Joël MEUNIER

Host Laboratory: Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI), University of Tours / CNRS, France

Supervisor: Joël Meunier, CNRS Research Director

Duration: 6 months, starting January or February 2027 (paid internship). 

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Context and Objectives

Family life is ubiquitous in nature. Yet, the processes by which it evolved from a solitary state remain surprisingly poorly understood. For decades, the origin of family life has been studied primarily through the lens of parental care, with a strong focus on birds and mammals, where care for offspring is essential. This approach has reinforced the idea that family life evolved mainly to improve juvenile survival, thereby providing indirect benefits to parents. However, recent work suggests that family life may have also emerged through alternative pathways, including parental strategies aimed at exploiting the social benefits of group living for juveniles. This internship aims to explore this new hypothesis using the European earwig (Dermaptera) as a model organism. In this insect, mothers live in groups with their juveniles, but this family life is facultative, making it an ideal model for studying the factors responsible for the early evolution of sociality.

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References:

1. Kramer, J. & Meunier, J. The other facets of family life and their role in the evolution of animal sociality. Biological Reviews 94, 199–215 (2019).

2. Meunier, J. The biology and social life of earwigs (Dermaptera). Annu. Rev. Entomol. 69, 259–276 (2024).

3. Honorio, R. et al. The European earwig: a model species for studying the (early) evolution of social life. Insect. Soc. 72, 177–192 (2025).

 

Methods and Expected Outcomes

During the internship, the student will design behavioral experiments to better understand the nature of interactions between mothers and juveniles and to determine the costs and benefits of these interactions for each partner. Depending on their interests, they may explore various aspects, such as exposure to pathogens or parasites, variation in food resources, or other relevant ecological factors. The internship will involve (1) setting up experiments under controlled conditions, (2) Video recording and behavioral analysis using specialized software, (3) handling and rearing insects. The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, communicative, hardworking, rigorous, and well-organized, with a background in evolutionary biology. An interest in behavioral ecology and/or entomology is a plus.

 

Application Process

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Joël Meunier (joel.meunier@univ-tours.fr) as soon as possible. Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file, including:

• A CV,

• A cover letter explaining what the candidate wishes to develop during the internship,

• The desired start date,

• A copy of the M1 transcript (or BSc transcript),

• Contact details for at least one referee.

 

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Application Deadline: October 1, 2026