaeontological Association 2019, 16^th-20^th April. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(33) Maridet O, Balme C, Lapause O, Legal S, Lu X.-Y, Mennecart B, Tissier J, Vasilyan D, Costeur L. 2018. The locality of Murs (Southeastern France): Rediscovery of a forgotten Early Oligocene fauna. 16^th Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Bern, 30^th November-1^st December. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(32) Lu X-Y, Maridet O, Becker D, Costeur L. 2018. Evolution and diversification of Dormice: first phylogenetic analysis. 5^th International Paleontological Congress, Paris, France, 9-13^th July. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(31) Maridet O, Balme C, Lapause O, Legal S, Lu X-Y, Mennecart B, Tissier J, Vasilyan D, Costeur L. 2018. Rediscovery of the locality of Murs (Oligocene, Southeastern France): first results of the new excavations. 16^th Annual Meeting of the Association of European Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Caparica, Portugal, 26^th June-1^st July. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(30) Gaillard C, Vasilyan D, Maridet O, Lu X-Y, Prieto J. 2017. Fossil fauna of the Glovelier karstic pocket. 15^th Swiss Geoscience Meeting (SGM), Davos, Switzerland, November 17-18. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(29) Gaillard C, Prieto J, Lu X-Y, Maridet O, Vasilyan D. 2017. Fossil fauna of the Glovelier karstic pocket. 15^th Regional Committee on Mediterranean Neogene Stratigraphy (RCMNS) Congress, Athens, Greece, September 3-6. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(28) López-Guerrero P, Maridet O, Zhang Z-Q & Daxner-Höck G. 2017. A new rodent species from the Oligocene of the Valley of Lakes (Mongolia): Systematics and paleobiogeography. 15^th Annual Meeting of the Association of European Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Munich, Germany, August 1–3. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(27) Lu X-Y, Maridet O. 2017. New Morphological Study On Gliridae Using Enamel Thickness And Enamel Dentine Junction. 15^th Annual Meeting of the Association of European Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Munich, Germany, August 1–3. [Poster, Abstract]
(26) Maridet O, Costeur L, Erbajeva M, Göhlich U, Harzhauser M, Li P, López-Guerrero P, Oliver A, Ziegler R. 2017. Palaeoenvironmental changes around the Paleogene/Neogene border in central Mongolia (Valley Of Lakes) as inferred from the mammal assemblages during 11 My of evolution. 15^th Annual Meeting of the Association of European Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Munich, Germany, August 1–3. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(25) Tissier J, Becker D, Codrea V, Costeur L, Fărcaş C, Solomon A, Venczel M, Maridet O. 2017. New Amynodontidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) From the Eocene-Oligocene of Romania. 15^th Annual Meeting of the Association of European Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Munich, Germany, August 1–3. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
(24) Tissier J, Becker D, Codrea V, Costeur L, Fărcaș C, Solomon A, Venczel M, Maridet O. 2016. New material of amynodontids (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from of Romania. 14^th Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Geneva, Swiss, 18.-19. November 2016. [Abstract, Poster]
(23) López-Guerrero P, Maridet O, Daxner-Höck G. 2016. On the presence of Eumyarion tremulus Lopatin, 1996 (Rodentia, Mammalia) in the Oligocene of Mongolia: Is the genus really present in Central Asia? 1st International Meeting of Early-stage Researchers in Palaeontology – XIV Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología, April 13-16, Alpuente (Valencia, Spain). [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(22) Maridet O, Becker D. 2015. New data on the mammalian assemblages of the Early Oligocene of Switzerland: paleoenvironmental and paleobiogeographic implications. 10^th Romanian Symposium of Paleontology, Cluj-Napoca, October 16-17, Romania. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(21) Maridet O. 2015. JURASSICA, a short presentation. SHAPE 2015, 2nd Symposium on Statistical Shape Models & Applications, Sep 30 – Oct 2, Delémont, Switzerland. [Oral presentation, Invited]
(20) López-Guerrero P, Maridet O, Daxner-Höck G. 2015. Cricétidos del Oligoceno de Mongolia Central: una visión general. XIII Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers in Paleontology (XIIIEJIP), 15-18 avril, Cercedilla, Espagne. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(19) Maridet O, Costeur L, Schwarz C, Furió M, van Glabbeek FM, Hoek Ostende LW. 2014. Comparison of the bony labyrinths of some extant and fossil hedgehogs (Erinaceomorpha, Mammalia): evolutionary and paleoecological implications. 12^th Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Fribourg, Switzerland, 21.-22. November 2014. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(18) Daxner-Höck G, Badamgarav D, Bayarmaa B, Erbajeva M, Göhlich U, Harzhauser M, Maridet O, Piller W, Richoz S, Wessels W, Ziegler R. 2014. The Valley of Lakes (Central Mongolia), a hot spot of Oligocene-Miocene mammal evolution. 12^th meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists, Torino, Italy, 24.-28. June 2014. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(17) Maridet O, Costeur L, Schwarz C, Furió M, Van Glabbeek FM, Van den Hoek Ostende LW. 2013. Micro-CT scan -based reconstructions of the inner ear in fossil and extant hedgehogs and gymnures (Erinaceamorpha, Mammalia): phylogenetic implications and perspectives. 57^th Annual Meeting of the Palaeontological Association, University of Zurich, Switzerland, 13-16 December 2013. [Abstract, Poster]
