Emploi

Postdoctoral position: "Origins of terrestrialisation in early tetrapods: a multi-isotope approach" - LGL-TPE (UMR 5276)

CDD - 2 ansLyon, France
Date limite de réponse : 1 avril 2021
Missions :

Research project

Terrestrialisation, i.e. the establishment of complex continental ecosystems, stands as one of the most significant evolutionary events in the history of life on Earth. It started in the Ordovician (ca. 460 Myr) with the invasion of land by plants and continued into the Devonian (ca. 400 Myr) with the rise of several new groups of animals such as continental arthropods and tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates). The origin of tetrapods predates the early Middle Devonian (395 Ma) but their complete terrestrialisation is only recorded by the Carboniferous. As a result, the Late Devonian represents the ideal period to understand processes related to tetrapod terrestrialisation.

The project we propose for the “LIO Post-doc Programme 2021” will investigate the trophic relationships and paleoenvironmental context within key Devonian vertebrate localities worldwide containing early tetrapods together with a well-known vertebrate assemblage. This project will rely on a multi-isotope approach (44Ca, 34S, 18O) to obtain reliable inferences on the paleoecology of Late Devonian vertebrates and on their palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimates. As recent trophic networks provide a comparative basis for understanding past ecosystems, modern freshwater and estuarine ecosystems will also be studied in the scope of this project.


Starting date of the contract: November the 1st, 2021
PROFIL RECHERCHÉ

Formations requises :

PhD in Physics or Geophysics

Compétences requises :

The ideal candidate must hold a PhD in Physics or Geophysics and have skills in experi-mental measurements for fluid dynamics, data analysis, physical modelling of geophysical phenomena. Skills in numerical modeling of fluid dynamics will also be considered as a wel-come addition.

Informations complémentaires

SELECTION PROCESS

Qualifications / Skills / Education & Research requirements
The candidate must hold a PhD and have previous experience in the clean lab and measuring isotope ratios on various mass spectrometers. Experience in non-traditional isotope systems would be a plus. Also, the candidate is expected to write research articles in paleontology/paleocology-oriented journals and an experience in vertebrate paleontology is viewed as a strength for this project. Because of existing cross-disciplinary bridges, we will also consider candidates with a background in isotopic archeology and isotopic ecology. Finally, fieldwork and museum visits to collect samples are also to be considered in the frame of the project.

Application deadline
April the 1st, 2021