Models
I have worked in several natural populations of mammals displaying diverse social systems. Currently, my main models (see below) are the large promiscuous groups of mandrills from Bakoumba, Gabon (a.) and of the Tsaobis baboons from Namibia (b.). I have also worked on the nocturnal, solitary mouse lemurs from Kirindy, Madagascar (c.), and on the cooperative family groups of the Kalahari meerkats (d.)
Projects & people
Here is a quick overview of the projects of my current students, but there is always more going on with my own stuff and collaborations...
Ecology and evolution of sibling rivalry in primates
Axelle Delaunay
(co-supervised by M. Charpentier)
Sibling competition has lasting consequences on offspring development, behaviour and fitness, but most studies have focused on competition between same-aged broodmates or littermates. Less is known on sibling competition in species which produce one offspring at a time, like humans. Axelle uses data from the Tsaobis Baboon Project and the Mandrillus Project to investigate the dynamics and consequences of sibling competition in baboons and mandrills.
The evolution of reproductive seasonality across mammals
Lugdiwine Burtschell
(co-supervised by B. Godelle)
Reproductive seasonality has been assumed to reflect climatic seasonality for most species. But the life history and social system of a species may also play an important role in its breeding calendar. Lugdiwine's work investigates the relative influence of climate, life history and sociality on the evolution of reproductive seasonality using a theoretical (modelling) and comparative approach.
Sexual coercion and power asymmetries in mandrills
Nikos Smit
(co-supervised by M. Charpentier)
Recent research suggests that sexual coercion may be widespread in mammals, contradicting traditional theories on female mate choice in such species. However, little is known on the ecology of coercion. Nikos' work asks if male mandrills (who were described as peaceful) sexually coerce females (who were described as choosy). He further investigates why and how individuals vary in their use of, and exposure to, sexual coercion.
Publications
See my Google Scholar site for an up-to-date list
2022
- Davidian E, Surbeck M, Lukas D, Kappeler P, Huchard E. 2022. The eco-evolutionary landscape of power relationships between males and females. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. In press.
- Dezeure J, Charpentier MJE, Huchard E. 2022. Fitness effects of seasonal birth timing in a long-lived social primate living in the equatorial forest. Animal Behaviour 185, 113-126.
- Collet J, Pettorelli N, Baniel A, Carter AJ, Huchard E, King AJ, Lee AEJ, Marshall HH, Cowlishaw G. 2022. Immigrant males’ knowledge influences baboon troop movements to reduce home range overlap and mating competition, Behavioral Ecology 33 : 398–407.
- Huchard E, Huchard C. 2022. La frontière entre humains et autres espèces redessinée par les sciences comportementales. Communications 110 : 75-85.
2021
- Dezeure J, Baniel A, Carter AJ, Cowlishaw G, Godelle B, Huchard E. 2021. Birth timing generates reproductive trade-offs in a non-seasonal breeding primate. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 288 (1950), 20210286
- Fichtel C, Kappeler PM, Perret M, Huchard E, Henry PY. 2021. Honest signal in mouse lemur vocalizations? International Journal of Primatology 1-22.
- Baniel A, Webb C, Cowlishaw G & Huchard E. 2020. The submissive pattern of post-conflict affiliation in asymmetric relationships: a test in males and sexually coerced female baboons. Animal Behaviour 175 : 87-97.
- Dezeure J, Dagorrette J, Baniel A, Carter AJ, Cowlishaw G, Marshall HM, Martina C, Raby CL & Huchard E. 2020. Developmental transitions in body color in chacma baboon infants : Implications to estimate age and developmental pace. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 174 : 89-102.
2020
- Carter AJ, Baniel A, Cowlishaw G & Huchard E. 2020. Baboon thanatology: Responses of filial and non-filial group members to infants' corpses. Royal Society Open Science 7: 192206.
- Dibakou SE, Souza A, Boundenga L, Givalois L, Mercier-Delarue S, Simon F, Prugnolle F, Huchard E* & Charpentier MJE*. 2020. Ecological, parasitological and individual determinants of plasma neopterin levels in a natural mandrill population. International Journal for Parasitology 11 : 198-206.
- Webb C, Woodford P & Huchard E. 2020. The study that made rats jump for joy, and then killed them. BioEssays 42 : 1-2.
2019
- Dibakou S, Basset D, Souza A, Charpentier M, Huchard E. 2019. Determinants of variations in fecal neopterin in free-ranging mandrills. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 7: 368.
- Webb C, Woodford P, Huchard E. 2019. Animal ethics and behavioral sciences: an overdue discussion? Bioscience 69: 778-788.
