Noa Danthony - PhD Student 2024/2027
Supervised by Francesco Bonadonna (CEFE-CNRS) and Leonida Fusani (University of Vienna)
In cotutelle with Vienna (Austria)
Contact
CNRS - CEFE UMR5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34283 Montpellier
Aile B Etage 2 Office 206
Biologiezentrum der Universität Wien, Djerassipl. 1, 1030 Wien, Austria
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CV
Research interests
I am interested in animal communication, a subject that explores the many ways animals exchange information with one another. This research allows me to deepen our understanding of social interactions, reproductive behaviors, and species' adaptation strategies. More recently, my focus has shifted specifically toward mate choice in animals, a crucial aspect of species survival and evolution. In particular, I am interested in courtship displays—those complex and often spectacular behaviors that play a key role in sexual selection.
Project
In this project, I aim to understand how the different components of the courtship display in King Penguins are functionnally integrated. The King Penguin is a monomorphic species, where both sexes perform complex displays to attract potential mates. A courtship display, in the case of King Penguins, can involve several types of signaling such as postures, vocalizations, colorful ornamentations (such as ear patches, beak and breast), and sometimes even olfactory cues, making this a multimodal courtship. By studying these signals in an integrated way, I hope to gain a better understanding of their specific and combined roles in the process of sexual selection. This research involves taking videos and audio recordings of the courtship displays, as well as spectrographic data of plumage coloration, to explore the functional relationships between the different signals involved in mate attraction.
Laurine Mathieu - PhD Student 2023/2026
Supervised by Anne Charmantier (CEFE-CNRS) and Samuel Caro (CEFE-CNRS)
Contact
CNRS - CEFE UMR5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34283 Montpellier
Aile B Etage 2 Office 206
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Project
The objective of this PhD project is to better understand how wild populations of great tits and blue tits are affected by urbanization and what mechanisms are involved in the observed phenotypic differences between urban and forest populations. This study will rely on the long-term population monitoring in urban and forest habitats established in Montpellier (CEFE TIT PROJECT) , as well as on comparative analyses with the city of Paris. The thesis will particularly explore physiological aspects that have not been studied thus far. Given the characteristics of the urban environment, which is more stressful and has higher temperatures, physiological adaptations to urban life are expected to be observed. Variations in the endocrine system between urban and forest environments will be studied, focusing on stress and reproductive hormones. Additionally, aspects of respirometry will be investigated, with the primary question being: do urban birds have a metabolism pre-adapted to high temperatures due to living in an urban heat island effect environment? In a second part, the project aims to dissect how urban phenotypic shifts are driven by genetic change or plasticity. To study this aspect, common garden experiments have been set up. Data from individuals raised under similar environmental conditions can be compared to wild individuals, thus observing whether phenotypic differences between urban and forest habitats are maintained or not.
More information: ACACIA Project
Bio
Research interest
I am an ethologist/behavioral ecologist whose research revolves around sensory abilities and communication among social groups. I worked on primates, cetaceans and hippopotamuses.
I am currently pursuing a PhD centered on exploring the chemical abilites of cetaceans. Specifically, I am delving into the olfactory, gustatory, and trigeminal perceptions of both mysticetes and odontocetes. This investigation encompasses food-related perceptions, social aspects of chemical communication and applied uses (repellants).
To achieve this, I will evaluate physiological responses (ECG, EEG, respiratory rate) in conjunction with behavioral responses to diverse stimuli. The aim is to elucidate the detectable chemicals, the extent of their perception, and their potential applications.
CV
2023-2026 : PhD, Univ. de Montpellier & CEFE CNRS, Montpellier, France
2021-2023 : Prépa Agregation, Univ. de Rennes, France
2019-2020 : Research contract on Dolphins Vocal communication, Rennes, France
2017-2019 : Master (MSc) in Animal and Human Behavior, Univ. de Rennes, France
2014-2017 : Licence (BSc) in Biology, Ecology, Ethology, Univ. de Rennes, France
Contact
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06 44 30 85 57
Supervisors