Team Animal Evolutionary Ecology laboratory -Simon Baeckens
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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
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Article de journalZhang, J., Baeckens, S., Van Damme, R., & Wanieck, K. (2025). Overlooked sources of inspiration in biomimetic research. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 25590. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11703-6 (Original work published 2025)
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Annear, E., Van Linden, L., MacLaren, J. A., Baeckens, S., Broeckhoven, C., & Van Damme, R. (2025). Intraspecific variation in osteoderm morphology in a cordylid lizard. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 205(4), zlaf184. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf184 (Original work published 2025)
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Baeckens, S., Martín, J., Pafilis, P., Herrel, A., & Donihue, C. M. (2025). Temporal dynamics of scent mark composition in field‐experimental lizard populations. Functional Ecology (Online), 39(1), 154-164. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14687 (Original work published 2025)
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Baeckens, S., Martín, J., Zoran, T., Van den Camp, E., Sacchi, R., Van Damme, R., & Mangiacotti, M. (2025). Non-adaptive processes explain chemical signal divergence in island lizards. Oikos : a journal of ecology, 2025(e11743), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/oik.11743 (Original work published 2025)
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Baeckens, S., & Donihue, C. M. (2025). Evolutionary consequences of extreme climate events. Current Biology, 35(17), R850-R864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.07.046 (Original work published 2025)
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Gavriilidi, I., Baeckens, S., Van Linden, L., & Van Damme, R. (2025). On the flick of the tongue: male island and mainland lizards’ responses to self and conspecific chemical stimuli. Journal of Zoology, 327(2), 207-219. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.70046 (Original work published 2025)
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Article de journalBock, D. G., Baeckens, S., Kolbe, J. J., & Losos, J. B. (2024). When adaptation is slowed down: Genomic analysis of evolutionary stasis in thermal tolerance during biological invasion in a novel climate. Molecular Ecology, 33(10), e17075. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17075 (Original work published 2024)
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Article de journalAshton, B. J., & Baeckens, S. (2023). Digest: environmental variability as a constraint on cognitive evolution in lizards. Evolution : international journal of organic evolution, 77(2), 625-626. https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpac059 (Original work published 2023)
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Shine, R., & Baeckens, S. (2023). Rapidly evolved traits enable new conservation tools: perspectives from the cane toad invasion of Australia. Evolution : international journal of organic evolution, 77(8), 1744-1755. https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpad102 (Original work published 2023)
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Leitão, H. G., Diedericks, G., Broeckhoven, C., Baeckens, S., & Svardal, H. (2023). Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Cape Cliff Lizard Hemicordylus capensis. Genome Biology and Evolution, 15(2), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evad001 (Original work published 2023)
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Mangiacotti, M., Baeckens, S., Fumagalli, M., Martín, J., Scali, S., & Sacchi, R. (2023). Sexual Selection and Proteinaceous Diversity in the Femoral Gland Secretions of Lacertid Lizards. Diversity, 15(6), 777. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060777 (Original work published 2023)
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Lyons, S., Baeckens, S., & Van Wassenbergh, S. (2023). Upper beak depression instead of elevation dominates cranial kinesis in woodpeckers. Biology Letters, 19(6), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0148 (Original work published 2023)
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Baeckens, S., Meiri, S., & Shine, R. (2023). Foraging mode affects extinction risk of snakes and lizards, but in different ways. Conservation Letters, 16(5), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12977 (Original work published 2023)
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Banfi, F., Meiri, S., Shine, R., Van Damme, R., & Baeckens, S. (2023). Foraging mode constrains the evolution of cephalic horns in lizards and snakes. Biology Letters, 19(11), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0395 (Original work published 2023)
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Baeckens, S., Losos, J. B., Irschick, D. J., Kolbe, J. J., & Bock, D. G. (2023). Introduction history and hybridization determine the hydric balance of an invasive lizard facing a recent climate niche shift. Evolution : international journal of organic evolution, 77(1), 123-137. https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpac017 (Original work published 2023)
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Mangiacotti, M., Baeckens, S., Fumagalli, M., Martín, J., Scali, S., & Sacchi, R. (2023). Protein–lipid Association in Lizard Chemical Signals. Integrative organismal biology, 5(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obad016 (Original work published 2023)
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Article de journalGavriilidi, I., De Meester, G., Van Damme, R., & Baeckens, S. (2022). How to behave when marooned: the behavioural component of the island syndrome remains underexplored. Biology Letters, 18(4), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0030 (Original work published 2022)
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Gavriilidi, I., Baeckens, S., De Meester, G., Van Linden, L., & Van Damme, R. (2022). The gullible genius: fast learners fall for fake news. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 76(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-021-03122-0 (Original work published 2022)