- Webb C, Baniel A, Cowlishaw G, Huchard E. 2019. Friend or foe: reconciliation between males and females in wild chacma baboons. Animal Behaviour 151: 145-155.
- Baniel A, Delaunay A, Cowlisahw G, Huchard E. 2019. Oestrous females avoid mating in front of male bystanders. Royal Society Open Science 6: 181009.
- Lukas D & Huchard E. 2019. The evolution of infanticide by females in mammals. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 374: 2018.0075.
2018
- Maris V & Huchard E. Interventionisme et faune sauvage. 2018. Les Ateliers de l'Ethique / The Ethics Forum 13 (1), 115-142 .
- Baniel A, Cowlishaw G, Huchard E. 2018. Jealous females? Female competition and reproductive suppression in a wild promiscuous primate. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285: 20181332.
- Baniel A, Cowlishaw G, Huchard E. 2018. Context-dependence of female reproductive competition in wild chacma baboons. Animal Behaviour 139: 37-49.
2017
- Kaesler E, Kappeler PM, Brameier M, Demeler J, Kraus C, Rakotoniaina JH, Hämäläinen A, Huchard E. 2017. Shared evolutionary polymorphism of major histocompatibility complex polymorphism in sympatric lemurs. Molecular Ecology 26: 5629-5645.
- Baniel A, Cowlishaw G, Huchard E. 2017. Male violence and sexual intimidation in a wild primate society. Current Biology 27: 2163-2168.
- Huchard E, Schliehe-Diecks S, Kappeler P, Kraus C. 2017. The inbreeding strategy of a solitary primate. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 30: 128-140.
2016
- Winternitz JC, Abbate J, Huchard E, Havlíček J, Garamszegi L. 2016. Patterns of MHC-dependent mate selection in humans and non-human primates: a meta-analysis. Molecular Ecology 26: 668-688.
- Huchard E, English S, Thavarajah N, Bell M, Clutton-Brock T. 2016. Competitive growth in a cooperative mammal. Nature 533: 532-534.
- Baniel A, Cowlishaw G, Huchard E. 2016. Strength and stability of male-female associations in a promiscuous primate society. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 70: 761-775.
2015
- Pechouskova E, Dammhann M, Brameier M, Fichtel C, Kappeler P, Huchard E. 2015. MHC variation in a rare and ecological specialist mouse lemur reveals lower allelic richness and contrasting selection patterns compared to a generalist and widespread congener. Immunogenetics 67: 229-245.
2014
- Lukas D & Huchard E. 2014. The evolution of infanticide by males in mammalian societies. Science 346, 841-844.
- Huchard E, Charmantier A, English S, Bateman A, Nielsen JF, Clutton-Brock T. 2014. Additive genetic variance and developmental plasticity in growth trajectories in a wild cooperative mammal. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 27, 1893-904.
- Carter AJ, Horrocks NP, Huchard E, Logan CJ, Lukas D, MacLeod KJ, Marshall HH, Peck HL, Sanderson JL, Sorensen MC. 2014. Junior scientists are sceptical of sceptics of Open Access: a reply to Agrawal. Trends in plant science 19, 339-340.
- Huchard E & Pechouskova E. 2014. The Major Histocompatibility Complex and primate behavioural ecology: new tools and future questions. International Journal of Primatology 35: 11-31.
2013
- Clutton-Brock T & Huchard E. 2013. Social competition and selection in males and females. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Series B 368: 20130074.
- English S, Huchard E, Nielsen J & Clutton-Brock T. 2013. Early growth, dominance acquisition and lifetime reproductive fitness in male and female cooperative meerkats. Ecology and Evolution 3: 4401-4407.
- Huchard E, Baniel A, Schliehe-Diecks S & Kappeler P. 2013. MHC-disassortative mate choice and inbreeding avoidance in a solitary primate. Molecular Ecology 22: 4071-4086.
- Clutton-Brock T & Huchard E. 2013. Social competition and its consequences in female mammals. Journal of Zoology 289: 151-171.
- Pyritz LW, Fichtel C, Huchard E & Kappeler PM. 2013. Determinants and outcomes of decision-making, group coordination and social interactions during a foraging experiment in a wild primate. PLOS One 8: e53144.
- Huchard E, Charpentier MJE, Marshall H, Knapp LA & Cowlishaw G. 2013. Paternal effects on access to resources in a promiscuous primate society, Behavioral Ecology 24: 229-236.
2012
- Charpentier MJE, Huchard E, Gimenez O, Sallé B, Kappeler PM, Renoult J. 2012. Distribution of affiliative behavior across kin classes and fitness consequences in mandrills, Ethology 118: 1198-1207.
