Missions

The postdoctoral researcher (M/F) will be responsible for the advancing the scientific and historical understaning of Permo-Triassic tetrapod fossils from the Morondava Basin through the development of transdisciplinary approaches at the crossroads of physics, engineering, and paleontology.

Activités

The first activity will consist in investigating the provenance of several specimens in the collection with the aim of restoring the context of collection and museum management.
The goal is to establish, in partnership with the research unit Natural History of Prehistoric Humanities (HNHP), an integrated and cross-disciplinary approach to provenance research applicable to natural science collections:
- 1/Select specimens with poorly documented collecting contexts and trajectories, in collaboration with the General Directorate Delegated to Collections (DGD-C).
- 2/ Build up a corpus of scientific and historical sources (publications, field notebooks, archives held in the collections of various French and Malagasy institutions) supplemented by anthropological field data (participant observations, interviews); collect data relating to the materiality of objects and conservation processes ('drawer taphonomy', object archaeology).
- 3/ Cross-reference the collected data in order to ensure the traceability of the specimens.
The second activity will involve finding innovative solutions for the extraction of fossils whose preparation has been hindered by technical limitations. This will entail designing, in partnership with the European Photonic Institute for Non-Destructive Analysis of Ancient Materials (IPANEMA), an ergonomic and secure fossil preparation system enabling stereoscopic vision—either direct or via a screen—with enhanced contrast through luminescence and reflectance:
- 1/ Sample specimens from the paleontology collections of the MNHN
- 2/ Develop an experimental protocol based on multispectral analyses, with and without an interposed camera, at IPANEMA
- 3/ Set up an initial prototype in the CR2P lab of preparation and molding

Compétences

- PhD in Paleontology
- Required experience in the preparation, restoration, and preventive conservation of fossil specimens
- Desired experience in conducting research in the humanities and social sciences
- Knowledge of the Permo-Triassic vertebrate collections at the MNHN, particularly those from Madagascar, is a plus
- Strong initiative skills and attention to detail expected
- Ability to work independently
- Proficiency in English at C1/C2 level

Contexte de travail

The work will be carried out mostly at the CR2P-UMR7207, a research unit of the CNRS, the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, and Sorbonne University, located in Paris. The CR2P is organized around two research teams and several research support workshops. A detailed presentation of the unit's activities is available on the website: https://paleo.mnhn.fr/fr.
The work will be co-supported by IPANEMA – UAR 3461 (CNRS, Ministry of Culture, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, MNHN), who applies advanced methods for the characterization of ancient materials and develops multispectral imaging approaches in the UV-visible-NIR range. A detailed presentation of the unit's activities is available on the website: https://ipanema.cnrs.fr/
The work will be carried out in partnership with the HNHP – UMR 7194 (CNRS, MNHN, UPVD), whose PreTrop team ("Prehistory in the Tropics"), who initiates questions on studies of provenance through the development of an original approach in the historical and epistemological reflexive analysis of scientific activity. A detailed presentation of the unit's activities is available on the website: https://hnhp.mnhn.fr/fr
The project will be carried out in collaboration with the DGD-C, the Laboratory of Vertebrate Paleontology and Global Changes at the University of Antananarivo, and the Paleontology Department at the University of Toliara.
The position is funded by the Île-de-France Region through the DIM PAMIR program (Material Heritage – Innovation, Experimentation, Resilience). Project summary for VALPALMAD: https://www.pamir.fr/projets-soutenus/valpalmad/

Contraintes et risques

Possible travel may be required for visiting museum collections or presenting results at conferences.
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation; protective equipment and safety guidelines will be provided by CR2P and IPANEMA.