Research interests
I am currently a fourth year PhD student at the Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon (France), investigating the predictability of bird migratory behaviour from osteological remains, with the broader objective of shedding light on the evolution of bird migration through geological time.
More broadly, my research focuses on the valorisation of fossil remains to better understand species adaptability — particularly in birds — under changing environments. I integrate and (co-)develop a range of approaches, including geometric morphometrics, isotopic, histological, and phylogenetic comparative methods, with a strong emphasis on scientific reproducibility and science communication. Below is an overview of my main current research projects.
Inferring bird migratory behaviour from bone isotopes
The origin of bird migratory behaviour and its evolution in deep time — particularly in response to climate change — remain poorly understood. Yet, such knowledge would be crucial for deciphering present-day migratory patterns and anticipating how bird species may respond to ongoing anthropogenic climate and habitat changes.
Conveniently, the adage "you are what you eat" applies particularly well to the study of stable isotopes that constitute terrestrial vertebrates tissues, which can be preserved over deep time in hard tissues such as bone. Because the availability of some isotopes vary with climate — such as oxygen and hydrogen isotopes derived from drinking (rain)water — distinct isotopic patterns are expected in the bone tissues of resident vs. migratory species. As part of my PhD project, I have developped an experimental framework to predict migratory behaviour from bone isotope and histological data, and I tested the robustness of these inferrences using a comprehensive simulation framework.
Inferring bird migratory behaviour from bone morphology
In vertebrates, bone morphology is known to closely correlate with functional and sensory abilities (at the endocast level), allowing the inference of such life history traits even in deep time, from well-preserved fossil remains. Whether bone morphology allows accurate inferrence of migratory behaviour across birds, however, remains underinvestigated, despite similar implications to those described above.
As part of my PhD project, I investigate the predictability of migratory behaviour from the 3D shape of the wing bones, the endocast and the inner-ear in a broad sample of extant bird species, using thousands of 3D objects mostly extracted from newly acquired XR scans. Predictability is notably assessed using a novel discriminant analysis approach I co-developped with Julien Clavel (LEHNA, Lyon, France ; paper in prep., function already available in the mvMORPH R package), which enables phylogenetically-informed and high-dimension-friendly inferences (i.e., in case there are more traits measured than individuals sampled).
Deciphering natural vs. anthropogenic impacts on Saint Helena and Ascension Islands (past) avifaunas
The emergence of flight in birds was accompanied by exeptional colonisation abilities, turning the most remote islands into natural "open-air" laboratories for studying evolution under changing environmental conditions (e.g., isolation of birds from continental populations, absence of competitors, followed by human-mediated colonisations, etc).
Focusing on Saint Helena and Ascension Islands as model systems, I co-designed and collaborate on the AtlantAves project, led by Antoine Louchart (LGL-TPE, Lyon, France) funded by the french Agence Nationale de la Recherche. My expertise lies primarily in the Fieldwork, Morphometry, and Isotopy components of the project.