Studying the behavior and ecology of free-ranging animals requires to be able to monitor individuals, sometimes over prolonged periods of time. However, what if the methods used for marking individuals have an effect on their behavior and survival? In a recent study, we have found king penguins' survival and reproductive success to be strongly affected by flipper-bands. Flipper-banded penguins showed decreased survival and reproductive success when compared to non-banded birds. Nonetheless, in years of exceptionally good environmental conditions, flipper-banded birds appeared to have been able to compensate the handicap of wearing a band. This study highlights the importance of striving to minimize the impact of marking methods whenever possible and emphasizes the need to consider their potential effects when studying wild animals.
Saraux C, Le Bohec C, Durant JM, Viblanc VA, Gauthier-Clerc M, Beaune D, Park Y-H, Yoccoz NG, Stenseth NC, Le Maho Y. 2011. Reliability of flipper-banded penguins as indicators of climate change. Nature 469, 203-206.
Rory P. Wilson. 2011. Animal behaviour: The price tag. Nature 469, 164-165.
Columbian ground-squirrels are colonial rodents which may be found in the sub-Alpine meadows of the Rockie mountains. They are a philopatric species, where female kin overlap, both spatially and temporally. Our recent studies have revealed that females strongly benefit from the presence of close kin in their natal colonies. Females reproducing alongside co-surviving kin enjoy increased fitness, likely through the behavioral mechanism of lowered aggression and cooperation.
Dobson FS, Viblanc VA, Arnaud CM, Murie JO. Kin selection in Columbian ground squirrels: direct and indirect fitness benefits. Molecular Ecology, in press .
Viblanc VA, Arnaud CM, Dobson FS, Murie JO. 2010. Kin selection in Columbian ground squirrels ( Urocitellus columbianus ): littermate provide individual fitness benefits. Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 277, 989-994.
Behavioural Ecology, Ecophysiology, Sociobiology
As a post-doc fellow at the Ecology and Evolution group of the University of Lausanne (CH), in collaboration with Dr. Pierre Bize, my current research investigates the evolution of sexual selection in monomorphic species. Our aim is to better the understanding of what information sexual ornaments may be conveying during courtship, in species where both sexes are ornamented and where mutual mate selection is known to occur. This research is led in collaboration with Dr. François Criscuolo at the DEPE and Dr. F.S. Dobson at the CEFE , and supported by a fellowship from the Fyssen Foundation .
My PhD research project (2008-2011) was focused on determining what behavioural and energetical strategies might be used by animals allowing them to conciliate reproduction with periods of high energy constraints. Working with king penguin, which reproduces in vast colonies on the sub-Antarctic islands, we investigated behavioural and physiological strategies in free living animals, an approach rendered possible by the use of bio-loggers, which enabled us to monitor continuous behavioural and physiological parameters (e.g. heart rate, body temperature) in their natural colonial environment. The research was led at the DEPE (CNRS) and part of the French Polar Institute's ECONERGIE research program .
Besides, in collaboration with Dr. F.S. Dobson , investigate questions relating to Columbian ground squirrel ecology and sociality such as kin selection relating to direct and indirect fitness benefits and mating strategies in this promiscuous colonial species.
Other topics I am interested in are how the social environment influences the physiology and fitness of group living animals, and sexual selection in monomorphic species.
2011-current . Post-Doc. University of Lausanne, CH.
2011. PhD. Animal Behaviour, Physiology and Ecology. University of Strasbourg, FR. / CNRS, Strasbourg, FR.
2008. Msc. Ecophysiology and Ethology, University of Strasbourg, FR.
2006. BAsc. Biology, University of Caen, FR. / University of Joensuu, FI.
2011. Symposium. 8th Conference of the European Ornithologist's Union. Riga, Latvia.
Poster presentation: Aggressiveness and social stress in a colonial seabird: is there an energy cost to group-living ?
2011. Symposium. "L'animal dans tous ses sens". SFECA, French society for the study of animal behavior. INRA-Tours, France.
Oral communication: Aggressiveness and social stress in a colonial seabird: is there an energy cost to group-living ?
Poster presentation: (presented by A. Smith) Heart rate and behavioral responses to human disturbance in breeding king penguin: does reproductive value or nutritional status matter ?
2011. Symposium. 7th Ecology and Behavior meeting. University or Rennes/SERL, Rennes, France.
Oral communication: Sociality, colony density and stress: effects of social context and breeding status on the behavior and physiology of breeding penguins.
2010. Symposium. "Social systems: demographic and genetic issues". SOCIOR conference, Paimpont, France.
Invited symposia (F.S. Dobson, invited speaker): Comparision of direct and indirect effects of fitness for nepotistic philopatry.
2010. Symposium. 1st World Seabird Conference. Victoria Isld., Vancouver, Canada.
Oral communication: Holding the fast: Physiological and Behavioral adaptations during courtship and incubation in male king penguin.
Poster presentation: Comfort behavior in king penguins: what does energy tell us ?
