DOPAMICS

Project

Domestication and adaptation in Neotropical palms:

a microevolutionary history

DOPAMICS is an interdisciplinary research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC).

DOPAMICS questions the history of Amazonian landcsapes through the Holocene and the influence of climate adaptation and incipient domestication in shaping patterns of biodiversity in Neotropical palms.

DOPAMICS focuses on emblematic pre-Columbian sites of French Guiana, the so-called ring ditches. These sites harbour a surprising abundance of food- and material-producing palm species that are considered to be « biological indicators » of pre-Columbian settlements.

DOPAMICS relies on an interdisciplinary project team and experts who bring cutting-edge expertise at the crossroads between life, human, and data sciences.

Team

Louise Brousseau

Louise is researcher in evolutionary ecology at IRD, UMR AMAP (Cayenne, French Guiana and Montpellier, France) and principal investigator of DOPAMICS.

She holds a master’s degree in functioning and modeling of terrestrial ecosystems from the University of Bordeaux, and a Ph.D. in plant and forest biology from the University of Lorraine.

She documented microgeographic adaptation in wild tree populations, bringing new insights on microevolution in the Amazon. She recently extended her field of investigation to integrate the roles of human-mediated processes in driving microevolution, and imagined DOPAMICS to build an interdisciplinary research team on the study of people-biodiversity interactions in the Amazon.

She is member of the IRD Scientific Commission « Data and Modeling Sciences ».

Camille Robert

Camille is European project manager at IRD, UMR AMAP and UMR Ceped (Paris, France).

She holds a master degree in European and international studies, specialised in European projects and has experience in project audits.

Camille is responsible of the administrative and financial management of DOPAMICS.

Marc Testé

Marc is associate researcher in geomorphology and paleobiology at IRD, UMR AMAP (Cayenne, French Guiana).

He holds a master’s degree in paleontology and a Ph.D. in paleoecology from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

Marc is responsible of work-package 1 that focuses on archaeo-environmental conditions and pre-Columbian disturbances in present-day forest landscapes. Marc brings expertise in the analysis of bioindicators to unveil paleoenvironments and people-environment interactions.

Paul Cathelineau

Paul is initiating a PhD in fibre biomechanics at CNRS, UMR AMAP (Cayenne, French Guiana) and UMR EcoFoG (Kourou, French Guiana).

He holds a Master in wood science from the University of Montpellier.

Paul brings expertise in biomechanics, material sciences, biology and botany as part of work package 2. Through his PhD, Paul will evaluate the biomechanical properties of palm fibres, and the the functional -biomechanical and anatomical- diversity of leaf traits in forest landscapes of French Guiana.

Julien Engel (associate engineer)

Julien is tropical botanist at IRD, UMR AMAP (Cayenne, French Guiana and Montpellier, France).

He holds a MSc in geography applied to tropical resource management.

Julien greatly contributed to tree inventories for the Guyafor permanent plot network in French Guiana and described new tree species of the genera Terminalia, Vantanea and Tovomita.

Julien is the field mission manager. He supervises field expeditions and brings his expertise in the development and implementation of field protocols.

Julie Bossu (associate researcher)

Julie is researcher in wood and biomaterial sciences at CNRS, UMR EcoFoG (Kourou, French Guiana) and head of the team « Bio-discovery, Uses and Technologies ».

She holds a Ph.D in wood science from the University of French Guiana.

Julie brings expertise in fibre biomechanics to implement work package 2 that focuses on palm phenotypic diversity.

Past members

Kevin Mabobet (2022-2023)

Kevin was tropical forest technician at IRD, UMR AMAP (Cayenne, French Guiana).

He holds a BTEC Higher National Diploma in forest management from the Forestry and agricultural high school of Bazas.

Kevin was the equipment manager. He was responsible for the logistic organisation of field missions and supports the conduct of field expeditions. At the interface of three work packages, he assisted team members in soil and palm sampling and conditioning.

David Champ (2023)

David was a Master’s student in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution at Grenoble-Alpes University, with a keen interest in the study of tropical rainforests.

He pursued an internship as research assistant at UMR AMAP (Cayenne, French Guiana) and UMR EcoFoG (Kourou, French Guiana). His research work focused on inter- and intra-specific diversity of Neotropical palm fiber biomechanics, under the guidance of Louise Brousseau and Julie Bossu.

Sterenn Hervo (2023)

Sterenn Hervo was an undergraduate student in Life and Earth Sciences at the University of French Guiana.

Under the supervision of Marc Testé and Louise Brousseau, Sterenn studied Neotropical palm phytoliths using scanning electron microscope imagery and image processing techniques to characterise their morphology and morphometry. Sterenn is now pursuing a Master in Ecology.

Volunteers and service providers

We warmly thank all those who occasionally help us during field expeditions: Cyril Gaertner & Michèle Pernak (CNRS, UAR LEEISA), Sébastien Sant (PAG), Jean-Louis Smock (IRD, UMR AMAP), Elias Mafra-Pineihro & Renato Amerie (climbers from Projardin), Vincent Briones (climber from BrionEspace-Vert), Wendy Bitier (intern, Lycée agricole de Matiti, French Guiana).

