Laurent Keller
Encyclopedia
Laurent Keller is a Swiss evolutionary biologist, myrmecologist, and author. Born and raised in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, he accomplished his studies in biology at the University of Lausanne
(Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees), after which he was a Research Associate at the Laboratory of Entomology of the University Paul-Sabatier (in Toulouse, France), a Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Lausanne, a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University
, and again a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the University of Lausanne. Subsequently, he was nominated Associate Professor of Ecology at the University of Lausanne in 1996, where he later became Head of the Institute of Ecology
(1998), and was then promoted to Full Professor of Evolutionary Ecology
and Head of the Department of Ecology and Evolution (in 2000), positions he has been holding since.
His research group is aiming to "understand the principles governing the evolution of animal societies and the ecological and evolutionary consequences of social life". (Group Keller at the University of Lausanne) Disciplines in which members of his research group are active include animal behaviour, ecology, evolutionary genetics, and genomics.
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
(Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees), after which he was a Research Associate at the Laboratory of Entomology of the University Paul-Sabatier (in Toulouse, France), a Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Lausanne, a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and again a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the University of Lausanne. Subsequently, he was nominated Associate Professor of Ecology at the University of Lausanne in 1996, where he later became Head of the Institute of Ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
(1998), and was then promoted to Full Professor of Evolutionary Ecology
Evolutionary ecology
Evolutionary ecology lies at the intersection of ecology and evolutionary biology. It approaches the study of ecology in a way that explicitly considers the evolutionary histories of species and the interactions between them. Conversely, it can be seen as an approach to the study of evolution that...
and Head of the Department of Ecology and Evolution (in 2000), positions he has been holding since.
Research
Laurent Keller has contributed to the study of the evolution of eusociality in ants with numerous scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, invited talks and seminars, and appearances in the media (press, radio, and television).His research group is aiming to "understand the principles governing the evolution of animal societies and the ecological and evolutionary consequences of social life". (Group Keller at the University of Lausanne) Disciplines in which members of his research group are active include animal behaviour, ecology, evolutionary genetics, and genomics.
Teaching
He currently teaches Evolution, Evolutionary Mechanisms (Advanced course) and Experimental Design at the School of Biology of the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne on a regular basis.Contributions
His contributions include over 180 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters in scientific textbooks, and three books such as:- Le Monde des Fourmis. 2006. L. Keller & E. Gordon, Odile Jacob, Paris, 303 pp.
- Levels of Selection in Evolution. 1999. L. Keller (ed.), Princeton University Press, Princeton, 318 pp.
- Queen Number and Sociality in Insects. 1993. L. Keller (ed.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, 439 pp.
See also
- MyrmecologyMyrmecologyMyrmecology is the scientific study of ants, a branch of entomology. Some early myrmecologists considered ant society as the ideal form of society and sought to find solutions to human problems by studying them. Ants continue to be a model of choice for the study of questions on the evolution of...
- EusocialityEusocialityEusociality is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification....
- Ants
- EntomologyEntomologyEntomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
- EvolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
- EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
External links
- Ant genomics base database developed by Keller group members in collaboration with Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
- Keller Research Group at the Department of Ecology and Evolution of the University of Lausanne.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne.
- School of Biology of the Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne.
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne.
- University of Lausanne, Switzerland.