2010. Symposium. 7th International Penguin Conference. New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Oral communication: Social stress in a colonial seabird. Heart rate responses of breeding king penguin to their aggressive conspecifics.
Poster presentation: Stop pushing, I'm breeding ! Behavioral and physiological adjustments during courtship and incubation in male king penguin
2009. Symposium. 7th Conference of the European Ornithologist's Union. University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Oral communication: Comfort behavior incurs substantial energy costs in breeding fasting king penguins, Aptenodytes patagonicus.
2009. Symposium. The use of vertebrate model systems to study social evolution. University of Bern, Adelboden, Switzerland.
2009. 6th Summer School in Ecology and Biodiversity. Marie Curie Conferences and Training Courses. BIOSEB. Mammal Research Institute, Białowieża, Poland.
Poster presentation: Kin selection in Columbian ground squirrel: littermate kin provide individual fitness benefits.
2011(-12). Post-Doc fellowship. Fyssen Foundation.
2008(-11). PhD. Research grant from the French Ministry of Education and Research
2011. Conference grant. SFECA, Tours, France
2010. Conference grant. 1st World Seabird Conference, Victoria Isld., Vancouver, Canada
2010. Conference grant. 7th International Penguin Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
2009. Marie Curie grant. 6th Summer School in Ecology and Biodiversity, Bialowieza, Poland. EU grant under the 6th framework program, Marie Curie Conferences and Training Courses - BIOSEB
2008. Higher Study Bursary from the French Ministry of Education (Bourse sur Critères Universitaires)
2008. Travel Bursary for Higher Studies (Bourse Boussole, Région Alsace)
2006. International student exchange bursary from the University of Caen, France
Submitted
Viblanc, V.A. , Valette, V., Malosse, N. & Groscolas, R. Coping with social stress: heart rate responses to agonistic interactions in king penguins.
Jozet-Alves, C., Viblanc, V. A. , Romagny, S., Dacher, M., Healey, S. & Dickel, L. Visual lateralization is task- and age-dependant in cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis )
2012
Dobson, F.S., Viblanc, V.A. , Arnaud, C.M. & Murie, J.O. 2011. Kin selection in Columbian ground-squirrels: direct and indirect fitness benefits. Molecular Ecology. 21, 524-531.
2011
Viblanc, V.A. , Mathien, A., Viera, V. & Groscolas, R. 2011. It costs to be clean and fit: energetics of comfort behaviour in breeding-fasting penguins. PLoS ONE. 6(7), e21110.
Saraux, C., Viblanc, V.A. , Le Maho, Y., Hanuise, H. & Le Bohec, C. 2011. Factors affecting post-fledging return rate and timing in the king penguin ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ). PLoS ONE 6(6): e20407.
Viera, V.M., Viblanc, V.A. , Filippi-Codaccioni, O., Côté, S. & Groscolas, R. 2011. Active territory defence at a low energy cost in a colonial seabird. Animal Behaviour. 82, 69-76.
Le Maho, Y., Saraux, C., Durant, J.M., Viblanc, V.A. , Gautier-Clerc, Yoccoz, N.G., Stenseth, N.C., Le Bohec, C. 2011. An ethical issue in biodiversity science: The monitoring of penguins with flipper bands. Comptes Rendus Biologies. 334, 378-384.
Raveh, S., Heg, D., Viblanc, V.A. , Coltman, D.W., Gorrell, J.C., Balmer, A., Dobson, F.S. & Neuhaus, P. 2011. Male reproductive tactics to increase paternity in the polygynandrous Columbian ground squirrel ( Urocitellus columbianus ). Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology. 65, 695-706.
Saraux, C., Le Bohec, C., Durant, J.M., Viblanc, V.A. , Gautier-Clerc, M., Beaune, D., Park, Y-H., Yoccoz, N.G., Stenseth, N.C. & Le Maho, Y. 2011. Reliability of flipper-banded penguins as indicators of climate change. Nature. 469, 203-206.
2010
Viblanc, V.A. , Arnaud, C., Dobson, F.S. & Murie, J.O. 2010. Kin selection in Columbian ground-squirrels ( Urocitellus columbianus ) : littermate kin provide individual fitness benefits. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 277, 989-994.
R. GROSCOLAS
F.S. DOBSON
P. BIZE
F. CRISCUOLO
J.P. ROBIN
S. MASSEMIN
A. SMITH
Dark Sailors was born in Strasbourg some time during the 2010 fall, when in despair for fresh air and the need to sever from hours of computer work - a talented lawyer (aka. Tom) and myself, decided to hit the weekly Friday evening Jam sessions, considerably aided by some pints of beer and the wee dram of whisky.
The name of the band, a joke as it were, finds its roots deep into our loving friends' ongoing critisism.
Lyrics
T. Naudin
road 99
on the black side of things
black sun
the winter songs
summer rain
V.A. Viblanc
hush little baby, say goodbye
rise down
complainte d'un mendiant
weaping winds
sailors of thought
shores of insanity
name.surname_iphc.cnrs.fr
+ 33 388 106 919
+ 33 388 106 906
