Researchers and research lecturers

olga-otero[at]univ-poitiers.fr Main research question As a paleoichthyologist, I focus my research on the link between Evolution and Environment in deep times, and notably the balance between climate and geology and their impact on faunas. Topics of study I address questions in evolution: fossils and their interest to solve phylogeny deep nodes ; evolution of complex structures/ key innovations ; prospects in bone paleohistology. The phylogeny and distribution of both extant and fossil fish allow me to propose a history for ancient hydrographical connections. I describe the ichthyofaunas yielded by various Tertiary sites from Afro-Arabia and the assemblages allow me to characterise aquatic paleoenvironments. I cross information on the fossil fish ecology with the chemical signals they recorded (δ180) to catch the water cycle at the scale of the basin. I do the same with sclerochronological tools (growth of hard parts) to evaluate seasonal variation intensity. The latter project implies an experimentation developed in collaboration with Géraldine GARCIA. Fieldworks My study material comes from over 15 countries, and I am particularly involved, including in the field, in two programs lead in the lab: MPFT in Chad, OGRE in Ethiopia. Project management Coordination du projet NA ASAP et d’un workpackage dans l’ANR HADoC. Other current responsibilities Director of the INSPE Site 86 Associate Dean for Pedagogy at INSPE and Chair of the INSPE Pedagogical Committee Coordinator of the MEEF Master’s Program in Life and Earth Sciences (SVT), University of Poitiers Vice-Chair of the Examination Board for the National External CAPES Recruitment Examination in Life and Earth Sciences (SVT) Editor-in-Chief of SFI-Cybium Member of the Board of Directors of SFI-Cybium Corresponding Member of the Fourth Section of the Overseas Academy of Sciences (Académie des sciences d’outre-mer, ASOM), since October 1, 2021 Catfish Late Cretaceous, Brazil Goulmimichtys arambourgi Turonian, Morocco https://palevoprim-labo.fr/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Diplomystes-parts-vid2_mp4_AVC360.mp4 Chad Collection of sediment samples