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Goyens, J., Baeckens, S., Smith, E. St. J., Pozzi, J., & Mason, M. J. (2022). Parallel evolution of semicircular canal form and sensitivity in subterranean mammals. Journal of Comparative Physiology A : sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology, 208(5-6), 627-640. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-022-01578-7 (Original work published 2022)
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Article de journalMangiacotti, M., Baeckens, S., Scali, S., Martín, J., Van Damme, R., & Sacchi, R. (2021). Evolutionary and biogeographical support for species-specific proteins in lizard chemical signals. Biological journal of the Linnean Society, 134(4), 912-928. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blab131 (Original work published 2021)
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Baeckens, S., Temmerman, M., Gorb, S. N., Neto, C., Whiting, M. J., & Van Damme, R. (2021). Convergent evolution of skin surface microarchitecture and increased skin hydrophobicity in semi-aquatic anole lizards. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 224(19), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.242939 (Original work published 2021)
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Martinez, A., Nguyen, D., Basson, M. S., Medina, J., Irschick, D. J., & Baeckens, S. (2021). Quantifying surface topography of biological systems from 3D scans. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 12(7), 1265-1276. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210x.13603 (Original work published 2021)
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Baeckens, S., & Whiting, M. J. (2021). Investment in chemical signalling glands facilitates the evolution of sociality in lizards. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 288(1945), 20202438. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2438 (Original work published 2021)
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Bock, D. G., Baeckens, S., Pita-Aquino, J. N., Chejanovski, Z. A., Michaelides, S. N., Muralidhar, P., Lapiedra, O., Park, S., Menke, D. B., Geneva, A. J., Losos, J. B., & Kolbe, J. J. (2021). Changes in selection pressure can facilitate hybridization during biological invasion in a Cuban lizard. Proceedings of the National academy of sciences of the United States of America, 118(42), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2108638118 (Original work published 2021)
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De Meester, G., & Baeckens, S. (2021). Reinstating reptiles: from clueless creatures to esteemed models of cognitive biology. Behaviour : an international journal of behaviourial biology, 158(12-13), 1057-1076. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539x-00003718 (Original work published 2021)
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Article de journalBaeckens, S., Goeyers, C., & Van Damme, R. (2020). Convergent Evolution of Claw Shape in a Transcontinental Lizard Radiation. Integrative & Comparative Biology, 60(1), 10-23. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icz151 (Original work published 2020)
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Donihue, C. M., Kowaleski, A. M., Losos, J. B., Algar, A. C., Baeckens, S., Buchkowski, R. W., Fabre, A.-C., Frank, H. K., Geneva, A. J., Reynolds, R. G., Stroud, J. T., Velasco, J. A., Kolbe, J. J., Mahler, D. L., & Herrel, A. (2020). Hurricane effects on Neotropical lizards span geographic and phylogenetic scales. Proceedings of the National academy of sciences of the United States of America, 117(19), 10429-10434. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2000801117 (Original work published 2020)
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Donihue, C. M., Herrel, A., Martín, J., Foufopoulos, J., Pafilis, P., & Baeckens, S. (2020). Rapid and repeated divergence of animal chemical signals in an island introduction experiment. Journal of Animal Ecology, 89(6), 1458-1467. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13205 (Original work published 2020)
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Brock, K. M., Baeckens, S., Donihue, C. M., Martín, J., Pafilis, P., & Edwards, D. L. (2020). Trait differences among discrete morphs of a color polymorphic lizard, Podarcis erhardii. PeerJ, 8, e10284. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10284 (Original work published 2020)
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Baeckens, S., & Van Damme, R. (2020). The island syndrome. Current Biology, 30(8), R338-R339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.029 (Original work published 2020)
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Article de journalBaeckens, S. (2019). Evolution of animal chemical communication: Insights from non-model species and phylogenetic comparative methods. Belgian Journal of Zoology, 149, 63-93. https://doi.org/10.26496/bjz.2019.31 (Original work published 2019)
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Baeckens, S., De Meester, W., Tadić, Z., & Van Damme, R. (2019). Where to do number two: Lizards prefer to defecate on the largest rock in the territory. Behavioural Processes, 167, 103937. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103937 (Original work published 2019)
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Baeckens, S., Wainwright, D. K., Weaver, J. C., Irschick, D. J., & Losos, J. B. (2019). Ontogenetic scaling patterns of lizard skin surface structure as revealed by gel‐based stereo‐profilometry. journal of Anatomy, 235(2), 346-356. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13003 (Original work published 2019)
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Baeckens, S., Llusia, D., García-Roa, R., & Martín, J. (2019). Lizard calls convey honest information on body size and bite performance: a role in predator deterrence? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 73(6), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-019-2695-7 (Original work published 2019)
