Project
The evolution and philosophy of endogenous death
The fate of every organism is death—or so it seems.
Project
Developing a hypothesis on the “domestication syndrome” of animals
The domestication of many animal species was a key element in the development of human societies.
Project
The evolutionary history of the human face, a multi-disciplinary detective story
Like all complex animals, humans have faces.
Project
A new evolutionary perspective on the nature of the individual
A book entitled Evolutionary Perspectives on Pregnancy(with Columbia University Press) will be completed and published.
Project
Ecological elimination as a major evolutionary force
Populations fluctuate but seem generally stable in the long run.
Project
Ecological and non-ecological speciation mechanisms
During the past decade, there has been a lot of interest among evolutionary biologists in ecological niche-based) speciation processes, under the scientific umbrella of The ecological theory of adaptive radiations.
Project
Life: autonomy in evolution
This project consists in writing a monograph about the irreducible and pervasive complexity of the natural world (the biological world, in particular), and about the importance of becoming increasingly aware of this intrinsic complexity, in continuous development and evolution (more so when combined with the artificial worlds recently created by humans), if we are to handle adequately future challenges for science and society.
Project
A new evolutionary perspective on the nature of the individual
The evolution of individuality was first systematically addressed in a very influential book by Leo Buss in 1987.
Project
Extending the concept of local adaptation
Most species occur in subdivided (fragmented) populations.
Project
Taking Evolutionary Biology Beyond the Gene
Evolution depends on the copying of genetic information (DNA) with the incorporation of changes (mutations) that are inherited by subsequent generations.
Project
Was the Cape a biotic reservoir in the repopulation of Africa after the KT extinction event 66 MY ago?
The extinction of dinosaurs after a 10 km wide meteor struck Earth in today’s Caribbean, 66 million years ago, marked the division between the Cretaceous and Cenozoic (popularly known as the Age of Mammals).
Project
Conspecifics matter – An integrated approach to reveal the basis and the significance of social interactions
Social interactions are central to most organisms and the social environment experienced by an individual influences its behaviour and ultimately its (evolutionary) fitness.
