Virginie Millien

Assistant Professor,
McGill University
Redpath Museum
E-mail: virginie.millien@mcgill.ca
Institution page
Personal page

Education

1996-1999 Doctorate: Paleontology, Paleobiology & Phylogeny, Universite Montpellier II
1995-1996 D.E.A.: Paleontology, Universite Montpellier II
1993-1996 Magistere: Earth Sciences, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris

Research

My main research focus is the evolution of body size and morphological diversity in relation to environmental change:

Ecotypic variation and climate change

The evolution of species on islands

The effects of climate change and isolation on morphological evolution

Functional morphology in fossil rodents and other mammals

Competition and community size structure among coexisting species

QCBS students

Kirsten Crandall

Ph.D.
Other (co-)supervisor: Jeremy Kerr, University of Ottawa
(Start: 2018)
A cross-provincial comparison of abundance and diversity in hosts of Lyme disease in Southern Quebec and Ontario

Jihane Benbahtane

M.Sc.
Other (co-)supervisor: Henri Vallès, University of the West Indies
(Start: 2018)
The effect of overfishing on parrotfish community structure and its impact on coral reefs

Cassia Foley

M.Sc.
Other (co-)supervisor: Hector Guzman, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
(Start: 2018, End: 2020)
Investigating the effects of climate change on the migration patterns of humpback whales and assessing vessel collision risk

Frédérique Truchon

M.Sc.
Other (co-)supervisor: Martin-Hugues St-Laurent, Université du Québec à Rimouski
(Start: 2018)
Spatial use of a high-density Cervid and its impact on the local flora in a protected old-growth forest

Previous students (since 2009)

Juan Martinez

Postdoctoral fellow
Other (co-)supervisor: José Priotto, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto
(Start: 2012, End: 2013)
Craniometric differentiation of sigmodontines rodents in fragmented environment

Sarah Leo

Ph.D.
(Start: 2012, End: 2016)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: Andrew Gonzalez
Integrated landscape genetics of the Lyme disease vector (Ixodes scapularis) and its host (Peromyscus leucopus) in southern Québec
Personal page

Kirsten Crandall

M.Sc.
(Start: 2016, End: 2018)
Intra- and interspecific phenotypic variation in mammals and its effect on biodiversity under climate warming

Jessica Fiset

M.Sc.
(Start: 2011, End: 2012)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: François-Joseph Lapointe
Phylogeography of the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, and the deer mouse, P. maniculatus, and their capacity of carrying Lyme disease

Jorge Gaitan

M.Sc.
(Start: 2012, End: 2014)
The effects of parasite load and stress levels on the movement and dispersal patterns of the white-footed mouse within a fragmented landscape.

Alan Garcia-Elfring

M.Sc.
(Start: 2015, End: 2017)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: Jonathan Davies
Detecting the signature of range expansion

Katherine Hébert

M.Sc.
(Start: 2015, End: 2017)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: Jean-Philippe Lessard
Community assembly of island mammals: The role of the regional species pool

Rodrigo Lima Barata

M.Sc.
(Start: 2010, End: 2012)
Morphological Variation of the Red-backed Vole (Myodes gapperi) in Quebec

Robby Marrotte

M.Sc.
(Start: 2011, End: 2013)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: Andrew Gonzalez
Connectivity and habitat use by Peromyscus leucopus in a fragmented landscape in Southern Quebec
Personal page

Julia Nordlund

M.Sc.
(Start: 2015, End: 2017)
Multispecies distribution modelling

Anita Rogic

M.Sc.
(Start: 2010, End: 2012)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: François-Joseph Lapointe
Genetic structure of white-footed mouse populations in southern Quebec: impact of climate warming and fragmentation on the spread of Lyme disease

Emilie Roy-Dufresne

M.Sc.
Other (co-)supervisor: Gail Chmura
(Start: 2010, End: 2012)
White-footed mouse projected distribution under climate change in Québec; a question of time and space.