(16) Maridet O, Daxner-Höck G, Badamgarav D, Göhlich UB. 2013. New discoveries of rodents from the Oligocene and Miocene of the Valley of Lakes (Central Mongolia): biostratigraphic and biogeographic implications. 11^th Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Villers-sur-Mer, France, 11-15 June 2013. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(15) Codrea V, Maridet O, Venczel M, Fărcaş C, Jipa Murzea C, Solomon A. 2011. New data on the terrestrial Eocene/Oligocene boundary in Transylvania (Romania). 9^th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists Heraklion, Greece, 14-19 June 2011. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(14) Maridet O. 2011. Impact of palaeoclimates on evolution, diversification and dispersion of Eurasian rodents. « Home for Foreign experts », Meeting of CAS International Scientists and Young Fellows 2011, Beijing, China, 9-10 June 2011. [Oral presentation, Invited]
(13) Costeur L, Balme C, Legal S, Maridet O. 2010. New fossil sites with mammal footprints in the Oligocene of south-eastern France. 8^th Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Aix-en-Provence, June 7-12, 2010. [Abstract, Poster]
(12) Maridet O, Codrea V, Venczel M, Jipa C, Feigi S, Fărcaş C, Miclea A, Sabou D, Solomon A, Molnar G. 2009. New investigations in the Late Eocene continental deposits of Transylvania: Geological context and preliminary results. The 7^th Romanian Symposium of Paleontology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 22-24 October 2009. [Abstract, Poster]
(11) Maridet O, Meng J, Ni X-J, Hugueney M. 2009. Comparison of Chinese, Mongolian and European early cricetids: ‘preliminary’ results on a Eurasian phylogeny. International Symposium on Terrestrial Paleogene Biota and Stratigraphy of Eastern Asia In Memory of Prof. Dr. Minchen Chow (Zhou Mingzhen), Beijing, China, 15-17 June 2009. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(10) Maridet O, Wu W-Y, Bi S-D, Ni X-J, Meng J. 2008. Eucricetodon from the late Oligocene of the Junggar basin: biogeographic implications. 11^th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Vertebrate paleontology, Taiyuan, China, 21-26 September 2008. [Oral presentation]
(9) Maridet O, Escarguel G, Costeur L, Mein P, Hugueney M, Legendre S. 2007. Small Mammals (rodents and lagomorphs) European Biogeography from the Late Oligocene to the mid Pliocene. 1^st International Symposium of Paleobiogeography, Paris, France, 10-13 July 2007. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(8) Maridet O, Heissig K, Hugueney M. 2006. New Eomyids from the Early Oligocene of Southern Germany and Southeastern France : evolutionary and paleoecological implications. 54^th Symposium of vertebrate paleontology and comparative anatomy, Paris, France, 13-15 September 2006. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(7) Maridet O, Costeur L, Heran M-A, Legendre S. 2004. Preliminary comparative analysis of large and small European Neogene mammals, two different diversity dynamics. 48^th Palaeontological association annual meeting, Lille, France, 17-20 December 2004: 164. [Abstract, Poster]
(6) Legendre S, Costeur L, Heran M-A, Maridet O, Mein P, Montuire S. 2003. Cenogram analysis of mammalian faunas around the HR interval 2 communication. Environments and Ecosystem Dynamics of the Eurasian Neogene (EEDEN) – Plenary workshop (Slovakia), 12-15 nov. 2003. [Oral presentation]
(5) Montuire S, Maridet O, Legendre S. 2001. Temperatures data based on rodents for late Neogene (MN11 to MN15) European faunas. Late Miocene to Early Pliocene environments and ecosystems (EEDEN) – Sabadell (Spain), 15-17 nov. 2001: 50. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(4) Montuire S, Maridet O, Legendre S. 2001. Rodents and Climate : New world cricetids (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) as analogues for European Neogene cricetids (Rodentia, Cricetinae). Late Miocene to Early Pliocene environments and ecosystems (EEDEN) – Sabadell (Spain), 15-17 nov. 2001: 49. [Abstract, Oral presentation]
(3) Montuire S, Maridet O, Legendre S. 2001. A new method for paleoclimatic data estimates based on rodents. Distribution and migration of Tertiary mammals in Eurasia. A three-day international conference in honour of Hans de Bruijn, Utrecht 17-19 mai 2001: 31. [Abstract, Poster]
(2) Maridet O. 2001. Neogene regional paleobiogeography in Europe since the Late Oligocene : analysis of rodent and lagomorph faunas. Distribution and migration of Tertiary mammals in Eurasia. A three-day international conference in honour of Hans de Bruijn, Utrecht 17-19 mai 2001: 31. [Abstract, Poster]
(1) Montuire S, Legendre S, Maridet O. 2000. Quantification of climatic parameters using mammals. Environments and Ecosystem Dynamics of the Eurasian Neogene (EEDEN) – First Workshop « The state of the art », Lyon, 16-18 nov. 2000: 44. [Abstract, Oral presentation]