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Vasilopoulou‐Kampitsi, M., Goyens, J., Baeckens, S., Van Damme, R., & Aerts, P. (2019). Habitat use and vestibular system’s dimensions in lacertid lizards. Journal of Anatomy : molecular, cellular and experimental morphology, 235(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12993 (Original work published 2019)
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Van Wassenbergh, S., & Baeckens, S. (2019). Digest: Evolution of shape and leverage of bird beaks reflects feeding ecology, but not as strongly as expected*. Evolution, 73(3), 621-622. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13686 (Original work published 2019)
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Article de journalBaeckens, S., Martín, J., García‐Roa, R., Pafilis, P., Huyghe, K., & Van Damme, R. (2018). Environmental conditions shape the chemical signal design of lizards. Functional Ecology (Online), 32(2), 566-580. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12984 (Original work published 2018)
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Baeckens, S., & Van Damme, R. (2018). Immunocompetence and parasite infestation in a melanistic and normally-coloured population of the lacertid lizard, Podarcis siculus. Amphibia - Reptilia, 39(4), 471-478. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-20181008 (Original work published 2018)
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Baeckens, S., Driessens, T., & Van Damme, R. (2018). The brown anole dewlap revisited: do predation pressure, sexual selection, and species recognition shape among-population signal diversity? PeerJ, 6, e4722. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4722 (Original work published 2018)
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Baeckens, S., Driessens, T., Huyghe, K., Vanhooydonck, B., & Van Damme, R. (2018). 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. Integrative & Comparative Biology, 58(1), 25-37. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icy012 (Original work published 2018)
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Baeckens, S., Martín, J., García-Roa, R., & van Damme, R. (2018). Sexual selection and the chemical signal design of lacertid lizards. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 183(2), 445-457. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx075 (Original work published 2018)
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Article de journalBaeckens, S. (2017). Reliable proxies for glandular secretion production in lacertid lizards. Acta Herpetologica, 12(2), 199-204. https://doi.org/10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-20841 (Original work published 2017)
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García-Roa, R., Jara, M., Baeckens, S., López, P., Van Damme, R., Martín, J., & Pincheira-Donoso. (2017). Macroevolutionary diversification of glands for chemical communication in squamate reptiles. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09083-7 (Original work published 2017)
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Baeckens, S., García‐Roa, R., Martín, J., Ortega, J., Huyghe, K., & Van Damme, R. (2017). Fossorial and durophagous: implications of molluscivory for head size and bite capacity in a burrowing worm lizard. Journal of Zoology, 301(3), 193-205. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12412 (Original work published 2017)
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Baeckens, S., García-Roa, R., Martín, J., & Van Damme, R. (2017). The Role of Diet in Shaping the Chemical Signal Design of Lacertid Lizards. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 43(9), 902-910. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-017-0884-2 (Original work published 2017)
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Baeckens, S., Van Damme, R., & Cooper, William. E. (2017). How phylogeny and foraging ecology drive the level of chemosensory exploration in lizards and snakes. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 30(3), 627-640. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13032 (Original work published 2017)
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Driessens, T., Baeckens, S., Balzarolo, M., Vanhooydonck, B., Huyghe, K., & Van Damme, R. (2017). Climate-related environmental variation in a visual signalling device: the male and female dewlap in Anolis sagrei lizards. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 30(10), 1846-1861signal diversity. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13144 (Original work published 2017)
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Baeckens, S., Herrel, A., Broeckhoven, C., Vasilopoulou-Kampitsi, M., Huyghe, K., Goyens, J., & Van Damme, R. (2017). Evolutionary morphology of the lizard chemosensory system. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09415-7 (Original work published 2017)
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Article de journalBaeckens, S., Huyghe, K., Palme, R., & Van Damme, R. (2016). Chemical communication in the lacertid lizard Podarcis muralis: the functional significance of testosterone. Acta Zoologica : international journal for zoology, 98(1), 94-103. https://doi.org/10.1111/azo.12160 (Original work published 2016)
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Baeckens, S., Driessens, T., & Van Damme, R. (2016). Intersexual chemo-sensation in a “visually-oriented” lizard, Anolis sagrei. PeerJ, 4, e1874. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1874 (Original work published 2016)
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Article de journalMayerl, C., Baeckens, S., & Van Damme, R. (2015). Evolution and role of the follicular epidermal gland system in non-ophidian squamates. Amphibia - Reptilia, 36(3), 185-206. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-00002995 (Original work published 2015)
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Baeckens, S., Edwards, S., Huyghe, K., & Van Damme, R. (2015). Chemical signalling in lizards: an interspecific comparison of femoral pore numbers in Lacertidae. Biological journal of the Linnean Society, 114(1), 44-57. https://doi.org/10.1111/bij.12414 (Original work published 2015)
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