index

Research interests

Micro Evo-Devo and the determinism of phenotypic variation

I am interested in morphological evolution, and particularly the origin of phenotypic variation. Both genes and environment influence the value of phenotypic traits, mainly through development.

Developmental processes are known to modulate phenotypic effects of these sources of variation. Three such processes are usually considered: Canalization (genetic and environmental), developmental stability (usually estimated by fluctuating asymmetry), and phenotypic plasticity. The developmental mechanisms on which they are based are still mostly unknown. Their relationships remain also discussed.

I apply geometric morphometrics (landmarks-based and outline analysis) to diverse living and fossil models to investigate these questions, try to understand the effects of canalization, plasticity and stability on evolutionary rates and evolvability.

Latelly I've been involved in several projects coupling geometric morphometrics and quantitative genetics of insects' wings, particularly focusing on the effects of varrying developmental temperature. Drosophila wing emerges as the best model to investigate the link between the patterns of phenotypic variation (genetic, environmental, random) and molecular developmental processes.

Publications

In prep, submitted, in review
	Debat V. and Van Dooren, T. Robustness and evolutionary capacitance: on the diffusion between adaptation and constraint. (In prep) Zimmermann G., R. Cornette and V. Debat. Effects of current speed on cephalothorax shape in six populations of Macrobrachium australe (Crustacea, Palaemonidae) from Reunion Island (submitted to Journal of Crustacean Research) Klingenberg, C.P., V. Debat and D.A. Roff. Quantitative genetics of shape in cricket wings: developmental integration in a functional structure. (in review with Evolution)
Peer reviewed papers
	Debat, V. A. Debelle and I Dworkin. (2009) Plasticity, canalization and developmental stability of the Drosophila wing: joint effects of mutations and of developmental temperature Evolution 63-11: 2864–2876 PDF reprint Debat V., Cornette R., Korol A. B., Nevo E., Soulet D. and David J. R. (2008) Multidimensional Analysis of Drosophila wing variation in Evolution Canyon. Journal of Genetics 87, 407–419 PDF reprint Loh, R., J.R. David, V. Debat and B.C. Bitner-Mathé. (2008). Adaptation to different climates results in divergent phenotypic plasticity of wing size and shape in an invasive drosophilid. Journal of Genetics. 87, 209–217 PDF reprint Volobouev, V., J.C. Auffray, V. Debat, C. Denys, J.C. Gautun and M. Tranier. (2007) Species delimitation in the Acomys cahirinus - dimidiatus complex (Rodentia, Muridae) inferred from chromosomal and morphological analyses. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 91: 203-214 PDF reprint Debat, V., C. C. Milton, S. L. Rutherford, A. A. Hoffmann and C. P. Klingenberg (2006). Hsp90 and the quantitative variation of wing shape in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution. 60(12): 2529–2538 PDF reprint Breuker, C. J., V. Debat and C. P. Klingenberg (2006). Functional Evo devo. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 21 (9): 488-492 PDF reprint Pétavy,G., J.R. David, V. Debat, C. Pertoldi and B. Moreteau (2005). Phenotypic and genetic variability of sternopleural bristle number of Drosophila melanogaster under daily thermal stresses: developmental instability and antisymmetry. Evolutionary Ecology Research 8: 149-167. PDF reprint Bégin, M., D. A. Roff and V. Debat (2004). The effects of temperature and wing morphology on the quantitative genetic variation of morphological traits in the sand cricket. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 17: 1255-1267. PDF reprint Ayrinhac, A., V. Debat, P. Gibert, A.-G. Kister, H. Legout, B. Moreteau, R. Vergilino and J. R. David (2004). Cold tolerance in temperate and tropical populations of Drosophila melanogaster: respective roles of genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity. Functional Ecology 18: 700-706. PDF reprint Pétavy, G., J. R. David, V. Debat, P. Gibert and B. Moreteau. (2004) Specific effects of cycling stressful temperatures upon phenotypic and genetic variability of size traits in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolutionary Ecology Research 6: 873-890. PDF reprint Debat, V., M. Bégin, H. Legout and J. R. David. (2003) Allometric and non-allometric components of Drosophila wing shape respond differently to developmental temperature. Evolution 57(12): 2773-2784. PDF reprint Quilleveré, F., V. Debat and J. –C. Auffray (2002). Ontogenetic and evolutionary patterns of shape differentiation during the initial diversification of Paleocene Acarininids (Planktonic forminifera). Paleobiology 4 (28): 435-448. PDF reprint Debat, V. and J. R. David (2002). Analyzing phenotypic variation: when old-fashioned means up-to-date. Journal of Biosciences 27(3): 101-103. PDF reprint Debat, V. and P. David (2001) - Mapping phenotypes: canalization, plasticity and developmental stability. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 16(10): 555-561. PDF reprint Debat, V., P. Alibert, P. David, E. Paradis and J. –C. Auffray. (2000) - Independence between canalisation and developmental stability in the skull of the house mouse. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Biology. 267: 423-430. PDF reprint Auffray J. –C., V. Debat and P. Alibert. (1999) - Shape asymmetry and developmental stability. In On Growth and Form. Spatio temporal pattern formation in biology. M.A.J. Chaplain (ed). John Wiley & sons, Chiesester pp 309-324. PDF reprint
Other publications
	Alibert, P., Claude J., Debat, V., Garnier, S. and P. Neige. (2009) Les contraintes. In "Biologie Evolutive" Ed. Thomas, F., Raymond, M. & Lefebvre T., De Boeck. (in press) Debat V. (2006). L'environnement sculpteur de gènes. La Recherche. 398: 58-62. (commissioned wide audience paper, in french) PDF reprint Paradis E. and V. Debat, (2002). Taming variability: advances in the statistical analysis of complex data. (unpublished ms) PDF reprint

Teaching

Statistics
Morphometrics
Evolutionary biology

"Analyzing phenotypic variation : from micro to macro-evolution"
This is a one week teaching session focusing on the following themes (the pdf versions of the slideshows are downloadable and free of use)

Introduction PDF
The genetic bases of morphological variation PDF
Phenotypic plasticity: genetics and evolution PDF
Canalization, robustness and evolution PDF
Symmetry and asymmetry in biology PDF
Integration and modularity in evolutionary biology PDF

All slides in french!

This image was selected to be part of the exhibit Endless Forms: Engaging Evolution,
held at the University of Michigan, March 2006 (And I was pretty proud!!). You can use it if you like it...

Top