Involvement within the QCBS

Relevant QCBS research themes

Examples of species studied

Myodes gapperi

Rodentia

Arvicolinae

Peromyscus leucopus

Ixodes scapularis

Acari

Ixodidae

Apodemus argenteus

Apodemus speciosus

Microtia

Borrelia burgdorferi

Peromyscus maniculatus

Mammalia

Scandentia

Publications

38- A global synthesis of the small-island effect in habitat islands
Wang Y , Chen C , Millien V ,
2018 Proceedings. Biological sciences (Date Added: 2018-10-28)

37- Rule reversal: Ecogeographical patterns of body size variation in the common treeshrew (Mammalia, Scandentia)
Sargis E J , Millien V , Woodman N , Olson L E ,
2018 Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2018-01-17)

36- Admixture on the northern front: Population genomics of range expansion in the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and secondary contact with the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
Garcia-Elfring A , Barrett R D H , Combs M , Davies T J , Munshi-South J , Millien V ,
2017 Heredity (Date Added: 2017-11-16)

35- Functional connectivity of the white-footed mouse in Southern Quebec, Canada
Marrotte R R , Gonzalez A , Millien V ,
2017 Landscape Ecology (Date Added: 2017-08-19)

34- Rapid morphological divergence in two closely related and co-occurring species over the last 50 years
Millien V , Ledevin R , Boué C , Gonzalez A ,
2017 Evolutionary Ecology (Date Added: 2017-08-14)

33- Microsatellite markers reveal low frequency of natural hybridization between the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) in southern Quebec, Canada
Leo S S , Millien V ,
2017 Genome (Date Added: 2017-07-08)

32- Effects of parasite and historic driven selection on the diversity and structure of a MHC-II gene in a small mammal species (Peromyscus leucopus) undergoing range expansion
André A , Millien V , Galan M , Ribas A , Michaux J R ,
2017 Evolutionary Ecology (Date Added: 2017-05-21)

31- Liver microbiome of Peromyscus leucopus, a key reservoir host species for emerging infectious diseases in North America
André A , Mouton A , Millien V , Michaux J ,
2017 Infection, Genetics and Evolution (Date Added: 2017-05-05)

30- The genetic signature of range expansion in a disease vector-the black-legged tick
Leo S S T , Gonzalez A , Millien V ,
2017 Journal of Heredity (Date Added: 2017-04-05)

29- Nestedness of butterfly assemblages in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China: area effects, life-history traits and conservation implications
Xu A , Han X , Zhang X , Millien V , Wang Y ,
2017 Biodiversity and Conservation (Date Added: 2017-02-12)

28- On empty islands and the small-island effect
Wang Y , Millien V , Ding P ,
2016 Global Ecology and Biogeography (Date Added: 2017-02-10)

27- The effect of stress level and parasite load on movement pattern in a small mammal reservoir host for Lyme disease
Gaitan J , MV
2016 Canadian Journal of Zoology (Date Added: 2016-06-22)

26- Multi-taxa integrated landscape genetics for zoonotic infectious diseases: deciphering variables influencing disease emergence
Leo, SST, Gonzalez, A, Millien, V
2016 Genome / National Research Council Canada = Genome / Conseil National de Recherches Canada (Date Added: 2016-06-06)

25- Phylogeographic Structure of the White-Footed Mouse and the Deer Mouse, Two Lyme Disease Reservoir Hosts in Quebec
Fiset, J, Tessier, N, Millien, V, Lapointe, F-J
2015 PloS one (Date Added: 2016-02-26)

24- Landscape heterogeneity and habitat quality combine to provide an optimal model of connectivity and estimate gene flow at the range margin of a small mammal
Marrotte, R
2014 Molecular Ecology (Date Added: 2016-06-22)

23- The negative relationship between mammal host diversity and Lyme disease incidence strengthens through time
Turney, S, Gonzalez, A, Millien, V
2014 Ecology (Date Added: 2015-01-12)

22- Applying evolutionary concepts to wildlife disease ecology and management
Vander Wal, E, Garant, D, Calmé, S, Chapman, CA, Festa-Bianchet, M, Millien, V, Rioux-Paquette, S, Pelletier, F
2014 Evolutionary Applications (Date Added: 2014-09-11)

