We study evolution of birds on islands, particularly focusing on investigating the mechanisms underlying life history traits, colour, song, behaviour and morphology. Our work is integrative, in that we examine questions from both ultimate and proximate perspectives and combine field and comparative work. We are part of CIBIO-BIOPOLIS (University of Porto, Portugal) and CEFE-CNRS (University of Montpellier, France).
Current projects
Research
Evolution of Female Ornamentation: a comparative and experimental approach using island birdsAna Leitão, CIBIO
Morphological evolution in island birds: underlying ecological mechanisms.Raquel Ponti, CIBIO
Evolution of colouration and body size in social bird speciesRuthvik Pallagatti, CIBIO
ISLANDBIRDIET: Dietary niche divergence of island birds and the evolution of morphological adaptationsRaquel Ponti, CIBIO
Research group
Team
Rita Covas
Principal Researcher, CIBIOI’m a behavioural ecologist and evolutionary biologist with a particular interest in the evolution of sociality, life histories, and how these interact. My research uses birds as study models and a combination of long-term studies (on sociable weavers and southern ground-hornbills, both in South Africa), field-based experiments and comparative analyses. I am fascinated by islands and the research possibilities that they offer as the archetypal laboratories in ecology and evolution. My work on island birds investigates patterns of adaptation to the island environment and the underlying mechanisms. The topics investigated cover the evolution of reproductive life histories, sociality, immunity and morphology and whether these relate to niche enlargement.
Claire Doutrelant
Principal Investigator, CNRS / CEFEClaire Doutrelant is a senior CNRS researcher based at Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)/ University of Montpellier, France. Her research is centred in the theoretical framework of evolutionary ecology, population biology and behavioural ecology. Using long-term data sets, experiments and comparative studies in birds she is currently working on four main projects. 1) Evolution of colour ornamentation in birds (with a special focus on female coloration and blue tits) 2) the cause and life history traits consequences of cooperation in sociable weavers ; 3) the evolution of visual and colour signals on islands, and 4) the evolution of an extended phenotype: weaver nests
Ana Leitão
Postdoc researcher, CIBIOMy research interests are in behavioural and evolutionary ecology, particularly in animal communication, sexual and social selection related topics. I am interested in understanding the evolution of elaborate (or lack of) traits such as plumage colours and bird song, particularly in females.
Ruthvik Pallagatti
Masters studentI am a MEME (Erasmus Mundus Masters in Evolutionary Biology) student with a keen interest in behavioural and evolutionary ecology, particularly mate choice and sexual selection. Recently, I have been fascinated by the evolution of sexual ornaments and collective behaviour. My project with Dr. Claire Doutrelant, Dr. Rita Covas, Dr. Ana Leitão and Dr. Raquel Ponti explores the evolution of colouration and body size in cooperative breeding species. Outside academia, one can find me either bouldering or in some water body.
Collaborators
Michael Griesser
University of Konstanz
Chris Cooney
University of Sheffield
Claire Loiseau
University of Montpellier
Martim Melo
CIBIO/MHNC-UP
Matthieu Paquet
University of Bordeaux
Louis Bliard
University of Zürich
Alumni
Lucija Zaja
Bachelor student, 2023
Cristina Alonso
MSc student, 2022
Joaquim Dias
Bachelor student, 2022
Aloïs Robert
PhD student
Jennifer Morinay
MSc student, 2012
articles
publications
Life-History Evolution in Island Populations of Birds.
Covas, R. and R. Ponti
2024 / Reference Module in Life Sciences
Strength of the ‘island rule’ in birds is positively associated with absence of avian predators.
Ponti R., Doutrelant C. and Covas R.
2023 / Biology Letters
Evolution of immune genes in island birds: reduction in population sizes can explain island syndrome.
Barthe M, Doutrelant C, Covas R, Melo M, Illera JC, Tilak M-K, Colombier C, Leroy T, Loiseau C, Nabholz B
2022 / BioRxiv
Evolution of vocal performance and song complexity in island birds.
Robert, A., Lengagne, T., Melo, M., Gomez, D. and Doutrelant, C.
2022 / J Avian Biol
Patterns of bird song evolution on islands support the character release hypothesis in tropical but not in temperate latitudes.
Robert, A., Melo, M., Lengagne, T., Julien, S., Gomez, D., & Doutrelant, C.
2021 / Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 34, 1580– 1591.
Examining the link between relaxed predation and bird colouration on islands.
Bliard, L., Robert, A. Paquet, M, Renoult, J., Grégoire, A., Crochet, P.A. Covas, R & Doutrelant, C.
2020 / Biology Letters, 16(4), 20200002.
The Theory of Island Biogeography and Soundscapes: species diversity and the organization of acoustic communities.
Robert, A., Lengagne, T., Melo, M., Julien, S., Gardette, V. Covas, R. & Doutrelant, C.
2019 / J. Biogeography
Insularity effects on the assemblage of the blood parasite community of the birds from the Gulf of Guinea.
Loiseau C., Melo M., Lobato E., Beadell J.S., Fleischer R.C., Reis S., Doutrelant C., Covas R.
2017 / Journal of Biogeography 44: 2607–2617
Insularity effects on bird immune parameters: a comparison between island and mainland populations in West Africa.
Lobato E., Doutrelant C., Melo M., Reis S., Covas R.
2017 / Ecology and Evolution 7: 3645-3656
Worldwide patterns of bird colouration on islands.
Doutrelant, C., Paquet, Renoult, J. M. Grégoire, A., Crochet, P.A. Covas, R.
2016 / Ecology Letter 19: 537–545
Diversity and composition of cultivable gut bacteria in an endemic island bird and its mainland sister species.
Lobato, E., Geraldes, M., Melo, M., Doutrelant, C., & Covas, R.
2016 / Symbiosis, 1-10.
The evolution of bidsongs on islands.
Morinay, J. Cardoso, G., Doutrelant, C. Covas, R
2013 / Ecology and Evolution 3: 5127-5140.
Life history evolution in island populations of birds.
Covas R
2016 / Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology Kilman RM (ed). Elsevier, Oxford
Evolution of reproductive life histories in island birds worldwide.
Covas, R.
2012 / Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 279, 1531-1537. doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.1785
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positions available
Prospective students
We welcome expressions of interest and support externally funded applications at all levels. Master's students for the academic year 2024/2025 are now being accepted. Take a look at the projects currently available:
- Diet Divergence in Island Endemic Birds of São Tomé Link to pdf
- Extreme body sizes evolution of closely related co-occurring island birds
- Does body size constrain the evolution of bird plumage?
- Climate and benefits of colouration for thermoregulation: an island and mainland comparison
- Influence of predation pressure on escape behavior in island birds
And we are always happy to discuss and help develop new related ideas.
Applications accepted all year round.
Postdocs and collaborations
We are keen to host and establish collaborations with researchers. If you are interested, please get in touch!
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