Team Animal Evolutionary Ecology laboratory -Simon Baeckens

Dr. Simon Baeckens is an Assistant Professor and head of the Animal Evolutionary Ecology laboratory. His research investigates how, and how fast, animals adapt to both natural and human-induced environmental change. The group’s work integrates behavioral, ecological, functional morphological, physiological, and phylogenetic perspectives, combining field-based experiments with comparative analyses. While the research spans a diversity of vertebrate taxa, lizards and snakes frequently serve as model organisms to address fundamental questions in ecology and evolution.

Animal Evolutionary Ecology Web Site

Simon Baeckens Publications

2025
- Article de journal
  
  Baeckens, Simon ; Donihue, Colin M.. Evolutionary consequences of extreme climate events. In: Current Biology, Vol. 35, no.17, p. R850-R864 (2025). doi:10.1016/j.cub.2025.07.046.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/304850
- Annear, Eleesha ; Van Linden, Lisa ; MacLaren, Jamie A ; Baeckens, Simon ; Broeckhoven, Chris ; Van Damme, Raoul. Intraspecific variation in osteoderm morphology in a cordylid lizard. In: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 205, no.4, p. zlaf184 (2025). doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf184.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/310636
- Baeckens, Simon ; Martín, José ; Zoran, Tadić ; Van den Camp, Emma ; Sacchi, Roberto ; Van Damme, Raoul ; Mangiacotti, Marco. Non-adaptive processes explain chemical signal divergence in island lizards. In: Oikos : a journal of ecology, Vol. 2025, no.e11743, p. 1-13 (2025). doi:10.1002/oik.11743.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306292
- Gavriilidi, Ioanna ; Baeckens, Simon ; Van Linden, Lisa ; Van Damme, Raoul. On the flick of the tongue: male island and mainland lizards' responses to self and conspecific chemical stimuli. In: Journal of Zoology, Vol. 327, no.2, p. 207-219 (2025). doi:10.1111/jzo.70046.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307330
- Zhang, Jindong ; Baeckens, Simon ; Van Damme, Raoul ; Wanieck, Kristina. Overlooked sources of inspiration in biomimetic research. In: Scientific Reports, Vol. 15, no.1, p. 25590 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-11703-6.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307329
- Baeckens, Simon ; Martín, José ; Pafilis, Panayiotis ; Herrel, Anthony ; Donihue, Colin M.. Temporal dynamics of scent mark composition in field‐experimental lizard populations. In: Functional Ecology (Online), Vol. 39, no. 1, p. 154-164 (2025). doi:10.1111/1365-2435.14687.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307331
2024
- Article de journal
  
  Bock, Dan G. ; Baeckens, Simon ; Kolbe, Jason J. ; Losos, Jonathan B.. When adaptation is slowed down: Genomic analysis of evolutionary stasis in thermal tolerance during biological invasion in a novel climate. In: Molecular Ecology, Vol. 33, no. 10, p. e17075 (2024). doi:10.1111/mec.17075.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307332
2023
- Article de journal
  
  Leitão, Henrique G ; Diedericks, Genevieve ; Broeckhoven, Chris ; Baeckens, Simon ; Svardal, Hannes. Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Cape Cliff Lizard Hemicordylus capensis. In: Genome Biology and Evolution, Vol. 15, no.2, p. 1-7 (2023). doi:10.1093/gbe/evad001.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307352
- Ashton, Benjamin J ; Baeckens, Simon. Digest: environmental variability as a constraint on cognitive evolution in lizards. In: Evolution : international journal of organic evolution, Vol. 77, no. 2, p. 625-626 (2023). doi:10.1093/evolut/qpac059.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307355
- Baeckens, Simon ; Meiri, Shai ; Shine, Richard. Foraging mode affects extinction risk of snakes and lizards, but in different ways. In: Conservation Letters, Vol. 16, no.5, p. 1-7 (2023). doi:10.1111/conl.12977.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307342
- Banfi, Federico ; Meiri, Shai ; Shine, Richard ; Van Damme, Raoul ; Baeckens, Simon. Foraging mode constrains the evolution of cephalic horns in lizards and snakes. In: Biology Letters, Vol. 19, no.11, p. 1-6 (2023). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0395.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307334
- Baeckens, Simon ; Losos, Jonathan B ; Irschick, Duncan J ; Kolbe, Jason J ; Bock, Dan G. Introduction history and hybridization determine the hydric balance of an invasive lizard facing a recent climate niche shift. In: Evolution : international journal of organic evolution, Vol. 77, no. 1, p. 123-137 (2023). doi:10.1093/evolut/qpac017.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307353
- Mangiacotti, Marco ; Baeckens, Simon ; Fumagalli, Marco ; Martín, J ; Scali, Salvatore ; Sacchi, Romain. Protein–lipid Association in Lizard Chemical Signals. In: Integrative organismal biology, Vol. 5, no.1, p. 1-15 (2023). doi:10.1093/iob/obad016.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307350
- Shine, Richard ; Baeckens, Simon. Rapidly evolved traits enable new conservation tools: perspectives from the cane toad invasion of Australia. In: Evolution : international journal of organic evolution, Vol. 77, no.8, p. 1744-1755 (2023). doi:10.1093/evolut/qpad102.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307343
- Mangiacotti, Marco ; Baeckens, Simon ; Fumagalli, Marco ; Martín, José ; Scali, Stefano ; Sacchi, Roberto. Sexual Selection and Proteinaceous Diversity in the Femoral Gland Secretions of Lacertid Lizards. In: Diversity, Vol. 15, no.6, p. 777 (2023). doi:10.3390/d15060777.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307354
- Lyons, Sean ; Baeckens, Simon ; Van Wassenbergh, Sam. Upper beak depression instead of elevation dominates cranial kinesis in woodpeckers. In: Biology Letters, Vol. 19, no.6, p. 1-5 (2023). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0148.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307347
2022
- Article de journal
  
