Violaine Llaurens

Violaine Llaurens is an evolutionary biologist, currently directing a research team focused on the diversification of trait and species in natural communities. Her research projects combine mathematical modelling, behavioural ecology and molecular biology to investigate the genetic and ecological factors involved in diversification in the wild. She extensively worked on balancing selection regimes, explaining the emergence and persistence of polymorphism within populations, in various organisms, from plants to humans. She developed several research projects on the evolution of wing color patterns in butterflies, specifically investigating the interplay between the selective pressures and the genetic architecture underlying trait variations. She is currently tackling new research questions on the feedbacks between trait divergence and speciation in sympatric species.