Lab Members
Current Lab Members
Elene Haave-Audet
PhD
Personality and foraging strategies in eastern chipmunks.
Co-supervised by Patrick Bergeron.
I am studying the links between individual behaviour and life-history strategy decisions in eastern chipmunks. I will be looking at the relationship between several ecologically important traits, such as resource discovery and exploitation, habitat selection, and diet preferences, and their effects on reproductive decisions and survival. I hope to explore the mechanisms underlying individual differences in life-history strategies from an eco-evolutionary perspective.
Hélène Dion-Phénix
PhD
Microbial communities along a trophic network: oaks, caterpillars, and blue tits.
Co-supervised by Anne Charmantier and Steven Kembel.
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Megan Thompson
PhD
Urbanization and phenotypic variance of great tit populations.
Co-supervised by Anne Charmantier.
My thesis aims to explore how urbanization shapes patterns of phenotypic variation along urban gradients. Urban and nonurban populations have been shown to differ in many phenotypic traits, and I hope to disentangle the potential mechanisms (i.e., microevolution, plasticity, non-random dispersal) that underlie these divergences as a part of my thesis. To address my main objectives, I will use both quantitative and experimental approaches as a part of a long-term monitoring project on great tits in and around the city of Montpellier, France.
Hassen Allegue
PhD
Personality and individual differences in foraging behaviour in southerm elephant seals (Mirounga leonina).
Co-supervised by Samantha Patrick; collaborator Christophe Guinet.
My research aims to understand how individual differences (personality) in southern elephant seals impact individual specialization in foraging, breeding and moulting behaviour. I’m also interested in understanding how individual differences affect individual success within and between these different contexts and how this could maintain and influence the evolution of personality.
Laurie Auclair
MSc
Influences of individual and environmental factors on eastern chipmunks microbiota.
Cosupervised by Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde & Dany Garant; collaborator Patrick Bergeron
For my master's project, I am interested in understanding the role that gut microbiota play in individual behavioral differences in a natural chipmunk population. I will therefore compare the profile of the intestinal microbiota of two groups of chipmunks with contrasting exploration behavior by analyzing the differences in the composition of the bacterial communities. Additionally, I will look at how the relationships between microbiota, diversity and other behavioral and individual traits vary across a season.
Marianne Roxbourgh-Lepage
MSc
Transgenerational effects and ontogenetic dynamics of telomeres in eastern chipmunks.
Cosupervised by Dany Garant; collaborators Patrick Bergeron
and Mathilde Tissier.
Chase Carreau
MSc
Personality and management of reproductive trade-offs in blue tits.
Cosupervised by Anne Charmantier.
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Megan Brownlee
MSc
Burrow fidelity and fitness in eastern chipmunks.
Cosupervised with Dany Garant & Patrick Bergeron
My project aims to evaluate the relationship between burrow fidelity and individual fitness in a wild population of eastern chipmunks in southern Québec. I also aim to determine if home range size and interannual home range stability influence the survival and annual reproductive success of individuals in this population.
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Catherine Capkun-Huot
MSc
Evolutionary ecology of habituation in eastern chipmunks.
Cosupervised by Dany Garant; collaborator Patrick Bergeron
I am interested in among-individual differences in habituation to an approach test in eastern chipmunks. I also study the effect of perceived predation risk on habituation and among-individual variance. I hope to clarify the importance of habituation from an evolutionary perspective.
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Mathias Gagnon-Barbin
MSc
Loïc Quevarec
MSc
Evolutionary responses to ionizing radiation in C. elegans.
Cosupervised by Jean Marc Bonzom
Ionizing radiation is recognized for its potential deleterious effects on organisms. However, little is known about the consequences of irradiation on the evolution of populations. My thesis therefore aims to experimentally study the evolution of populations of Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to ionizing gamma radiation and to assess the associated costs. The results show effects on reproduction, survival and the speed of development within generations. In addition, the selection imposed by ionizing radiation led to adaptation by populations, which was accompanied by adaptive costs. These results demonstrate that anthropogenic pressure such as ionizing radiation can modify the evolutionary trajectory of a population.
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Past Lab Members
Postdocs
Mathilde Tissier (2018-20). Telomer wearing and the pace-of-life syndrome (cosupervised with Patrick Bergeron & Dany Garant).
Francesca Santostefano (DFG ; 2017-19). Indirect genetic effects and social selection in eastern chipmunks (cosupervised by Dany Garant & Patrick Bergeron).
Joshua Miller (2018). The genetic basis of island syndrome in a deer mice metapopulation.
Emily Brown (2016). Genomic study of a deer mice metapopulation.
Tina Wey (2015-17). Quantative genetics of behaviour and life-history traits ni the cricket, Gryllus firmus (codirected with Clint Kelly, UQAM).
Jiapeng Qu (2015-16). Pace-of-life syndrome and altitude in the plateau pika, in Tibet.
Samantha Patrick (2014). Personality and life history in long-lived sea birds?
Melanie Dammhahn (2013-14). Pace-of-life syndrome in the eastern chipmunk.
Laurence Puillet (2013-14). Modeling the role of acquisition and allocation in the evolution of life history trade-off.
Lucia Sommaro (2012). Quantitative genetics of home range characteristics in Calomys musculinus.
Philippe Girard (2009-11). Modeling ecological factors favoring the maintenance of correlation between behaviour traits (codirected with Frédéric Guichard, McGill Univ.).
Emmanuel Milot (2009-11). Quantitative genetics of life history traits in a human, pre-industrial population.