  Gavriilidi, Ioanna ; De Meester, Gilles ; Van Damme, Raoul ; Baeckens, Simon. How to behave when marooned: the behavioural component of the island syndrome remains underexplored. In: Biology Letters, Vol. 18, no.4, p. 1-23 (2022). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2022.0030.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307360
- Goyens, Jana ; Baeckens, Simon ; Smith, Ewan St. John ; Pozzi, Jasmine ; Mason, Matthew J.. Parallel evolution of semicircular canal form and sensitivity in subterranean mammals. In: Journal of Comparative Physiology A : sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology, Vol. 208, no.5-6, p. 627-640 (2022). doi:10.1007/s00359-022-01578-7.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307359
- Gavriilidi, Ioanna ; Baeckens, Simon ; De Meester, Gilles ; Van Linden, Lisa ; Van Damme, Raoul. The gullible genius: fast learners fall for fake news. In: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Vol. 76, no. 1, p. 1-12 (2022). doi:10.1007/s00265-021-03122-0.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307362
2021
- Article de journal
  
  Bock, Dan G. ; Baeckens, Simon ; Pita-Aquino, Jessica N. ; Chejanovski, Zachary A. ; Michaelides, Sozos N. ; Muralidhar, Pavitra ; Lapiedra, Oriol ; Park, Sungdae ; Menke, Douglas B. ; Geneva, Anthony J. ; Losos, Jonathan B. ; Kolbe, Jason J.. Changes in selection pressure can facilitate hybridization during biological invasion in a Cuban lizard. In: Proceedings of the National academy of sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 118, no.42, p. 1-10 (2021). doi:10.1073/pnas.2108638118.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307367
- Baeckens, Simon ; Temmerman, Marie ; Gorb, Stanislav N. ; Neto, Chiara ; Whiting, Martin J. ; Van Damme, Raoul. Convergent evolution of skin surface microarchitecture and increased skin hydrophobicity in semi-aquatic anole lizards. In: The Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol. 224, no.19, p. 1-10 (2021). doi:10.1242/jeb.242939.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/307368
- Mangiacotti, Marco ; Baeckens, Simon ; Scali, Stefano ; Martín, José ; Van Damme, Raoul ; Sacchi, Roberto. Evolutionary and biogeographical support for species-specific proteins in lizard chemical signals. In: Biological journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 134, no.4, p. 912-928 (2021). doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blab131.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308377
- Baeckens, Simon ; Whiting, Martin J.. Investment in chemical signalling glands facilitates the evolution of sociality in lizards. In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, Vol. 288, no.1945, p. 20202438 (2021). doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.2438.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308379
- Martinez, Alejandro ; Nguyen, Damon ; Basson, Mandeep S. ; Medina, Josh ; Irschick, Duncan J. ; Baeckens, Simon. Quantifying surface topography of biological systems from 3D scans. In: Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 12, no.7, p. 1265-1276 (2021). doi:10.1111/2041-210x.13603.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308378
- De Meester, Gilles ; Baeckens, Simon. Reinstating reptiles: from clueless creatures to esteemed models of cognitive biology. In: Behaviour, Vol. 158, no.12-13, p. 1057-1076 (2021). doi:10.1163/1568539x-00003718.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308376
2020
- Article de journal
  
