July 2026: PhD position
PhD position Palevoprim & Wits University
Locomotor and dietary behaviors in southern African Plio-Pleistocene cercopithecids
Description:
- Title: PhD (F/M) Locomotor and dietary behaviors in southern African Plio-Pleistocene cercopithecids
- Reference: UMR7262-AMEBEA-006
- Number of position: 1
- Location: Poitiers
- Contract: fixed-term/PhD
- Duration: 36 months
- Start date: 1 November 2026
- Full/part time: Full time
- Salary: 2300 € gross monthly
- Section(s) CN : Hommes et milieux : évolution, interactions
- Application : https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR7262-AMEBEA-006/Default.aspx?lang=EN
- Application Deadline : 22 July 2026 23:59
Key words:
- Primates, evolution, locomotion, diet, South Africa.
PhD project:
The Plio-Pleistocene southern African paleontological sites located in the “Cradle of Humankind” play a major role in the search for human origins. In particular, the caves and quarries at Sterkfontein are the richest hominin fossil complex site in Africa and documents more than 2 million years of human evolution. In addition to well-preserved hominin remains, Sterkfontein has yielded the largest fossil monkey assemblage. Besides representing sensitive ecological and biochronological markers, this group of primates is considered as a relevant “control group” for contextualizing hominin adaptations. Within this context, the objective of this PhD project is to use ecological specialisation of some of these species to reconstruct cercopithecid paleohabitats and test for possible niche partition. The locomotor strategies will be investigated by applying non-invasive imaging techniques to quantify variation in the inner and outer organisation of bones in key skeletal regions. In parallel, dietary behaviors will be reconstructed by using dental microwear analyses and additional proxies. This combined approach will be applied at a local (Sterkfontein) and regional (southern Africa) scale to assess primate paleobiodiversity within southern African Plio-Pleistocene assemblages.
Work environment:
The present PhD position is part of the project entitled Revisiting the southern African primate fossil record: a multidisciplinary approach to human evolution (ReVol) » (CNRS PhD Joint Programme) and will be supervised by Amélie Beaudet at PALEVOPRIM (UMR 7262 Université de Poitiers & CNRS) and Dominic Stratford from the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies de l’Université du Witwatersrand (South Africa), and co-supervised by Gildas Merceron (PALEVOPRIM). This project includes multiple trips to South Africa.
Profile:
The candidate will have to hold a Master degree in paleontology, archaeology, primatology or ecology. Knowledge in imaging techniques, statistics, R environment and language and comparative anatomy, as well as a strong interest in research questions related to evolutionary mechanisms and primate evolutionary history, will be considered as key strengths. The candidate will have to demonstrate abilities to speak and write in English, writing skills and capacity to work as part of a team.
Contact person:
- Amélie Beaudet (amelie.beaudet@univ-poitiers.fr)