Visites insolites du CNRS à Palevoprim
Intervenant
Melvin Vankelst
Doctorant, Laboratoire de Dynamique de l’Évolution et de la Diversité, Université de Liège, Unité de Recherche en Géologie, Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique
Slice to meat you: a tour of carnassial tooth diversity and function
After the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, multiple clades worked their way toward the top of the food chain. On land, multiple mammalian lineages achieved this through the parallel evolution of a new structure: the carnassial tooth. Working in pairs in a scissor-like motion, these sharp and angular teeth became a key factor in the ecological success of their bearers. Initially designed to shear through flesh and tendons, carnassial teeth would eventually diversify into an astonishing diversity of forms. But how do these shapes reflect adaptations to diverse diets, and what are their functional implications? The answer lies in a jawesome journey in carnivore territory!
PhD student at the University of Liège and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, I study the evolution of carnivorous mammals.
More specifically, the aim of my PhD is to understand the relationships among Cenozoic carnivorous mammals in order to better understand the reasons behind the ultimate success of Carnivora, the clade of carnivorous mammals that dominates present-day ecosystems. I primarily investigate competition between early carnivoramorphans, hyaenodonts, and oxyaenodonts around the Eocene-Oligocene transition, as this period appears to have been critical in the establishment of modern carnivore assemblages. To do so, I work primarily on the evolution of jaw and dental morphology, as well as the biomechanical capabilities of these animals, in order to infer functional and ecological information.
Lieu
- Salle 410, bât. B35 (3ème étage, aile nord), université de Poitiers.
24 septembre 2026 – 14h
Table ronde inaugurale - Université Inter-Âges, Poitiers
Septembre 2026
Publication Science Advances
24 sept. 2026 – 10h30
Séminaire international n° 84 Melvin Vankelst
17-19 septembre 2026
ESHE 2026 Meeting, Burgos
Septembre 2026
Publication Palaeoworld
