Gabriel Pigeon
Project
Importance of contemporary evolution in population dynamics of ungulatesIt is now widely accepted that evolutionary changes can happen on a short time scale. Hence, not only can ecology influence evolution, but evolution can influence ecology, leading to eco-evolutionary feedback loops. This has lead to the emergence of a new field of study: Eco-evolutionary dynamics. A key question is to quantify the relative importance of evolutionary processes and other ecological factors driving ecological dynamic. The main aim of my PhD is to evaluate the role of evolutionary changes on population dynamics of wild ungulates. To do so, I will use data of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) from Ram Mountain and mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) from Caw Ridge. Both long term individual monitoring studies are of rare quality and contain detailed individual data that I will use to evaluate empirically the importance of eco-evolutionary dynamics.
Keywords
eco-evolutionary dynamics, contemporary evolution, population dynamicsPublications
1- Intense selective hunting leads to artificial evolution in horn sizePigeon, Gabriel, Marco Festa-Bianchet, David W. Coltman, Fanie Pelletier
2016 Evolutionary Applications
2- Ecological immunology in a fluctuating environment: an integrative analysis of tree swallow nestling immune defense
Pigeon, Gabriel, Marc Bélisle, Dany Garant, Alan A. Cohen, Fanie Pelletier
2013 Ecology and Evolution
3- Effects of agricultural intensification and temperature on immune response to phytohemagglutinin in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)
Pigeon, G., R. Baeta, M. Bélisle, D. Garant, F. Pelletier
2013 Canadian Journal of Zoology
