Séverine TOUSSAINT

I specialize in arboreal adaptations in mammals and questions concerning the origins of primates and euarchontoglires. The overall aim of my research is to understand the different mechanisms involved in the evolution of arboreal adaptations at all morphological, cognitive and environmental levels.  I have an interdisciplinary approach and expertise, combining behavioral ecology, functional anatomy, biomechanics, paleobiology and scientific instrumentation.

I did my PhD in evolutionary biology at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle of Paris (Sorbonne University, Paris Cité), studying the evolution of the hands and feet of small arboreal mammals in the context of primate origins. I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in biomechanics at the Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany), in collaboration with Dr. John Nyakatura, funded by two research grants from the Fyssen Foundation and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. During these four years, I worked on the locomotor adaptations of climbing in primates and other arboreal mammal models.

Awards and distinctions

I was honored to receive: the SATT Lutech technology transfer award for my Leadership in a valorization project (2017); the Young Talent L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science award for my doctoral work (2017); and the Chancellerie des Universités de Paris award for my postgraduate work in the field of Biology (2019).

Main chronological framework of study

Cretaceous, Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary, Present-day