group leader
Thomas L.P. Couvreur (HDR, Directeur de Recherche 2)
Besides activities described on the homepage, I am active in taxonomical research in two wonderful plant families characteristic of tropical rain forests: Palms and Annonaceae. I undertake monographs and revisions of several little-known genera in both families. I also write floras for both families for different countries. I work in herbaria and undertake fieldwork for collecting plants in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. This last part is the basis of my research. Without taxonomy, the above research projects would be hampered. Finally, I use the internet and special tools available to disseminate and make this information available to everyone. I am also Chair of the Species Survival Commission - Palm Specialist Group of the IUCN.
post doctoral researchers
Laura leads the diversification part of the ERC GLOBAL project, reconstructing the Annonaceae phylogeny with Francis Nge. She will then apply different diversification methods to test a number of hypotheses about rain forests.
- Holzmeyer L, Hauenschild F, Muellner-Riehl AN (2023) Sunda–Sahul floristic exchange and pathways into the Southwest Pacific: New insights from wet tropical forest trees. Journal of Biogeography 50: 1257–1270.
Wei is in charge of the conservation side of the ERC GLOBAL project. He is studying the multidimensional conservation of global rain forest diversity, in particular, extinction risk and loss of evolutionary history within the pantropical family Annonaceae.
PhD students
co supervised with Dr. Mijoro Rakotoarinivo
University of Antananarivo, Madagascar 2022-2025
Erica is working on redlisting the Annonaceae of Madagascar. We generated a verified taxonomic database of the family for Madagascar. She will use different R packages (eg ConR) and bibliography to assess these species. She will also undertake the taxonomic revision of an Annonaceae genus in Madagascar. Her research is part of the ERC GLOBAL project.
co supervised by Roy Erkens, University of Maastricht
University of Montpellier, Montpellier 2022-2025Serafin works on the spatial evolution and diversifcation of Annonaceae at global scales within the ERC GLOBAL project. He investigates drivers of species evolution spatially, and what explains differences between continents, but alos at local scales. His research is part of the ERC GLOBAL project.
co supervised with Dr. Mijoro Rakotoarinivo
University of Antananarivo, Madagascar 2025 - 2028
Valérie works on the taxonomy and evolution of two endemic genera in Madagascar, Ambavia and Fenerivia. She undertakes taxonomic research focused on species delimitation and reconstructing the genera's evolution and biogeography. She will also undertake anatomical studies in both genera. Her research is part of the ERC GLOBAL project.
master students
co-supervised with Dr. Abubakar Bello
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua University, Nigeria 2023-2024
Ishaq works on the diversity and conservation of Annonaceae in Nigeria. He will compile a check list and distribution database, and undertake IUCN redlisting of the species.
engineers, international volunteers, other contracts
Project manager (based in Montpellier)
Sonia is the project manager of the ERC GLOBAL project. She helps with the management of the project at both the administration and financial levels.
Bioinformatics engineer, based in Montpellier.
Archimède works within the ERC GLOBAL project, 20203-2025.
Archimède works within the ERC GLOBAL project, 20203-2025. He is in charge of assisting and managing the scripts and databases that are generated within the GLOBAL project. He is also uploading our scripts to the team GitHub.past members
Dr. Paola Santacruz
Santacruz Endara PG, Lozinguez A, Valencia R, Queenborough SA, Endara M-J, Obando-Tello B, Couvreur TLP (2024) Discreet but diverse and specific: Determining plant-herbivore interactions across a species-rich plant family in a tropical rain forest . Biotropica: e13392. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13392
Dr. Carlos Rodrigues-Vaz; Botanical engineer (based in Paris, MNHN): 2020-2023
Dr. Suzanne Kamga Mogue (co-supervised by Prof. Bonaventure Sonké)
Mogue Kamga, S., Brokamp, G., Cosiaux, A., Awono, A., Fürniss, S., Barfod, A.S., Muafor, F.J., Le Gall, P., Sonké, B., Couvreur, T.L.P., 2020.