- Huchard E*, Benavides JA*, Pettorelli N, King AJ, Brown ME, Archer CE, Appleton CC, Raymond M & Cowlishaw G. 2012. From parasite encounter to infection: multiple-scale drivers of parasite richness in a wild social primate population, American Journal of Physical Anthropology,147: 52-63. * Equal contributions.
- Huchard E*, Gomez D*, Henry PY & Perret M. 2012. Mutual mate choice in a female-dominant and sexually monomorphic primate, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 147: 370-371.1 Equal contributions.
- Huchard E, Canale CI, Le Gros C, Perret M, Henry PY & Kappeler PM. 2012. Convenience polyandry or convenience polygyny? Costly sex under female control in a promiscuous primate, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 279: 1371-1379.
- Huchard E*, Canale CI*, Perret M & Henry PY. 2012. Reproductive resilience to food shortage in a small heterothermic primate, PLOS One 7: e41477. * Equal contributions.
- Sepil, I., Moghadam HK, Huchard E & Sheldon B. 2012. In-depth characterization and 454 pyrosequencing of Major Histocompatibility Complex class I genes in the great tit reveal complexity in a passerine system, BMC Evolutionary Biology 12: 68.
- Huchard E, Albrecht C, Roos C, Walter L, Kappeler PM & Brameier M. 2012. Large scale MHC class II genotyping of a wild lemur population by next-generation sequencing, Immunogenetics 64: 895-913.
2011
- Huchard E & Cowlishaw G. 2011. Female–female aggression around mating: an extra cost of sociality in a multimale primate society, Behavioral Ecology 22: 1003.
- King AJ, Sueur C, Huchard E & Cowlishaw G. 2011. A rule-of-thumb based on social affiliation explains collective movements in desert baboons, Animal Behaviour 82: 1337.
2010
- Huchard E, Raymond M, Benavides J, Marshall H, Knapp LA & Cowlishaw G. 2010. A female signal reflects MHC genotype in a social primate, BMC Evolutionary Biology 10:96.
- Huchard E, Knapp LA, Wang J, Raymond M & Cowlishaw G. 2010. MHC, mate choice and heterozygote advantage in a wild social primate, Molecular Ecology 19: 2545.
- Wang J, Brekke P,Huchard E, Knapp LA & Cowlishaw G. 2010. Estimation of parameters of inbreeding and genetic drift in populations with overlapping generations, Evolution 64: 1704.
- Célerier A, Huchard E, Alvergne A, Féjan D, Plard F, Cowlishaw G, Raymond M & Bonadonna, F. 2010. Detective mice assess relatedness in baboons using olfactory cues, Journal of Experimental Biology 213: 1399.
- Huchard E, Alvergne A, Fejan D, Knapp LA, Cowlishaw G & Raymond M. 2010. More than friends? Behavioural and genetic aspects of heterosexual associations in wild chacma baboons, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 64:769.
- Setchell JS & Huchard E. 2010. The hidden benefits of sex: Evidence of MHC-associated mate choice in primate societies, BioEssays 32: 940.
2009
- Huchard E, Benavides JA, Setchell JM, Charpentier MJE, Alvergne A, King AJ, Knapp LA, Cowlishaw G, Raymond M. Studying shape in sexual signals: the case of primate sexual swellings, 2009, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 63:1231.
- Huchard E, Courtiol A., Benavides JA, Knapp LA, Raymond M & Cowlishaw G. 2009. Can fertility signals lead to quality signals? Insights from the evolution of primate sexual swellings, Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 276: 1889.
- Alvergne A, Huchard E, Ruppli C, Caillaud D, Martinez L & Raymond M. 2009. Human ability to visually recognize kin within primates, International Journal of Primatology 30: 199.
2008
- Huchard E, Weill M, Cowlishaw G, Raymond M & Knapp LA. 2008. Polymorphism, haplotype composition, and selection in the Mhc-DRB of wild baboons, Immunogenetics 60: 585.
- King AJ, Douglas C, Huchard E, Isaac N & Cowlishaw G. 2008. Dominance and affiliation mediate despotism in a social primate, Current Biology 18: 1833.
2006
- Huchard E, Cowlishaw G, Raymond M, Weill M& Knapp LA. 2006. Molecular study of Mhc-DRB in wild Chacma baboons reveals high variability and evidence for transpecies inheritance, Immunogenetics 56: 805.
- Huchard E, Martinez M, Alout H, Douzery JPE, Berthomieu A, Berticat C, Raymond M& Weill M. 2006. Acetylcholinesterase genes within the Diptera: Take-over and loss in true flies, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 273: 2595.
