Jérémy Philippe Daniel Tissier
Senior Researcher
Department of Geosciences
Research and publications
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Publications
27 publications
Earliest perissodactyls reveal large-scale dispersals during the PETM
Jérémy Tissier, Thierry Smith, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026) | Journal articleThe petrosal and bony labyrinth of extinct horses (Perissodactyla, Equidae) and their implications for perissodactyl evolution
Owen Axel Goodchild, Sydney Nicole Rosen, Bastien Mennecart, Jin Meng, Jérémy Tissier, PeerJ (2026) | Journal articleAnatomie du pétreux et du labyrinthe osseux de Plagiolophus huerzeleri (Perissodactyla, Palaeotheriidae) de Murs (France)
Jérémy Tissier, Pauline Coster, Loïc Costeur, Océane Lapauze, Olivier Maridet, Bastien Mennecart, Renaud Roch, Actes de la Société Jurassienne d'Emulation (2026) | Journal article -
Research projects
10003968 - Unraveling the evolutionary history of the odd-toed ungulates (Mammalia, Perissodactyla): first comprehensive phylogeny of the order
Status: OngoingStart 01.09.2025 End 31.08.2029 Funding SNSF Open project sheet Perissodactyls (order Perissodactyla) comprise large herbivorous mammals including extant horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs. Additionally, they are often referred to as "odd-toed ungulates" due to the distinctive anatomy of their feet, often in an odd number and terminated by hoofs. The majority of these extant species are considered endangered and face a high risk of extinction in the wild. The earliest known members of the Perissodactyla are from the earliest Eocene (56 million years ago). From the middle Eocene onward, they became one of the most diversified herbivorous mammals’ groups in the Holarctic realm, including iconic animals such as the giant rhinoceros Paraceratherium, one of the largest terrestrial mammals that ever lived. However, the diversity of the order has decreased significantly over time, with numerous families now extinct. Notwithstanding the rich taxonomic diversity and extensive fossil record, the systematic arrangement of extinct perissodactyls remains highly uncertain. The aim of the project presented here is to address this gap by investigating the large-scale phylogeny of Perissodactyla in its entirety, from the origin of this clade to its extant representatives. The project brings together an international team of palaeontologists, comprising both a PhD and a postdoctoral position. The goal of the project is to construct the first comprehensive phylogeny of the order Perissodactyla (at the generic level), utilising a total evidence tip-dating approach to ascertain divergence times. In addition to the classical anatomical characters, a number of modern methods will be employed, with a particular focus on the microscopic and internal structures of teeth and the inner ear, to strengthen this new phylogeny. The new phylogeny will elucidate unresolved relationships between families, including whether the Palaeotheriidae are monophyletic and if they are the sister group of the Equidae within the Equoidea; whether the Brontotheriidae are the sister group of the Equoidea within the Hippomorpha; and whether the Chalicotheriidae are the sister group of the Lophiodontidae. The new systematic arrangement will also be used to study key ecological parameters and life history traits, including taxonomic richness, morphological disparity, and size, by taking into account the new phylogeny (phylogenetically-informed trait-based analysis). This comprehensive approach, in turn, will allow a detailed examination of the complete evolutionary history of perissodactyls and will elucidate the principal evolutionary innovations that have enabled certain groups to persist longer, while identifying the specific characteristics of those that have become extinct. It will also enable a more nuanced understanding of the evolutionary changes that have occurred within the order in relation to major climatic changes and biological crises. Finally, it will provide insights into contemporary conservation issues related to the recent extinction of numerous taxa over the last few million years and the origin of the strikingly low diversity of the order today in contrast with the rich fossil record. Révision de la Grande Coupure européenne: analyse comparée des dynamiques évolutive et de la diversité entre petits et grands mammifères herbivores
Status: CompletedStart 01.06.2016 End 30.11.2020 Funding SNSF Open project sheet The Eocene–Oligocene history of terrestrial mammals in Europe was marked by a drastic faunal interchange, named the "Grande Coupure" event. This event is characterized by one of the largest turnovers of mammal faunas, including many true extinctions and dispersal-generated originations. It marks a sudden change from the endemic European faunas to ones with major components of Asian origin. The "Grande Coupure" roughly coevals the early Oligocene ‘Oi-1 Glaciation’ event (ca. 34 Ma). However a debate exists concerning the timing of taxa invasions in Europe, that could be either synchronous or not. As a matter of fact, if the "Grande Coupure" is well documented in Western Europe, almost nothing is known from the central and eastern part of the continent. Recent discoveries however prove that some so called post-"Grande Coupure" taxa occur in the Late Eocene of Eastern Europe. These problems essentially emphasize that the process of renewal of the communities of terrestrial vertebrate at the Eurasian scale is not clear. The present project proposes to address this question from a macroecological and macroevolutive point of view, including the fossil record of Western and Eastern Europe and focusing on the evolution of small and large herbivorous mammals. Abundant fossil material yielded from Swiss localities is hosted in the collections of the Naturhistorisches Museum Basel and the Palaeontology A16 (Porrentruy) and has never been studied whereas it can provide crucial clues to understand the adaptation of herbivorous mammal to this major Eocene-Oligocene transition. This material will serve as a basis to perform cladistic analyses, teeth functional analyses (using 3D modeling of their inner structures) and palaeoecological analyses. Furthermore, field surveys in Switzerland, France and Romania will complete our knowledge of the Eocene-Oligocene European fossil record.