  Baeckens, Simon ; Goeyers, Charlotte ; Van Damme, Raoul. Convergent Evolution of Claw Shape in a Transcontinental Lizard Radiation. In: Integrative & Comparative Biology, Vol. 60, no. 1, p. 10-23 (2020). doi:10.1093/icb/icz151.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308368
- Donihue, Colin M. ; Kowaleski, Alex M. ; Losos, Jonathan B. ; Algar, Adam C. ; Baeckens, Simon ; Buchkowski, Robert W. ; Fabre, Anne-Claire ; Frank, Hannah K. ; Geneva, Anthony J. ; Reynolds, R. Graham ; Stroud, James T. ; Velasco, Julián A. ; Kolbe, Jason J. ; Mahler, D. Luke ; Herrel, Anthony. Hurricane effects on Neotropical lizards span geographic and phylogenetic scales. In: Proceedings of the National academy of sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 117, no.19, p. 10429-10434 (2020). doi:10.1073/pnas.2000801117.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308616
- Donihue, Colin M. ; Herrel, Anthony ; Martín, José ; Foufopoulos, Johannes ; Pafilis, Panayiotis ; Baeckens, Simon. Rapid and repeated divergence of animal chemical signals in an island introduction experiment. In: Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 89, no.6, p. 1458-1467 (2020). doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13205.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308365
- Baeckens, Simon ; Van Damme, Raoul. The island syndrome. In: Current Biology, Vol. 30, no.8, p. R338-R339 (2020). doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.029.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308623
- Brock, Kinsey M. ; Baeckens, Simon ; Donihue, Colin M. ; Martín, José ; Pafilis, Panayiotis ; Edwards, Danielle L.. Trait differences among discrete morphs of a color polymorphic lizard, Podarcis erhardii. In: PeerJ, Vol. 8, p. e10284 (2020). doi:10.7717/peerj.10284.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308369
2019
- Article de journal
  
  Van Wassenbergh, Sam ; Baeckens, Simon. Digest: Evolution of shape and leverage of bird beaks reflects feeding ecology, but not as strongly as expected*. In: Evolution, Vol. 73, no.3, p. 621-622 (2019). doi:10.1111/evo.13686.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306977
- Baeckens, Simon. Evolution of animal chemical communication: Insights from non-model species and phylogenetic comparative methods. In: Belgian Journal of Zoology, Vol. 149, p. 63-93 (2019). doi:10.26496/bjz.2019.31.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306978
- Vasilopoulou‐Kampitsi, Menelia ; Goyens, Jana ; Baeckens, Simon ; Van Damme, Raoul ; Aerts, Peter. Habitat use and vestibular system's dimensions in lacertid lizards. In: Journal of Anatomy : molecular, cellular and experimental morphology, Vol. 235, no.1, p. 1-14 (2019). doi:10.1111/joa.12993.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308612
- Baeckens, Simon ; Llusia, Diego ; García-Roa, Roberto ; Martín, José. Lizard calls convey honest information on body size and bite performance: a role in predator deterrence?. In: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Vol. 73, no.6, p. 1-11 (2019). doi:10.1007/s00265-019-2695-7.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308375
- Baeckens, Simon ; Wainwright, Dylan K. ; Weaver, James C. ; Irschick, Duncan J. ; Losos, Jonathan B.. Ontogenetic scaling patterns of lizard skin surface structure as revealed by gel‐based stereo‐profilometry. In: journal of Anatomy, Vol. 235, no.2, p. 346-356 (2019). doi:10.1111/joa.13003.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308374
- Baeckens, Simon ; De Meester, Wout ; Tadić, Zoran ; Van Damme, Raoul. Where to do number two: Lizards prefer to defecate on the largest rock in the territory. In: Behavioural Processes, Vol. 167, p. 103937 (2019). doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103937.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/308371
2018
- Article de journal
  
  Baeckens, Simon ; Martín, José ; García‐Roa, Roberto ; Pafilis, Panayiotis ; Huyghe, Katleen ; Van Damme, Raoul. Environmental conditions shape the chemical signal design of lizards. In: Functional Ecology (Online), Vol. 32, no. 2, p. 566-580 (2018). doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12984.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306972
- Baeckens, Simon ; Van Damme, Raoul. Immunocompetence and parasite infestation in a melanistic and normally-coloured population of the lacertid lizard, Podarcis siculus. In: Amphibia - Reptilia, Vol. 39, no.4, p. 471-478 (2018). doi:10.1163/15685381-20181008.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/310629
- Baeckens, Simon ; Driessens, Tess ; Huyghe, Katleen ; Vanhooydonck, Bieke ; Van Damme, Raoul. Intraspecific Variation in the Information Content of an Ornament: Why Relative Dewlap Size Signals Bite Force in Some, But Not All Island Populations of Anolis sagrei. In: Integrative & Comparative Biology, Vol. 58, no.1, p. 25-37 (2018). doi:10.1093/icb/icy012.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306976
- Baeckens, Simon ; Martín, José ; García-Roa, Roberto ; van Damme, Raoul. Sexual selection and the chemical signal design of lacertid lizards. In: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 183, no. 2, p. 445-457 (2018). doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx075.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306975
- Baeckens, Simon ; Driessens, Tess ; Van Damme, Raoul. The brown anole dewlap revisited: do predation pressure, sexual selection, and species recognition shape among-population signal diversity?. In: PeerJ, Vol. 6, p. e4722 (2018). doi:10.7717/peerj.4722.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306974
2017
- Article de journal
  
