Universität Basel Phil.-Natw. Fakultät Zoologisches Institut - Evolutionary Biology The Kölliker Group

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Flore Mas

Ph.D. student in the group of Dr. Mathias Kölliker. Works on the evolution and regulation of maternal care using the common european earwig (Forficula auricularia) as model species.

Research interest

I am a behavioural ecologist, particularly interested in social behaviours. Living in a group with non-genetically identical individuals may lead to conflict of interets that need to be solved for the group to be evolutionary stable. Communication may be one mechanisms of conflict resolution.

Current research

My Ph.D. -project focuses on the regulation of maternal care in the common european earwig. Earwigs are social insects that display maternal care, which is the primary form of social interactions among closely related individuals. However, Trivers (1974) pointed out that there is a conflict between parents and offspring over parental investment and offspring are expected to demand more more than the parents should provide. Studying the mechanisms and regulation of parental provisioning and offspring demand will give us more insights about the resolution of conflict, and who manipulates whom? I will particularly focus my work on chemical communication and try to find out if offspring communicate their need by odors that may influence maternal care.

Previous research

For my Master’s thesis, I investigated the chemical signals involved in courtship for species recognition and mate selection in two sister species Drosophila yakuba & Drosophila santomea. I found one potential pheromone used for specific recognition. (see published article)

When I am not in the lab

I am hiking somewhere enjoying the beautiful views of the Swiss Alps. I am also keen on other sports such as tennis, swimming, roller-blading etc...and as soon as it gets warmer, jump in the Rhine! Meeting foreign people and learning new cultures makes my life-experience even richer.

Curriculum vitae

1999-2002	B.Sc. in Biology at Université Laval, Québec, Canada
2001 - 2002	One-year international exchange at SUNY Binghamton, USA
2002 - 2003	M.Sc. in Animal Behaviour, Université Paris-sud XI, (Orsay) France
2003 - 2006	Works in different NGOs in wildlife conservation in France and abroad (ecological monitoring of predators in South Africa; organization of the 6th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium; set-up an ecological project for lemur conservation in Madagascar)
2006 -	Ph.D. at University of Basel, supervisor Dr. Kölliker

Publications

• Mas, F., & Kölliker, M. in press. An offspring signal of quality affects the timing of future parental reproduction. Biology Letters.
• Mas, F., & Kölliker, M. in press. Differential effects of offspring condition-dependent signals on maternal care regulation in the European earwig. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
• Mas, F., Haynes, K.F. & Kölliker, M. 2009. A chemical signal of offspring quality affects maternal care in a social insect. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: published online. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0498 (pdf)

• Mas, F. & Kölliker, M. 2008. Maternal care and offspring begging in social insects: chemical signalling, hormonal regulation and evolution. Animal Behaviour: 76: 1121-1131. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.06.011 (pdf)

• Mas, F. & Jallon, J-M. 2005. Sexual isolation and cuticular hydrocarbon differences between Drosophila santomea and Drosophila yakuba. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 31 :11, 2747-52 (pdf)

Conferences

• Mas, F. & Koelliker, M. 2007. Regulation of maternal care by chemical communication in insects. Conference of the International Society of Chemical Ecology, Jena- 2007

• Mas, F. & Koelliker, M. 2008. Maternal care and offspring begging in the common earwig Forficula auricularia. 4th meeting in Ecology and Behaviour, Toulouse- 2008