Présentation
Current position :
MAIN ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS
Evolution of parthenogenesis in the ant Cataglyphis cursor
C. cursor is a very peculiar ant as the workers are able to produce both males and females by thelytokous parthenogenesis. This species is monogynous and we found that the queen is also able to reproduce by parthenogenesis but use it only for producing the new queens. The queen mates with several males and use sexual reproduction for producing workers. By using selectively asexual reproduction for the caste that is transmitting its genes and sexual reproduction for workers, the queen exploits the advantageous aspects of both modes of reproduction (Pearcy et al. 2004). She avoids the two-fold cost of sex in term of gene dilution during gene transmission (production of new queens) while maintaining the benefits of a genetically diverse workforce. However, we recently found some variation in the rate of parthenogenesis among population and colonies (Doums et al. 2013 JEB). One of the factors that could affect maintenance of sex is inbreeding depression and the genetic load associated to diploid male production linked to inbreeding (Doums et al. 2013 BES). We plan to investigate the importance of inbreeding depression and the variation in the rate of thelytoky among the range of species distribution.
Collaborators : T. Monnin A. Cronin, S. Aron
Mating strategies and sexual selection in C. cursor
In social hymenoptera (ants, wasp and bees), sexual selection is not considered as a strong selective force compared to kin selection that play a major role for understanding the evolution of social life. However, mating strategies can be of considerable importance when the queen mate with several males as male competition can also take place within the spermatheca between sperms but also between workers of different fathers within the colony. The PhD project that is currently undertaken by Florence Helft aim at investigating the potential for sexual selection in an peculiar ant species known for having both males and females mating many times close to the nest entrance. We showed that by aggressing males, workers affect the probability success of males in gaining access to the gynes. We are currently investigating the importance of this process under natural conditions.
Collaborators : T. Monnin
Phenotypic plasticity and morphological evolution
Studying the mechanisms that allow for the production, survival and selection of novel phenotypes is crucial to understand biodiversity and evolution. Phenotypic plasticity has recently been considered as a factor favouring the production of novel phenotypes after environmental changes. In polyphenic organisms, i.e. exhibiting phenotypic plasticity with discrete alternative forms (e.g. butterfly seasonal morphs), novel phenotypes can be generated by combining traits expressed in alternative phenotypes. The occurrence of such new phenotypes is often observed at very low frequency and their production can be increased after environmental changes. We are currently investigating whether environmental changes (temperature) and hormonal treatments affect the rate of production of intermediate morph between queens and workers (intercastes) and the morphology of workers and sexuals in order to assess the level of phenotypic plasticity in different populations in the ant Temnothorax nylanderi. We are also investigating the level of intercaste production and morphological variation among natural populations as well as the amount of genetic differentiation among populations.
Collaborators : M. Molet
Key-words
Evolutionary ecology, molecular ecology, reproductive strategies, life-history traits, morphology, phenotypic plasticity, ecological immunology, social conflicts, social insects.
List of publications before 2014
42. Doums C, Ruel C, Clémencet J, Fédérici P, Cournault L, Aron S. 2013. Fertile diploid males in the ant Cataglyphis cursor : a potential cost of thelytoky ? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 67, 1983-1993.
41.Doums C, Cronin AL, Fédérici P, Haussy C, Tirard C, Monnin T. 2013. Facultative use of thelytokous parthenogenesis for queen production in the polyandrous ant Cataglyphis cursor. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 26, 1431-1444.
40. Cronin AL, Molet M, Doums C, Monnin T, Peeters C. 2013. Recurrent evolution of dependent colony foundation across eusocial insects. Annual Review of Entomology, 58, 37-55.
39. Helft F, Tirard C, Doums C. 2012. The effects of division of labour on phenoloxidase based immunity in workers of the ant Cataglyphis cursor. Insectes sociaux, 59, 333-340.