Use and Cultural Significance of Raphia Palms. Econ Bot.
Mogue Kamga, S., Sonké, B., Couvreur, T.L.P., 2019. Raphia vinifera (Arecaceae; Calamoideae): Misidentified for far too long. Biodiversity Data Journal 7, e37757.
Alix Lozinguez (VI IRD Quito, 2021-2023)
Lily Bennett; Université de Montpellier, France; 2023
Nicolas Zapata: Botanist (Based in Quito, Ecuador).
Andrea Fernandez: Botanist (Based in Quito, Ecuador).
Laureline Petit-Bagnard (co-supervised by Dr. Germinal Rouhan) University of Montpellier, Montpellier / Paris 2022
Vincent Soulé, IRD, 2021-2023
Dr. Mariano Kpatenon Joly (co-directed with Adeoti Adeola Zouri-Kifouli, Université de d'Abomey-Calavi, Bénin) and Estelle Jaligot (CIRAD, Montpellier).
Université de Abomey-Calavi & Université de Montpellier, 2018-2021
Kpatènon, M. J.; Salako, K. V.; Santoni, S.; Zekraoui, L.; Latreille, M.; Tollon-Cordet, C.; Mariac, C.; Jaligot, E.; Beulé, T.; Adéoti, K. Transferability, Development of Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers and Application to the Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of the African Fan Palm (Borassus Aethiopum Mart.) in Benin. BMC Genetics 2020, 21 (1), 145.
Dr. Léo Paul Dagallier, PhD, Universty of Montpellier, 2018-2021
Dagallier, L.-P.M.J., Janssens, S.B., Dauby, G., Blach-Overgaard, A., Mackinder, B.A., Droissart, V., Svenning, J.-C., Sosef, M.S.M., Stévart, T., Harris, D.J., Sonké, B., Wieringa, J.J., Hardy, O.J., Couvreur, T.L.P., 2020. Cradles and museums of generic plant diversity across tropical Africa. New Phytologist 225, 2196–2213.
Dagallier, L.-P. M. J.; Mbago, F. M.; Luke, W. R. Q.; Couvreur, T. L. P. Three New Species of Uvariodendron (Annonaceae) from Coastal East Africa in Kenya and Tanzania. PhytoKeys 2021, 174, 107–126.
Dr. Sebastían Pablo Escobar Vasquez, PhD, (Co supervised by Henrik Balslev, Rommel Montufar) Aarhus University, 2017-2020
Escobar, S., Pintaud, J.-C., Balslev, H., Bernal, R., Ramírez, M.M., Millán, B., & Montúfar, R. Genetic structuring in a Neotropical palm analyzed through an Andean orogenesis-scenario. Ecology and Evolution.
Escobar, S.; Helmstetter, A. J.; Jarvie, S.; Montúfar, R.; Balslev, H.; Couvreur, T. L. P. Pleistocene Climatic Fluctuations Promoted Alternative Evolutionary Histories in Phytelephas Aequatorialis, an Endemic Palm from Western Ecuador. Journal of Biogeography 2021.
Dr. Andrew Helmstetter, post doc on the AFRODYN project: PhD student (2014-2017).
Helmstetter, A. J.; Béthune, K.; Kamdem, N. G.; Sonké, B.; Couvreur, T. L. P. Individualistic Evolutionary Responses of Central African Rain Forest Plants to Pleistocene Climatic Fluctuations. PNAS 2020.
Helmstetter, A. J.; Amoussou, B. E. N.; Bethune, K.; Kamdem, N. G.; Kakaï, R. G.; Sonké, B.; Couvreur, T. L. P. Phylogenomic Approaches Reveal How Climate Shapes Patterns of Genetic Diversity in an African Rain Forest Tree Species. Molecular Ecology 2020, 29 (18), 3560–3573.
