An important line of research of our laboratory is the study of heterochrony, especially alternative developmental pathways such as paedomorphosis and metamorphosis, in relation to the ecology, evolution and conservation of life cycles, and the transitions between aquatic and terrestrial environments. 

paedomorphosis

Newts and salamanders are particularly well known for their biphasic lifestyle, which is associated to metamorphosis, during which the aquatic immatures have their larval attributes, including gills, resorbed and transformed, thus becoming adapted to a terrestrial lifestyle. An alternative developmental pathway, paedomorphosis, however, leads to the possibility of reproduction without undertaking metamorphosis and thus imposing an aquatic life, with some exceptions. Paedomorphosis may be obligatory in certain families of caudates where the faculty of complete metamorphosis is suppressed. On the other hand, it is optional when, within the same species, both developmental options are expressed, in particular in adaptive response to environmental cues by phenotypic plasticity. The evolution of paedomorphosis, through a variable dissociation between sexual and somatic development, has thus led to an astonishing diversity of shapes and sizes between and within species.

Our work on paedomorphosis is multi-disciplinary, integrating different topics from different facets of ecology (behavioural, functional, trophic, developmental, molecular) with also contributions from the fields of morphology, physiology and genomics. Our research combines field and laboratory studies in different species and geographical regions, in Europe, North America and Asia.

Given the major decline of paedomorphic urodele populations in the face of environmental change, most of our work also has a conservation biology component. A central interest is given to the introduction of alien species, a major cause of the decline of these populations.

Reviews on paedomorphosis:

evolutionary ecology - model in developmental biology - identification

Research on paedomorphosis (classment by topics):

List of the publications of the laboratory on paedomorphosis:

Contribution to collective works (Parts of books)
La pédomorphose, un processus rare, fascinant et menacé chez le Triton alpestre
Denoël, Mathieu
2026 • In Fuento, N.; CEN PACA; Hadj-Bachir, O. et al. (Eds.) Atlas des amphibiens et reptiles de Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Article (Scientific journals)
The direct cost of amphibian metamorphosis: insights from body weight loss in facultative paedomorphs
Denoël, Mathieu ; Mathiron, Anthony; Baouch, Sarah et al.
2026 • In BMC Biology, 24, p. 105
Article (Scientific journals)
Olm sweet olm: unearthing nine species of Proteus hidden beneath the Dinaric Karst
Dufresnes, Christophe; Monod-Broca, Benjamin; Jelić, Dušan et al.
2026 • In Amphibia-Reptilia
Article (Scientific journals)
Insights from paedomorphic newts in introduced populations
Denoël, Mathieu
2025 • In NeoBiota, 99, p. 249-263
Article (Scientific journals)
Quantifying rarity of intraspecific diversity at multiple spatial scales by combining fine-grain citizen-based data across national boundaries
Denoël, Mathieu ; Schmidt, Benedikt; Fonters, Rémi et al.
2023 • In Biological Conservation, 280

updated on 7/8/25

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