38. Cronin AL, Fédérici P, Doums C, Monnin T. 2012. The influence of intraspecific competition on resource allocation during dependent colony foundation in a social insect. Oecologia, 168, 361-369.
37. Cronin A, Monnin T, Haussy C, Doums C. 2011. Opportunities for mate choice in the fission performing ant Cataglyphis cursor. Ecological Entomology, 36, 522-525.
36. Chéron B, Monnin T, Fédérici P, Doums C. 2011. Variation in patriline reproductive success during queen production in orphaned colonies of the thelytokous ant Cataglyphis cursor. Molecular Ecology, 20, 2011-2022.
35. Chéron B*, Cronin AL*, Doums C, Haussy C, Tirard C, Monnin T. 2011. Unequal resource allocation among colonies produced by fission in the ant Cataglyphis cursor. Ecology, 92, 1448-1458. * Co-premier auteur
34. Clémencet J, Cournault L, Odent A, Doums C. 2010. Worker thermal tolerance in the thermophilic ant Cataglyphis cursor. Insectes Sociaux, 57, 11-15.
33. Chéron B, Doums C, Fédérici P, Monnin T. 2009. Queen replacement in the monogynous ant Aphaenogaster senilis : supernumerary queen as life insurance. Animal Behaviour, 78, 1317-1325.
32. Monnin T, Cini A, Lecat V, Féderici P, Doums C. 2009. No actual conflict over colony inheritance despite high potential conflict in the social wasp Polistes dominulus. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 276, 1593-1601.
31. Galarza, JA, Boulay R, Cerdá X, Doums C, Federici P, Magalon H, Monnin T, Rico C. 2009. Development of single sequence repeat markers for the ant Aphaenogaster senilis and cross-species amplification in A.iberica, A.gibbosa, A.subterranea and Messor maroccanus. Conservation Genetics, 10, 519-521.
30. Bocher A, Doums C, Millot L, Tirard C. 2008. Reproductive conflicts affect labour and immune defence in the queenless ant Diacamma ‘nilgiri’. Evolution, 62, 123-134.
29. Clémencet J, Rome Q, Fédérici P, Doums C. 2008 Aggressions and size-related fecundity of queenless workers in the ant Cataglyphis cursor. Naturwissenschaften, 95, 85-175.
28. Bocher A, Tirard C, Doums C. 2007. Phenotypic plasticity of immune defence linked with foraging activity in the ant Cataglyphis velox. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20, 2228-2234.
27. Hora RR, Poteaux C, Doums C, Fresneau D, Fénéron R. 2007. Egg cannibalism in a facultative polygynous ant : conflict for reproduction or strategy to survive ? Ethology, 113, 909-916.
26. Clémencet J, Doums C. 2007. Habitat-related microgeographic variation of worker size and colony size in the ant Cataglyphis cursor. Oecologia, 152, 211-218.
25. Zinck L, Jaisson P, Hora RR, Denis D, Poteaux C, Doums C. 2007. The role of breeding system on ant ecological dominance : genetic analysis of Ectatomma tuberculatum. Behavioral Ecology, 18, 701-708.
24. André JB, Peeters C, Huet M, Doums C. 2006. Estimating the rate of gamergate turnover in the queenless ant Diacamma cyaneiventre using a maximum likelihood model. Insectes Sociaux, 53, 233-244.
23. Hora RR, Doums C, Poteaux C, Fénéron R, Valenzuela J, Heinze J, Fresneau F. 2005. Small queens in the ant Ectatomma tuberculatum : a new case of social parasitism. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 59, 285-292.
22. Clémencet J, Viginier B, Doums C. 2005. Hierarchical analysis of population genetic structure in the monogynous ant Cataglyphis cursor using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers. Molecular Ecology, 14, 3735-3744.
21. Pearcy M, Aron S, Doums C, Keller L. 2004. Conditional use of sex and parthenogenesis for worker and queen production in ants. Science, 306, 1780-1783.