France Landry (2004-06). Proximal effects of inbreeding on behaviour and cognition in deer mice.
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PhDs
Joel Jameson (2014-2021). Relationship between microbial community and behaviour and metapopulation structure, in two rodent host species (Cosupervised by Steven Kembel, UQAM).
Tristan Juette. (2014-2020). Island syndrome in a naturally fragmented habitat in two rodent species (Cosupervised by Dany Garant, U. de Sherbrooke).
Elouana Gharnit. (2014-2019). Individual niche specialization and personality in the eastern chipmunk.
Gabrielle Dubuc Messier (2012-17). Environmental heterogeneity and the maintenance of personality difference in blue tits (codirected by A. Charmantier, C.E.F.E. CNRS).
Charline Couchoux (2012-18). Alarm calls, communication and personality in eastern chipmunks (codirected by D. Garant, U. Sherbrooke).
François Dumont (2010-15). Genetic variation and potential for response to selection of trophic behaviour in a zoophytophagous bug (codirected with E. Lucas, UQAM).
Morgan Dutilleul (2009-13). Experimental evolution of life history traits in Caenorhabditis elegans in response to uranium and salt (codirected with S. Galas, U. Montpellier & J.M. Bonzom, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Cadarache, France).
Pierre-Olivier Montiglio (2009-13). Personality and reproductive strategies in the eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus. (codirected by D. Garant, U. Sherbrooke).
Patrick Bergeron (2008-11). Determinants of fitness in an eastern chipmunk population Tamias striatus (codirected with D. Garant, U. Sherbrooke).
Vincent Careau (2007-10). Temperament and metabolic rate (codirected with D. Thomas, F. Pelletier, U. Sherbrooke & M. Humphries, McGill).
Victor Dias (2006-10). Adaptive response to a population of (Chironomus riparius) subjected to chronic exposure to uranium (codirected with J. Garnier-Laplace; Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Cadarache, Fr).
Renaud Kaeuffer (2003-06). Genetic and founder effect of a insular population of Corsican mouflon introduced in the Kerguelen Archipelago, south Indian Ocean (codirected by D. Pontier, U. Lyon I).
Masters
Katherine Vandal Lenghan (2016-2018). Personnalité et stratégie de reproduction chez le tamia rayé (codirected by Dany Garant, U. de Sherbrooke).
Jeanne Clermont (2016-18). Homogamy, nest defense behaviour and reproductive success in Canada geese, Branta canadensis. (codirected with J.F. Giroux, UQAM).
Raphaelle Mercier-Gauthier (2015-17). Homogamy, personality and coloration in the Corsican blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus. (codirected by C. Doutrelant, C.E.F.E., C.N.R.S., France).
Etienne St-Hilaire (2014-2016). Repeatability, determinants, heritability and selection patterns of docility in the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus). Cosupervised with Dany Garant.
Philippe Lamarre (2011-14). Genetic structure and fragmentation of brown snake, Stroreria dekayii, populations in the Greater-Montréal region. (codirected with Bernard Angers, Univ. de Montréal).
Gabrielle Dubuc-Messier (2010-12). Dispersion, microhabitat, and genetic structure of a population of eastern chipmunks, Tamias striatus (codirected by D. Garant, Univ. Sherbrooke).
Vincent Lefebvre-Auger (2008-11). Individual sensitivity to human perturbations and habitat selection in the last western giraffe population, Giraffa camelopardalis peralta.
Caroline Grou (2008-11). Social network analysis in response to habitat change in Réseau social the last western giraffe population, Giraffa camelopardalis peralta.
Sophie Godde (2008-10). Aggressiveness and social relationships in Mountain goats, Oreamnos americanus. (codirected by S. Côté, Univ. Laval).
François Dumont (2008-10). Social specialisations in the Alpine marmot, Marmota marmota.
Catherine Babin (2007-08). Personality and dispersal in juvenile eastern chipmunks, Tamias striatus (codirected by M. Humphries, McGill).
Caterina Ferrari (2007-09). Personality and vigilance in the Alpine marmot, Marmota marmota. (codirected by Achaz von Hardenberg, Gran Paradiso National Park, Italie).
Jérome Guay (2006-09). Personality and individual reaction to the public in captive lion-tailed macaques, Macaca silenus.
Leila Turki (2006-09). Inbreeding, enrichment and stereotypy in captive deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus.
Pierre-Olivier Montiglio (2006-08). Temperament and reproductive strategies in eastern chipmunks, Tamias striatus. (codirected by D. Garant, U. Sherbrooke).
Adrienne Boon (2004-07). Temperament and maternal effects in a north-American red squirrel population, Tamiasciurus hudonicus, in Yukon. (codirected with S. Boutin, U. of A.).
Nelly Boyer (2006). Temperament and tick prevalence in an introduced population of siberian chipmunks, Tamias sibiricus. (codirection par J.-L. Chapuis. M.N.H.N., Paris; Master d’Éthologie Fondamentale et Comparée, Paris XIII, France).
Uriel Gelin (2006). Inbreeding, aggressiveness in a captive deer mice population, Peromyscus maniculatus. (Master d’Éthologie Fondamentale et Comparée, Paris XIII, France).
Amandine Pierre (2003-06). Personality and individual variation in foraging behaviour in eastern chipmunks (codirected with L.-A. Giraldeau, UQAM).
Julien Martin (2003-06). Behavioural syndrome in a wild eastern chipmunk population, Tamias striatus.