PD Dr Olivier Maridet

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 and diversity of Oligo-Miocene rodents from Mongolia (Project supported by the Autrian Fund for Sciences)
Most of Central Asia is nowadays a desert. However it has not always been the case. Since the first prospection conduction in the 1920s’, the region is famous for its rich fossil deposits, especially fossil mammals indicating past environment much different from extant deserts. The first prospection lead to the discovery of numerous large-sized fossils, but microfaunas (and especially small mammal remains) remained scarce. In the frame of a joint mission between Austria and Mongolia, new excavations have been conducted in Central Mongolia providing a lot a new fossil rodents. The study of these specimens allows now a better understanding of the climatic evolution en Central Asia leading to the climate as we know it today.
Keywords
Small mammals, Rodent, Palaeoecology, Palaeoclimate, Macroecology, PalaeobiogeographyPublications
Scientific editing
- (1) Costeur L, Maridet O. 2012. Special volume in Honor of Burkart Engesser. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 131(1).
Abstracts
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(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]
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(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]
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(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]
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(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). 17th Annual Meeting of the Association of European Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Bruxelles, Belgium, 2nd-6th July. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
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(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, 16th-20th April. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
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(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. 16th Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Bern, 30th November-1st December. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
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(32) Lu X-Y, Maridet O, Becker D, Costeur L. 2018. Evolution and diversification of Dormice: first phylogenetic analysis. 5th International Paleontological Congress, Paris, France, 9-13th July. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
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(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. 16th Annual Meeting of the Association of European Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Caparica, Portugal, 26th June-1st July. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
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(30) Gaillard C, Vasilyan D, Maridet O, Lu X-Y, Prieto J. 2017. Fossil fauna of the Glovelier karstic pocket. 15th Swiss Geoscience Meeting (SGM), Davos, Switzerland, November 17-18. [Oral presentation, Abstract]
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(29) Gaillard C, Prieto J, Lu X-Y, Maridet O, Vasilyan D. 2017. Fossil fauna of the Glovelier karstic pocket. 15th 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. 15th 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. 15th 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. 15th 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. 15th 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. 14th 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. 10th 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. 12th 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. 12th 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. 57th 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. 11th 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). 9th 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. 8th 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 7th 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. 11th 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. 1st 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. 54th 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. 48th 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
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 (2020-2022) [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] |
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
2017-2019 | 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
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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)