21- Climate change and habitat fragmentation drive the occurrence of Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, at the northeastern limit of its distribution
Simon, JA, Marrotte, RR, Desrosiers, N, Fiset, J, Gaitan, J, Gonzalez, A, Koffi, JK, Lapointe, F-J, Leighton, PA, Lindsay, LR, Logan, T, Milord, F, Ogden, NH, Rogic, A, Roy-Dufresne, E, Suter, D, Tessier, N, Millien, V
2014 Evolutionary Applications (Date Added: 2014-08-28)

20- Ecological preference between generalist and specialist rodents: spatial and environmental correlates of phenotypic variation
Martínez, JJ, Millien, V, Simone, I, Priotto, JW
2014 Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (Date Added: 2014-05-01)

19- The influence of environmental factors on the morphology of red-backed voles Myodes gapperi (Rodentia, Arvicolinae) in Québec and western Labrador
Souto-Lima, RB, Millien, V
2014 Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (Date Added: 2014-04-18)

18- Climate warming and Bergmann's rule through time: is there any evidence?
Teplitsky, C, Millien, V
2014 Evolutionary Applications (Date Added: 2014-01-30)

17- Poleward Expansion of the White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) under Climate Change: Implications for the Spread of Lyme Disease
Roy-Dufresne, E, Logan, T, Simon, JA, Chmura, GL, Millien, V
2013 PLoS ONE (Date Added: 2014-03-24)

16- Congruent morphological and genetic differentiation as a signature of range expansion in a fragmented landscape
Ledevin, R, Millien, V
2013 Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2013-12-05)

15- Genetic structure of the white-footed mouse in the context of the emergence of Lyme disease in southern Québec
Rogic, A, Tessier, N, Legendre, P, Lapointe, F-J, Millien, V
2013 Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2013-11-11)

14- Investigation of the Population Structure of the Tick Vector of Lyme Disease Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Canada Using Mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit I Gene Sequences
Mechai, S, Feil, EJ, Gariepy, TD, Gregory, TR, Lindsay, LR, Millien, V, Ogden, NH
2013 Journal of Medical Entomology (Date Added: 2013-06-12)

13-How humans influence evolution on adaptive landscapes
Hendry, AP
2012 The adaptive landscape in evolutionary biology ( Date Added: 2016-07-14)

12- The maximal body mass-area relationship in island mammals
Millien, V, Gonzalez, A
2011 Journal of Biogeography (Date Added: 2011-07-26)

11- Mammals evolve faster on smaller islands
Millien, V
2011 Evolution (Date Added: 2011-06-01)

10- When teeth and bones disagree: Body mass estimation of a giant extinct rodent
Millien, V, Bovy, H
2010 Journal of Mammalogy (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

9- The largest among the smallest: The body mass of the giant rodent Josephoartigasia monesi
Millien, V
2008 Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

8- Spurious or island effect? A response to J. A. Pérez-Claros and J. C. Aledo's comment on "Morphological evolution is accelerated among island mammals" [2]
Millien, V
2007 PLoS Biology (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

7- Morphological evolution is accelerated among island mammals
Millien, V
2006 PLoS Biology (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

6- Ecotypic variation in the context of global climate change: Revisiting the rules
Millien, V, Kathleen Lyons, S, Olson, L, Smith, FA, Wilson, AB, Yom-Tov, Y
2006 Ecology Letters (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

5- Erratum: Morphological evolution is accelerated among island mammals (PLoS Biology 4, 10, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0040321)
Millien, V
2006 PLoS Biology (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

4- Relative effects of climate change, isolation and competition on body-size evolution in the Japanese field mouse, Apodemus argenteus
Millien, V
2004 Journal of Biogeography (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

3- Climate change and size evolution in an island rodent species: New perspectives on the island rule
Millien, V, Damuth, J
2004 Evolution (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

2- Intra- and interspecific morphological variation in the field mouse species Apodemus argenteus and A. speciosus in the Japanese archipelago: The role of insular isolation and biogeographic gradients
Renaud, S, Millien, V
2001 Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (Date Added: 2011-07-21)

1- Size evolution of the lower incisor of Microtia, a genus of endemic murine rodents from the late neogene of Gargano, Southern Italy
Millien, V, Jaeger, J-J
2001 Paleobiology (Date Added: 2011-07-21)