diff --git a/src/aevol_create.cpp b/src/aevol_create.cpp
index 622c43a288b828536e43a81e84da2860adc2fe8f..57608904b7319e1ba46cfe2ab949c169cffd9050 100644
--- a/src/aevol_create.cpp
+++ b/src/aevol_create.cpp
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ using namespace aevol;
 
 // Helper functions
 void print_help(char* prog_path);
-std::tuple<std::string, std::string> interpret_cmd_line_options(int argc, char* argv[]);
-std::list<std::string> read_sequence_file(const std::string& chromosome_file_name);
+auto interpret_cmd_line_options(int argc, char* argv[]) -> std::tuple<std::string, std::string>;
+auto read_sequence_file(const std::string& chromosome_file_name) -> std::list<std::string>;
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   const auto [param_file_name, chromosome_file_name] = interpret_cmd_line_options(argc, argv);
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ void print_help(char* prog_path) {
   printf("\tload chromosome from given text file instead of generating it\n");
 }
 
-std::tuple<std::string, std::string> interpret_cmd_line_options(int argc, char* argv[]) {
+auto interpret_cmd_line_options(int argc, char* argv[]) -> std::tuple<std::string, std::string> {
   // Command-line option variables
   std::string param_file_name;
   std::string chromosome_file_name;
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ auto read_sequence(std::ifstream& chromosome_file, const std::string& chromosome
   return chromosome;
 }
 
-std::list<std::string> read_sequence_file(const std::string& chromosome_file_name) {
+auto read_sequence_file(const std::string& chromosome_file_name) -> std::list<std::string> {
   assert(chromosome_file_name.length() != 0);
 
   std::list<std::string> chromosomes;