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The advent of eusociality, a complex system comprising sterile castes that support highly fecund reproductives, is considered one of the major transitions in evolution. Since Darwin, eusociality has fascinated and confounded scientists from many fields. Eusociality has emerged independently in diver

Savannas and tropical grasslands represent about 25% of terrestrial ecosystems. In humid savannas, primary productivity can be as high as in tropical rain forests, although savannas are extremely constrained by fire, herbivory, rainfall seasonality and nutrient-poor soils. Such paradoxically high pr

Infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue or chikungunya, are of worldwide concern. Within a mosquito population, the viral infection rate may be rather low and highly variable, and the causes of this variation remain unknown. All genomes contain genomic parasites called transp

The objectives of POLLUCLIM are to experimentaly study the short and long-term response of a freshwater ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophila, to the combined effect of pollution and increase temperature. Laboratory microcosms hosting a panel of strains are used to study the short term response, phenotyp

Understanding how species adapt is paramount to biodiversity. Species/populations adaptive potential largely depends on their genetic variability, which relies either on standing genetic variation or on de novo mutation. However, if rates of environmental changes are too rapid, occurrence of de novo

The MICROPRONY project aims to study a unique shallow serpentinized alkaline hydrothermal system located in Prony Bay in the southern lagoon of New Caledonia. The hydrothermal circulation at Prony is created by in-depth serpentinization reactions while the meteoric water percolates through the perid

O1. Determine the conditions under which comammox bacteria are active and contributing to nitrification in a model soil system O2. Cultivate comammox bacteria to enable detailed characterization of the ecophysiology and genomes of soil representatives O3. Determine the distribution and abundance o

MINIGAN is the first study of an animal example of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). This example will aloow us to observe in real time, how a set of genes in conflict evolve. The conflict here comes from the different modes of transmission of genomic compartments. The mitochondrial genome is transm

Individuals should benefit from settling in habitats that maximise their fitness, a form of dispersal plasticity named habitat choice. Theory predicts that habitat choice can deeply modify the consequences of dispersal for ecological and evolutionary dynamics compared to the often-assumed random dis

To address the question of the respective ability of phytoplankton species to adapt in an ocean with altered spectral properties, we are studying the cyanobacterium Synechococcus, the second most abundant phytoplankton organism in the ocean and the most diverse in terms of pigmentation, with seven d

In the frame of this project, we aim to address, through an integrative approach the evolution of chemoreception in relation to land-to-water transition(s) in beetles of the coleopteran suborder Adephaga. This insect clade represents an ideal model to tackle this question as they display various lev

Mine tailings and mining residues are witnesses of past mining activities. Two simultaneous issues are raised by their presence. First, they represent a major source of contaminants that can be dispersed into the close environment. Second, iconic and rare plant associations develop spontaneously on

Summarized as the “Species Interactions – Abiotic Stress Hypothesis” (SIASH), theory suggests that abiotic forces set range boundaries under stressful conditions, while biotic interaction are most relevant in benign environments. While central to basic and applied research this hypothesis 1) lacks t

Finding the genes that encode adaptive traits is a key problematic in evolutionary biology because the link between the genotype and the phenotype is often intricate. Adaptation is a fundamental process to assess because this is what drives the diversification of species, thereby biodiversity. In th

Methanogenesis is an archaeal-specific metabolism that could have been active as early as 3.5 Gy ago with a direct impact on the evolution of the Earth’s climate system, as well as on current global changes. Methanogens are present in all types of anaerobic environments, from marine sediments to the

EPIFUN investigates the diversity and structure of fungal communities (Fungi) in tropical epiphytic environments, and the symbioses that are formed with the roots of epiphytic plants (orchids, ferns, lycophytes, etc.). We seek to understand the spatial structure of different functional groups of fun

The general objective of EcoTeBo is to assess and understand how temperature and top predator body size reduction affect trophic interactions, community dynamics, and ecosystem functioning. While the body size of the other species within the community level are also likely to be affected by temperat

Ecosystems are experiencing an unprecedented crisis, marked by an accelerated erosion of biodiversity. Since the 1950s, bat populations in Europe have experienced a significant decline, attributed to the intensification of agricultural practices, the widespread use of pesticides, habitat destructio

1) Which type of meiosis allows the production of asexual females of M. belari,. This will lead to specific theoretical expectation on the evolutionary consequences. We will combine cytological description and genomic studies. 2) Identify the factors that allow the production of asexual (female) o

Gene flow has long been considered to take place within species only but we now realize that it often occurs between species as well. We still don’t know, however, how much gene flow effectively affects the genome of hybridizing species in the late stage of speciation. Such hybridization may be a so

Cognitive abilities are thought to be at the heart of behavioural flexibility, driving the potential for individuals to quickly respond to environmental changes. Among these cognitive abilities, innovation, learning and inhibition show high variation between species, and comparative studies suggest

Objective 1 – Weaver nests are one of the most spectacular and diverse radiations of extended phenotypes. What is the role of sexual selection in shaping weaving pattern? In cognitive science, a processing bias refers to a preference for stimuli that are efficiently processed by the visual system a

Biological invasions are a major component of global change. Yet it is still not understood why some introduced populations are invasive and others are not. Among the most interesting hypotheses is the purging of the genetic load (i.e. elimination of the deleterious mutations) during the introductio