Project supports and advisors

We are very grateful to administrative staff, local supports, partners and advisors for their support to the project, kind welcome and useful advices:

IRD in Occitanie: Raphaël Pélissier, director of UMR AMAP, as well as administrative supports of UMR AMAP and the Délégation Régionale Occitanie: Valérie Roinel, Odile Roux, Laëtitia Romieu and Danielle Rolet.
IRD in French Guiana: Stéphane Calmant, our IRD representative in French Guiana, as well as the administrative staff of IRD Cayenne: Rosiane Marie-Rose, Ramon Prudent, Jeannine Gahaly, Marie-Claude Poumaroux, Jean-Claude Doudou and Serge Pinel.
CNRS, UAR LEEISA (Cayenne, French Guiana): Damien Davy and Guillaume Odonne.
CNRS Nouragues Research Station: Nina Marchand, Elodie Schloesing, Florian Jeanne, Sophie Menager, and Marie-Françoise Lecanu.
Parc Amazonien de Guyane
Service Régional de l’Archéologie de Guyane

News

2024.02

DOPAMICS is Hiring!

A 3-year PhD in genomics of Amazonian palms. To find out more :

Call for applications (En): https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/187422

Call for applications (Fr): https://emploi-recrutement.ird.fr/offre-de-emploi/emploi-contrat-doctoral-en-genomique-evolutive-des-palmiers-d-amazonie-h-f_182.aspxa
2023.05

Meet us at the Nature Festival of Saül!

In partnership with the Parc Amazonien de Guyane.
2023.05

DOPAMICS is Hiring! (closed)

A 3-year PhD in biomechanics of Amazonian palm fibers. To find out more:

https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/103992
2022.12

Fieldwork at CNRS Nouragues Research Station

Tweet courtesy : Elodie Schloesing.
2022.12

New achievement

The 2022 field season is now completed. We are very grateful to all participants, volunteers and partners who welcomed us, helped us, supported us and greatly contributed to reach this important milestone.
2022.11

DOPAMICS is Hiring! (closed)
- A European project manager for the projects DOPAMICS (PI: Louise Brousseau) and LIVE-AR (PI: Laura Ruiz-de-Elvira) : View offer (closed)
- A Master 2 intern to study Inter- and intra-specific diversity of fiber biomechanical properties in Amazonian palms : View offer (closed)
2022.11

Call for volunteers (closed)

Discover

Open Science

In accordance with Open Science principles that guarantee a free access to research outputs, this section provides links to Publications, Protocols, Data, Codes and Other Livrables produced prior to or as part of DOPAMICS.

Preprints & Publications

PREPRINT | 2024. Testé M, Engel J, Mabobet K, Mestre M, Brousseau L. Landscape-scale spatial variations of pre-Columbian anthropogenic disturbances at three ring ditch sites in French Guiana. bioRxiv. Read

This study evaluates the extent and landscape-scale spatial variations of pre-Columbian disturbances at three ring ditch sites in the French Guiana hinterland. Our results revealed a perennial occupation of these sites over long periods ranging from the 5th and 15th centuries CE, with local enrichments in chemical indicators. Soil disturbances were also associated to local enrichments in macro- and micro-charcoals that support in situ fire management that could be attributed to forest clearance and/or slash-and-burn cultivation. Interestingly, soil properties did not meet all the characteristics of the so-called Amazonian Dark Earths, thus advocating a paradigm shift towards a better integration of Amazonian Brown Earths into the definition of anthropogenic soils in Amazonia.

PREPRINT | 2022. Brousseau L, Santoni S, Weber A, Odonne G. Natural and human-mediated drivers of microevolution in Neotropical palms: a historical genomics approach. bioRxiv. Read

This study was carried out as part of the PalmOmix project, prior to DOPAMICS. It provided preliminary observational data and a first evidence that climate adaptation and pre-Columbian domestication jointly shaped present-day patterns of genomic diversity in French Guiana. This preliminary study opens new avenues towards a reconsideration of the domestication process in « incipiently domesticated » species without domestication syndrome and paved the way toward DOPAMICS.

Protocols, Data & Codes

PROTOCOL | Standardized Protocol for Transect Set-up and Palm Inventory for the DOPAMICS Research Program

OA platform: protocols.io

DOI: dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.14egn73kqv5d/v1

PROTOCOL | Standardized Protocol for Soil Survey and Archaeological Diagnosis for the DOPAMICS Research Program.

OA platform: protocols.io

DOI: dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.14egn768pv5d/v1

DATASET | Geoarchaeology data.

OA platform: Zenodo

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10430417

DOPAMICS is funded by the European Union (ERC, grant no. 101039272).

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR AMAP

275 route de Montabo, 97300 Cayenne, French Guiana.

Parc Scientifique Agropolis, 2196 Bd de la Lironde, 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez, France