Dr. Jean Paul Ghogue, Université de Yaoundé I, Cameroon, 2012-2018 (co-supervised with Prof. Sonké)
Ghogue J.P., Sonké, B., Couvreur, T.L.P. 2017. Revision of the African genera Brieya and Piptostigma. Plant Ecology and Evolution. 217: 173-216
Dr. Brandet Junior Lissambou, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, Gabon (co-supervised by Christiane Ateké, Olivier Hardy and Bonaventure Sonké) 2014-2018
Lissambou B-J, Hardy OJ, Atteke C, Stévart T, Dauby G, Mbatchi B, Sonke B, Couvreur TLP (2018) Taxonomic revision of the African genus Greenwayodendron (Annonaceae). PhytoKeys 114: 55–93.
Lissambou B-J, Couvreur TLP, Atteke C, Stévart T, Piñeiro R, Dauby G, Monthe FK, Ikabanga DU, Sonké B, M’batchi B, Hardy OJ (2019) Species delimitation in the genus Greenwayodendron based on morphological and genetic markers reveals new species. TAXON 68: 442–454.
Dr. Marie Claire Veranso: PhD student (2014-2017).
University of Buea, Cameroon
Institute für Spezielle Botanik, University of Mainz, Germany
(I was one of the co-supervisors together with Dr. Gudrun Kadereit, Douglas Stone and Dr. Fongod).
Veranso–Libalah, M.-C., Douglas, R.S., Fongod, A.G.N., Couvreur, T.L.P., Kadereit, G. 2017.
Phylogeny and systematics of African Melastomateae (Melastomataceae). Taxon 6: 584-614
Alix Pugeaut: Master II student (2017). (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris)
Dr. Amira Azizan: Master I student (2016) (Université de Montpellier 2, Agro Paris Tech)
Dr. Gilles Dauby: Postdoctoral fellow of RAINBIO project (2014-2016)
Dauby G, et al. (2016) RAINBIO: a mega-database of tropical African vascular plants distributions.
PhytoKeys 74: 1-18.
Sosef M.S.M.*, Dauby G.*, et al. 2017. Exploring the floristic diversity of tropical Africa.
BMC Biology, 15, 1-15.
Dr. Adama Faye: Master II and then PhD student (2011-2015)
Université de Montpellier, IRD grant.
Faye, A., Pintaud, J.–C., Baker, W.J., Vigouroux, Y., Sonké, B. & Couvreur, T.L.P. 2016.
Phylogenetics and diversification history of African rattans (Calamoideae, Ancistrophyllinae).
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 182, 256–271
Faye, A., Pintaud, J.–C., Baker, W.J., Sonké, B. & Couvreur, T.L.P. 2014. A plastid phylogeny of the African rattans
(Ancistrophyllinae, Arecaceae). Systematic Botany 39: 1099–1107.
Faye, A., Deblauwe, V., Mariac, C., Richard, D., Sonké, B., Vigouroux, Y. & Couvreur, T.L.P. 2016.
Phylogeography of the genus Podococcus (Palmae/Arecaceae) in Central African rain forests:
climate stability predicts unique genetic diversity. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 105, 126–138
Scarcelli, N., Mariac, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Faye, A., Richard, D., Sabot, F., Berthouly‐Salazar, C. & Vigouroux, Y. 2016.
Intra‐individual polymorphism in chloroplasts from NGS data: where does it come from and how to handle it?
Molecular Ecology Resources 16: 434-445.
Dr. Vincent Deblauwe: Postdoctoral fellow (2014-2015)
IRD, Université de Yaoundé I
Deblauwe, V., Droissart, V., Bose, R., Sonké, B., Blach-Overgaard, A., Svenning, J.C., Wieringa, J.J., Ramesh, B.R.,
Stévart, T. & Couvreur, T.L.P. 2016. Remotely sensed temperature and precipitation data improve species distribution modelling in the tropics.
Global Ecology and Biogeography 25: 443-454.