Objective
The spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) contains six groups (ecotypes) that exhibit striking differences in morphology, ecology, and mating system, but little genetic differentiation at neutral loci. This pattern raises questions regarding the evolutionary mechanisms which could allow dramatic phenotypic divergence in the presence of high or recent gene flow. A lack of correspondence between genotype and phenotype is generally attributed to “porous” genomic boundaries, in which neutral genetic loci move freely between phenotypic groups, but loci under selection do not. However, few studies have directly tested for the presence of porous genomic boundaries because techniques for identifying loci under selection have been expensive and time-consuming until only recently. We propose to use recently developed next-generation sequencing technologies to simultaneously identify and genotype thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the genome for five spinner dolphin ecotypes to test for the presence of porous genomic boundaries between ecotypes. Adaptive loci will be identified based on their behavior as statistical outliers compared to the majority of the genome, and the function of these loci will be evaluated through mapping onto available mammalian genomes. Both adaptive and neutral variation will be compared with variation in phenotype and ecology to evaluate the relationships between these factors. We expect this study to provide insight into the genetic and ecological factors driving the evolution of phenotypic differentiation in the spinner dolphin, and to aid in the conservation of this species by revealing adaptive genetic variation and environmental parameters that are influential to the health of the species. Finally, this project will promote long-term research collaborations between the U.K. the U.S. and several Pacific Island nations.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy cetology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics nucleotides
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
DH1 3LE DURHAM
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.