About Us
The Team
Prof. Dr. Anne-Claire Fabre
Principal Investigator and curator of mammals
My research is driven by a passion for understanding the incredible diversity of life. To do this, I quantify animal morphology and explore how it links to function and ecology. Through this approach, I aim to gain insights into the evolutionary history of life on Earth.
Dr. Olivia Plateau
SNF Postdoctoral Fellow
I am an evolutionary biologist fascinated by the incredible diversity of birds, the only surviving lineage of theropod dinosaurs. My research focuses on the shape and function of their palatal bones, to explore how skull morphology relates to feeding strategies and ecological roles.
Dr. Fabio Alfieri
SNF Postdoctoral Fellow
I am an evolutionary biologist focusing in vertebrate phenotypic evolution and functional morphology. I am currently studying bird wing bone structure evolution for his postdoc project financed by a SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowship.
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Dr. Vivien Louppe
ERC Postdoctoral Researcher
I’m an evolutionary biologist with a strong interest in vertebrate ecology and evolution. In my current research, I’m investigating the role of life cycle strategies in shaping morphological and species diversification in salamanders and newts.
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Morgane Fournier
ERC PhD Student
My research focuses on uncovering the factors that shape the morphology and function of bones in living animals, aiming to provide insights into reconstructing the ecology of extinct species. I am particularly interested in understanding the drivers behind the evolution of morphological diversity.
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morgane.fournier(at)students.unibe.ch
Isabelle Toussaint-Lardé
ERC PhD Student
I am an evolutionary biologist keen on animal behavior, especially in herpetology. In my current research, I’m investigating the role of life cycle diversity on morphological, functional and behavioral variation of the head system in salamanders and newts at different ontogenetic stage.
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isabelle.toussaint(at)students.unibe.ch
Anais Duhamel
PhD candidate
Anais is a PhD student based at the University Claude Bernard in Lyon under the supervision of Antoine Louchard and co-supervised by Julien Clavel. She is studying the impact of migration on bone morphology in birds.
anais.duhamel(at)ens-lyon.fr
Victor L. N. Araújo
PhD candidate
visiting researcher
I am conducting research on the genus Atelopus to understand how their morphological traits vary across an elevational gradient. This work involves investigating the correlation between those traits and the environmental factors present at various elevations. I aim to uncover the evolution of size and shape, providing insights into their evolutionary history
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victor.nascimentodearaujo(at)students.unibe.ch
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Clara Pierson
Master student
I completed my bachelor’s degree at the University of Lausanne and I am currently pursuing my master’s at the University of Bern. I am working under the supervision of Morgane Fournier and Anne-Claire Fabre.
For my master’s thesis, I’m focusing on unraveling the environmental influences on the morphological evolution of European salamander and newt populations. I’m excited to contribute to this interdisciplinary project and explore how ecological factors shape morphological diversity in these fascinating amphibians.
clara.pierson(at)students.unibe.ch
Kristina Heiniger
Bachelor student
I am a Bachelor's student and I am currently working on my Bachelor's thesis at the Natural History Museum of Bern, focusing on prehistoric dog skulls found in peat bogs. My aim is to match the skulls of the so-called "Torfhund" with modern dog breeds using geometric morphometric analyses.
kristina.heiniger(at)students.unibe.ch