Dr. Lucie Aulus

I am an evolutionary ecologist interested in species dispersal, and the evolution of their life-history traits in relation to anthropic and environmental pressures. The central theme of my research work is therefore to understand the drivers and consequences of species dispersal. 

During my thesis, I developed a strong interest in the evolution of traits related to dispersal in a context of biological invasion. Understanding the influence of introductions, but also the influence of human activities on the invasive dynamics (dispersal) of species is of great interest to me. Predicting the species dispersal and the evolution of their life history traits is therefore central to prevent the risk of further biological invasions. During my PhD, I worked on the dispersal ability of the Brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) introduced in the Kerguelen Islands. My major aims were to determine causes of facultative migration and understand processes of dispersal in expanding species range, with a focus on spatio-temporal evolution of life-history traits. 

I joined Bertelsmeier group in July 2021 as a post-doc. I am currently working on the definition of ants and insects’ bioregions, aiming at understanding their natal distribution to compare to other orders bioregions (mammals, amphibians, birds, plants …). I am interested in how dispersal of alien species redefines biogeographic areas, to determine whether invasions have shaped new bioregions and understand causes and consequences of such changes, at a global scale.
In a second phase, I would be interested in developing additional approach to directly model evolutionary processes at the species level.