Paul Doniol-Valcroze

Verified

Paul verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

Learn more

Verified

Paul verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

Learn more

• PhD
• PostDoc at Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation

The evolution of migration routes in birds remains poorly understood as changes in migration strategies are rarely observed on contemporary timescales. The Richard’s Pipit, a migratory songbird breeding in Siberian grasslands and wintering in Southeast Asia, has only recently become a regular autumn and winter visitor to western Europe. Here, we ex...

The description of Vipera walser from the Northern Italian Alps as a new species (Ghielmi et al., 2016, Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 54, 161) was one of the most unexpected surprises of European herpetology in the 21st century. In mitochondrial (mt) DNA, it is closely related to a group of vipers only present in the...

Western European Water Frog species can be morphologically very similar, especially Pelophylax ridibun­dus and P. perezi. As these species, together with P. lessonae, produce hybridogenetic lineages with highly variable phenotypes, the morphological identification of taxa in this genus remains challenging. This is especially problematic in the curr...

Linnaean and Wallacean shortfalls (Uncertainties on species taxonomy and distribution, respectively) are major factors hampering efficient conservation planning in the current context of biodiversity erosion. These shortfalls concern even widespread and abundant species in relatively well-studied regions such as the Mediterranean biodiversity hotsp...

The role of hybridization during speciation remains partially understood, yet introgression among lineages may trigger reproductive isolation (RI). Hybrid speciation may reveal how specific traits drive RI and how characters are sorted following admixture. Here, we study hybrid speciation in a complex of butterfly species (Coenonympha spp.) in whic...

Distinguishing between vagrancy and regular migration has proved to be challenging as vagrants may, in theory, act as pioneers in the establishment of new migration routes. Because migratory songbirds tend to follow the same orientation and migration route throughout their lives, age assessment can help to distinguish individuals which have already...

We present the first chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of the pearly heath Coenonympha arcania, generated with a PacBio HiFi sequencing approach and complemented with Hi-C data. We additionally compare synteny, gene, and repeat content between C. arcania and other Lepidopteran genomes. This reference genome will enable future populati...

1. Temperature variation is one of the best-known and studied factor constraining life history along the altitudinal gradients. 2. Ectotherms such as insects are sensitive to temperature across all life stages, resulting in a wide range of adaptations in populations and species living at different elevations. In butterflies, the egg stage is parti...

Uncertainties on species taxonomy and distribution are major factors hampering efficient conservation planning in the current context of biodiversity erosion, even concerning widespread and abundant species in relatively well-studied regions. Species delimitation have long been based on phylogenetic analyses of a small number of standard markers, b...

Hybrid taxa from the genus Pelophylax can propagate themselves in a modified way of sexual reproduction called hybridogenesis ensuring the formation of clonal gametes containing the genome of only one parental (host) species. Pelophylax grafi from South-Western Europe is a hybrid composed of P. ridibundus and P. perezi genomes and it lives with a h...

The Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens comprises two allopatric subspecies groups: A. r. rubescens and A. r. alticola in North America and A. [r.] japonicus in north-east Asia. Despite their great morphological resemblance in breeding plumage, most individuals can be assigned to one or the other subspecies group in non breeding plumage. Allopatric...

We present here the most up to date information on the distribution of green frogs (genus Pelophylax) in their French Mediterranean range west of the Rhône river (departments of Pyrénées- Orientales, Aude, Hérault, Gard). For the perezi-grafi (PG) system, we also report the record known for the department of Ardèche in order to provide an exhaustiv...

We report the discovery of a population of the exotic North African Water Frog Pelophylax saharicus around the Etang de Berre, on the Mediterranean coast of France, about 25 km north-west of Marseille. The animals had been originally identified as P. perezi or P. kl. grafi by a combination of acoustic and morphological characters and their true ide...

First evidence of the breeding of Trithemis kirbyi (Odonata: Libellulidae) in France. The recent incursions of Trithemis kirbyi reported on the French territory since 2017, in a context of northwards and westwards range expansion, suggested a future settlement of the species in France. Following the recent establishment of the species in northern...