CV

Current job

Since 2015	Teacher-Researcher, JURASSICA Museum, Porrentruy, Switzerland
Since 2014	Associate curator, JURASSICA Museum, Porrentruy, Switzerland

Professional background

2012–2014	Post-doctoral researcher, Naturhistorishes Museum, Vienna, Austria
2007–2012	Post-doctoral/Associate researcher, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
2005–2007	Temporary teaching and research associate, UMR CNRS 6112, University of Nantes, France
2005	Post-doctoral researcher, Department Geo- und Umwelt-wissenschaften, University of Munich, Germany

Academic background

2016	Habilitation (Privatdozent), University of Fribourg
1999–2003	PhD, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France
1998–1999	Master 2 (DEA) Paleontology & Sedimentology, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France
1994–1998	Licence-Master in Earth Sciences, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France

Financial supports

2020	SNF Spark project (2020-2024) [CHF 75'050 / SNF CKSP_190584 / PI] Evolution of the Miocene faunal diversity across Eurasia: to the roots of modern climates [project page]
2015	SNF project (2016–2020) [CHF 498’136 / SNF 200021-162359 / co-PI] Revision of the European « Grande Coupure »: Compared analysis of the evolutionary and diversity dynamics between small and large herbivorous mammals [project page]
2012	Lise Meitner post-doctoral fellowship (2012–2014), Austrian Science Fund [Grant Lise Meitner FWF-M1375-B17]
2010	Research Fellowship for Young International Researchers 2009, Chinese Academy of Sciences [Grant No. 2009Y2BZ3]
2008	Grant, National Geographic Society’s Committee fro Research and Exploration
2008	Grant, China Postdoctoral Science Fundation [Grant No. 20080430557]
2005	European Synthesys Grant
2005	DAAD fellowship (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst / German Academic Exchange Service)
1999	PhD grant MENRT, French Ministry of Higher Education and Research (1999–2002)

Recent participations to research projects

2011–2015	Impact of oligo-Miocene climate changes on Mongolian mammals (FWF-Project : P-23061-N19 ; PI : Gudrun Darner-Höck, Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria)
2010–2013	Evolution of anthropoids during late Eocene and early Oligocene in eastern Asia [Chinese National Foundation for Natural Sciences, NSFC ; PI : X-J Ni, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing]

Fieldwork

2022	Neogene of Armenia [PI: Davit Vasilyan]
2017-2022	Oligocene of Murs, Luberon, France [coPi: Loïc Costeur]
2018	Eocene of Rumania [PI : Dr Vlad Codrea, University of Cluj]
2017	Paleontologic prospection in the Oligo-Miocene of Kazakhstan [PI: Davit Vasylian]
2014	Oligocene-Miocene of Jura Canton [PI : Dr Damien Becker, JURASSICA Museum]
2012	Valley of Lakes, Mongolie centrale [PI : Dr Gudrun Daxner-Höck, NHMW, FWF-Project: P-23061-N19]
2011	Eocene-Oligocene of Rumania [PI : Dr Vlad Codrea, Université de Cluj]
2010	Oligocene of Luberon, SE France [PI : Dr Loïc Costeur, Naturhistorisches Museum Basel]
2009	Eocene-Oligocene of Rumania [PI : Dr Vlad Codrea, Université de Cluj ; Projet National Geographic Society]

Other professional resposabilities

Recommender for Peer Community In (PCI) - Paleontology (since 2018)
Review editor : Frontiers in Earth Science-Paleontology (since 2015)
Referee and scientific expert for : 'Acta Palaeontologica Polonica', 'Bulletin of Mineral Research and Exploration' , 'CR PalEvol', 'Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología', 'Fossil Imprint’, 'Geobios’, 'Historical Biology’, 'Journal of Asian Earth Science', 'Journal of Biogeography’, 'Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology’, 'National Geographic-Global Exploration Fund', 'Nature Scientific Reports', 'Palaeontographica A', 'Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeobiodiversity', 'Paleontologica Electronica', 'Palaeodiversity’, ‘Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology’, 'Paleoworld', 'PLOS-one', 'Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences', 'Revue de Paléobiologie', 'Royal Society Open Science', 'Spanish Journal of Paleontology', 'Synthesys', ‘Swiss Journal of Geosciences’, ‘Swiss Journal of Paleontology’, ‘The Bulletin of Geosciences’, 'The French National Research Agency (ANR)' et 'Zitteliana'
Associations : European Association of Vertébrale Palaeontologists (EAVP), French Paleontologic Association (APF), Société jurassienne d’émulation (SJE), Société des Sciences Naturelles du Pays de Porrentruy (SSNPP)
Committee : Scientific committee of the JURASSICA academic unit associated to the university of Fribourg (2015–2017)
English-French translator for Palaeontologia Electronica (2009–2014)