Research projects
We are a team of palaeontologists, biologists, and geologists analysing how biodiversity fluctuated in the past, including the drivers of (mass) extinctions and the mechanisms of diversification.
We have two main research topics:
Diversity dynamics of marine animals of the past
Biodiversity is shaped by heritage, evolutionary processes, and extinctions. Untangling the drivers behind these phenomena is thus crucial to assess how ecosystems might evolve in a changing world. Our approach is to master the entire process on analysing palaeontological data from fieldwork to quantitative analyses of biodiversity dynamics (notably ecological disparity) and turnovers. Some ongoing projects:
- SEA TALE (SEcondary Adaptations of Tetrapods to Aquatic LifE). Convergence and divergence in craniodental morphology of tail propelled raptorial marine reptiles and marine mammals. FNRS-funded.
- Evolution of Atlantic and Pacific seals. Taxonomy, phylogeny and 3D geometric morphometrics. FNRS-funded.
- SEACROCS. Anatomy and function of the postcranial skeleton in thalasuchian and dyrosaurid crocs.
- Evolution of cetaceans limbs and backbones. FNRS-funded.
- SEASCAPE, recreating the macroevolutionary landscape of Cretaceous marine reptiles using 3D data. FNRS-funded.
- ITEM (Impact of the end-Triassic mass extinction on marine reptiles). FNRS-funded.
- Active involvement in the redefinition of the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary and its GSSP. FNRS, Walloon Region, and BELSPO-funded.
Evolution of continental biotas
Continental ecosystems have been thoroughly altered by the evolutionary of vertebrates and plants. In active collaborations with the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, we analyze the palaeobiological and environmental contexts of key events in the history of continental biotas. Ongoing projects:
- PALEOGREEN. Taxonomy, phylogeny and diversity dynamics from the first land plants to the first forests (Devonian and early Carboniferous). BELSPO-funded.
- Evolution of Palaeozoic palynormorphs
- CarnAges. Competition and tempo of the radiation of carnivoran mammals during the Paleogene. BELSPO-funded.
- Sauropod dwarfism. Palaeohistology and biomechanics of gigantism and dwarfism in sauropod dinosaurs. FNRS-funded.
- Disparity of Early Cretaceous cones. The rise of conifers during the Early Cretaceous of Europe and North America. FNRS-funded.
- DECAF (Disparity, Evolution and Convergence Among Felid and felid–like carnivorans), FNRS-funded.
- Iguanodon 2.0. 3D and population morphology in Iguanodon bernissartensis. BELSPO-funded.
