Mathilde Barthe
Research interests ~ I am fascinated by the property of genomes to be the substrate of biodiversity. I aspire to contribute improving our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms that drive the emergence and maintenance of this diversity. In particular, I am interested in exploring how demographic processes influence adaptive potential, gene flow permeability, and population speciation to better understand the evolution and vulnerability of species with small population sizes.
Ongoing project ~ During my PhD (funded by the LabEx CEBA, Center of Study of Amazonian Biodiversity) and first postdoctoral work, I investigated an emblematic clade of Neotropical placental mammals: xenarthrans (sloths, anteaters, and armadillos). By valorizing museum specimens, I reconstructed complete genomes for more than one hundred individuals. This large-scale genomic effort allowed me to resolve longstanding taxonomic uncertainties and clarify species boundaries within several species complexes. We even revealed the existence of a new species of armadillo in French Guiana, the first to be described in 35 years! Beyond taxonomy, I reconstructed their evolutionary history and investigated phylogenetic discordances shaped by gene flow and incomplete lineage sorting.
Upcoming project ~ Starting in September 2026, I will begin a Wenner-Gren–funded postdoctoral project focusing on arboreal South American mammals (primates, rodents, sloths etc.). Using non-invasive genomic sampling, I will reconstruct demographic history and assess population health (genetic diversity, inbreeding, etc.) in canopy species that are notoriously difficult to study.
Expertise ~ My work bridges population- and interspecific-levels to study evolutionary processes across scales. By combining genomic data generation with advanced bioinformatic analyses, I have developed strong expertise in molecular biology across diverse DNA types (from highly degraded to high-molecular-weight DNA) as well as in speciation genomics, species delimitation, evolutionary genomics, phylogenetics, and Neotropical biogeography. This allows me to address evolutionary questions from population genetics to macroevolution.
