Nicolas Bourgon

Dr. Nicolas Bourgon is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA), affiliated with the Department of Coevolution of Land Use and Urbanization. His work combines stable isotope geochemistry with archaeological science to study human dietary adaptation and ecological interactions in deep time.

• BA in Archaeology, Laval University (2014)
• MA in Archaeology, Paris National Natural History Museum (2017)
• PhD in Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (2022)

His research focuses on zinc stable isotope analysis (δ⁶⁶Zn) from fossil human tooth enamel to investigate trophic ecology and dietary strategies, particularly in tropical regions where organic preservation is poor. This innovative method enables reconstruction of:

• Past human reliance on animal vs. plant matter
• Environmental influences on subsistence patterns
• Trophic positioning in degraded fossil records

Recent publications demonstrate applications in:

• Marine vertebrate paleoecology
• Neandertal dietary analysis
• Early Homo sapiens dispersal studies
• Methodological advancements in isotope sampling

His work bridges geochemistry, paleoanthropology, and ecological modeling, with implications for understanding human adaptation to diverse climates and ecosystems.