Paul Tafforeau

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Paul Tafforeau (* 1977 ) is a French paleontologist .

Tafforeau spent his childhood in Normandy . He became interested in fossils from an early age .

For his doctoral thesis , he worked on primate teeth at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility . He was the first to use synchrotron radiation for computed tomographic examination of fossil primate teeth. Many other fossils were also examined in the course of these experiments. After completing his doctorate, he returned to the ESRF as a permanent employee and was particularly concerned with the development of teeth in primates and humans. However, optimized methods for the non-destructive investigation of fossils enclosed in rock were also developed. Because of the successes achieved, the area of ​​paleontology is now an important area at the ESRF.

In 2006, he was the youngest ever winner to receive the Young Scientist Award from the ESRF.

In 2008, a research group led by Tafforeau and the paleontologist Malvina Lak from the University of Rennes began to study 100 million year old opaque amber with synchrotron radiation . They found 356 inclusions in it. The results became known far beyond the specialist community, as the resulting images and true-to-original models of insects were published in several popular scientific media, such as National Geographic , Spiegel Online or Zeit Online .

The published results stimulated further research with this method.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Montserrat Capellas: The past helps us to better understand the present (Interview with Paul Tafforeau) online ( Memento of the original from February 13, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.esrf.eu
  2. ↑ a b c Short biography  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the pages of Australian Synchrotron@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.asnevents.com.au  
  3. ↑ see e.g. B. Report from EIROforum, online
  4. ↑ Young Scientist Award on the ESRF website
  5. ↑ Info page  ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at the ESRF with pictures and videos@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.esrf.eu  
  6. ↑ National Geographic Magazin, German edition, November 2009, p. 33; also on the website ( memento of the original from December 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.nationalgeographic.de
  7. ↑ Spiegel online Jens Lubbadeh: Scientists discover fossil treasure in amber from April 11, 2008
  8. ↑ ZEIT online Dagny Lüdemann: Poured in for eternity from February 26, 2009
  9. ↑ LAK, M., FLECK, G., AZAR, D., ENGEL FLS, MS, KADDUMI, HF, NERAUDEAU, D., TAFFOREAU, P. and NEL, A. (2009), Phase contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography and the oldest damselflies in amber (Odonata: Zygoptera: Hemiphlebiidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 156: 913-923. doi : 10.1111 / j.1096-3642.2008.00497.x
  10. ↑ Press release on the study of human fossils
  11. ^ Research project Senckenberg Research Institute and Nature Museum Frankfurt: Investigation of bedbugs in French amber
personal data
SURNAME Tafforeau, Paul
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French paleontologist
DATE OF BIRTH 1977