Lascoux lab
Population and evolutionary genetics
Population geneticists spend most of their time doing one of two things: describing the genetic structure of populations or theorizing on the evolutionary forces acting on populations. On a good day, these two activities mesh and true insights emerge. (JH Gillespie, 1998)

Our group is carrying out both empirical and theoretical research. Our main interest is to try to infer the relative importance of the factors that have shaped the present-day genetic structure and variation of populations. Some specific aspects that have interested us lately is the extent of local adaptation at different level of biological integration (phenotype, transcriptome, genome and genes), and the evolution of polyploids. We currently work on different biological systems: the shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) and its relatives, Norway spruce and other spruce species and birches. Most of our theoretical work stems from questions encountered during the development of these and other empirical projects.
Ongoing research
- Capsella: Local adaptation, demographic history and polyploidy
- Spruces: Clinal Variation and local adaptation
- Birches: Hybridization, introgression and phylogeography of birch species
- Poplars: Adaptation to drought and evolution of Populus euphratica
Group members
Publications
Part of Molecular biology and evolution, 2026
- DOI for Estimating the Reduction in Genetic Diversity from Background Selection under Non-equilibrium Demography and Partial Selfing
- Download full text (pdf) of Estimating the Reduction in Genetic Diversity from Background Selection under Non-equilibrium Demography and Partial Selfing
Genomic consequences of residual recombination in a hybrid apomictic hickory complex
Part of Nature Communications, 2026
- DOI for Genomic consequences of residual recombination in a hybrid apomictic hickory complex
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Amino Acid Properties, Substitution Rates, and the Nearly Neutral Theory
Part of Genome Biology and Evolution, 2025
- DOI for Amino Acid Properties, Substitution Rates, and the Nearly Neutral Theory
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'Chimes of resilience': what makes forest trees genetically resilient?
Part of New Phytologist, p. 1934-1951, 2025
- DOI for 'Chimes of resilience': what makes forest trees genetically resilient?
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Complex Polyploids: Origins, Genomic Composition, and Role of Introgressed Alleles
Part of Systematic Biology, p. 392-418, 2024
- DOI for Complex Polyploids: Origins, Genomic Composition, and Role of Introgressed Alleles
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Resilience of genetic diversity in forest trees over the Quaternary
Part of Nature Communications, 2024
- DOI for Resilience of genetic diversity in forest trees over the Quaternary
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Part of Molecular Ecology, 2024
Part of Molecular Ecology, 2024
- DOI for Recurrent hybridization and gene flow shaped Norway and Siberian spruce evolutionary history over multiple glacial cycles
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Part of New Phytologist, p. 277-291, 2024
- DOI for The 'queen of the Andes' (Puya raimondii) is genetically fragile and fragmented: a consequence of long generation time and semelparity?
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Part of Evolution Letters, p. 550-560, 2024
- DOI for Dominance between self-incompatibility alleles determines the mating system of Capsella allopolyploids
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