Main research question

The primary objective of my Ph.D. is to reconstruct and unravel the dietary ecology and behavior of large carnivorans that lived during the Early Pleistocene in Europe.

Topics of study

Focusing on the Felidae and Hyaenidae families, our knowledge on the ecological roles of these carnivorans relies mostly on morphological traits, while there are only few studies investigating their specific dietary preferences and even fewer dealing with their endocranial morphology and in turn behavioral aspects. By employing a multitude of palaeodietary and palaeobehavioral methods that will include 3D dental texture analysis (DMTA) and computed tomography (CT) on fossil crania, the project aims to contribute into filling crucial gaps and enhancing our current interpretations about these mammalian predators of the Early Pleistocene age.

Contact

• Build. B35 – 3rd floor, north wing – Room 412
• stergios.arvanitis@univ-poitiers.fr