  Driessens, Tess ; Baeckens, Simon ; Balzarolo, Mamuela ; Vanhooydonck, Bieken ; Huyghe, Katleen ; Van Damme, Raoul. Climate-related environmental variation in a visual signalling device: the male and female dewlap in Anolis sagrei lizards. In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Vol. 30, no.10, p. 1846-1861signal diversity, throat fan (2017). doi:10.1111/jeb.13144.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306955
- Baeckens, Simon ; Herrel, Anthony ; Broeckhoven, Chris ; Vasilopoulou-Kampitsi, Menelia ; Huyghe, Katleen ; Goyens, Jana ; Van Damme, Raoul. Evolutionary morphology of the lizard chemosensory system. In: Scientific Reports, Vol. 7, no.1, p. 1-13 (2017). doi:10.1038/s41598-017-09415-7.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306958
- Baeckens, Simon ; García‐Roa, Roberto ; Martín, José ; Ortega, Jesus ; Huyghe, Katleen ; Van Damme, Raoul. Fossorial and durophagous: implications of molluscivory for head size and bite capacity in a burrowing worm lizard. In: Journal of Zoology, Vol. 301, no. 3, p. 193-205 (2017). doi:10.1111/jzo.12412.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306917
- Baeckens, Simon ; Van Damme, Raoul ; Cooper, William. E.. How phylogeny and foraging ecology drive the level of chemosensory exploration in lizards and snakes. In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Vol. 30, no.3, p. 627-640 (2017). doi:10.1111/jeb.13032.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306919
- García-Roa, Roberto ; Jara, Manuel ; Baeckens, Simon ; López, Pilar ; Van Damme, Raoul ; Martín, José ; Pincheira-Donoso,. Macroevolutionary diversification of glands for chemical communication in squamate reptiles. In: Scientific Reports, Vol. 7, no.1, p. 1-10 (2017). doi:10.1038/s41598-017-09083-7.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306956
- Baeckens, Simon. Reliable proxies for glandular secretion production in lacertid lizards. In: Acta Herpetologica, Vol. 12, no.2, p. 199-204 (2017). doi:10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-20841.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306968
- Baeckens, Simon ; García-Roa, Roberto ; Martín, José ; Van Damme, Raoul. The Role of Diet in Shaping the Chemical Signal Design of Lacertid Lizards. In: Journal of Chemical Ecology, Vol. 43, no.9, p. 902-910 (2017). doi:10.1007/s10886-017-0884-2.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306961
2016
- Article de journal
  
  Baeckens, Simon ; Huyghe, Katleen ; Palme, Rupert ; Van Damme, Raoul. Chemical communication in the lacertid lizard Podarcis muralis: the functional significance of testosterone. In: Acta Zoologica : international journal for zoology, Vol. 98, no.1, p. 94-103 (2016). doi:10.1111/azo.12160.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306914
- Baeckens, Simon ; Driessens, Tess ; Van Damme, Raoul. Intersexual chemo-sensation in a "visually-oriented" lizard, Anolis sagrei. In: Peer j, Vol. 4, p. e1874 (2016). doi:10.7717/peerj.1874.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306910
2015
- Article de journal
  
  Baeckens, Simon ; Edwards, Shelley ; Huyghe, Katleen ; Van Damme, Raoul. Chemical signalling in lizards: an interspecific comparison of femoral pore numbers in Lacertidae. In: Biological journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 114, no. 1, p. 44-57 (2015). doi:10.1111/bij.12414.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306909
- Mayerl, Christopher ; Baeckens, Simon ; Van Damme, Raoul. Evolution and role of the follicular epidermal gland system in non-ophidian squamates. In: Amphibia - Reptilia, Vol. 36, no.3, p. 185-206 (2015). doi:10.1163/15685381-00002995.
  
  http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/306908

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Team Animal Evolutionary Ecology laboratory -Simon Baeckens

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Simon Baeckens Publications