20. Pearcy M, Clémencet J, Chameron S, Aron S, Doums C. 2004. Characterization of nuclear DNA microsatellite markers in the ant Cataglyphis cursor. Molecular Ecology Notes, 4, 642-644.
19. Viginier B, Peeters C, Brazier L, Doums C. 2004. Very low genetic variability in the Indian queenless ant Diacamma indicum. Molecular Ecology, 13, 2095-2100.
18. Baudry E, Peeters C, Brazier L, Veuille M, Doums C. 2003. Shift in the behaviours regulating monogyny is associated with high genetic differentiation in the queenless ant Diacamma ceylonense. Insectes Sociaux, 50, 390-397.
17. Doums C, Cabrera H, Peeters C. 2002. Population genetic structure and male-biased dispersal in the queenless ant Diacamma cyaneiventre. Molecular Ecology, 11, 2251-2264.
16. Doums C, Moret Y, Benelli E, Schmid-Hempel P. 2002. Senescence of immune defence in Bombus workers. Ecological Entomology, 27, 138-144.
15. Myskowiak JB, Doums C. 2002. Effects of refrigeration on the biometry and development of Protophormia terraenovae (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera : Calliphoridae) and its consequences in estimating post-mortem interval in forensic investigations. Forensic Science International, 125, 254-261.
14. André JB, Peeters C, Doums C. 2001. Serial polygyny and colony genetic structure in the monogynous queenless ant Diacamma cyaneiventre. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 50, 72-80.
13. Doums C, Schmid-Hempel P. 2000. Immunocompetence in workers of a social insect, Bombus terrestris L., in relation to foraging activity and parasitic infection. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 78, 1060-1066.
12. Doums C. 1999. Characterization of microsatellite loci in the queenless Ponerine ant Diacamma cyaneiventre. Molecular Ecology, 8, 1957-1959.
11. Olsson M, Pagel M, Shine R, Madsen T, Doums C, Gullberg A, Tegelström H. 1999. Sperm choice and sperm competition : Suggestions for field and laboratory studies. Oikos, 84, 172-175.
10. Doums C, Perdieu MA, Jarne P. 1998. Resource allocation and stressful conditions in the aphallic snail Bulinus truncatus. Ecology, 79, 720-733.
9. Doums C, Viard F, Jarne P. 1998. The evolution of phally polymorphism. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 64, 273-296.
8. Petrie M, Doums C, Moller AP. 1998. The degree of extra-pair paternity increases with genetic variability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 95, 9390-9395.
7. Doums C, Viard F, David P, Jarne P. 1997. Phally status and size in Niger populations of Bulinus truncatus (Gastropoda : Planorbidae). Journal of Molluscan Studies, 63, 111-115.
6. Viard F, Doums C, Jarne P. 1997. Selfing, sexual polymorphism and microsatellites in the hermaphroditic freshwater snail Bulinus truncatus. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B, 264, 39-44.
5. Doums C, Bremond P, Delay B, Jarne P. 1996. The genetical and environmental determination of phally polymorphism in the freshwater snail Bulinus truncatus. Genetics, 142, 217-225.
4. Doums C, Jarne P. 1996. The evolution of phally polymorphism in Bulinus truncatus (Gastropoda, Planorbidae) : The cost of male function analysed through life-history traits and sex allocation. Oecologia, 106, 464-469.
3. Doums C, Labbo R, Jarne P. 1996. Stability and genetic basis of variability of phally polymorphism in natural populations of the self-fertile freshwater snail Bulinus truncatus. Genetical Research, 68, 23-33.
2. Doums C, Viard F, Pernot AF, Delay B, Jarne P. 1996. Inbreeding depression, neutral polymorphism, and copulatory behavior in freshwater snails : A self-fertilization syndrome. Evolution, 50, 1908-1918.
1. Doums C, Delay B, Jarne P. 1994. A problem with the estimate of self-fertilization depression in the hermaphrodite freshwater snail Bulinus truncatus : The effect of grouping. Evolution, 48, 498-504.
