Objective
Sexual selection continues after mating up to the point of fertilization (post-mating sexual selection, PMSS) through intersexual selection (cryptic female choice, CFC) and intrasexual selection between ejaculates (sperm competition, SC). Although PMSS is ubiquitous in nature, the mechanisms and selective processes underlying both CFC and SC have remained largely enigmatic. CFC is often thought to be mediated by interactions between reproductive proteins of eggs and sperm that mediate the fusion of gametes at fertilization. However, only a few empirical studies have directly tested this prediction. Similarly, our understanding of intrasexual PMSS is equally poor, because we lack a general understanding of how selection operates on the multiple ejaculate traits that make up the ejaculate as single integrated unit. I will clarify these weakly known parts of the sexual selection in broadcast spawning marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Specifically, I will utilize the latest technological and methodological advances of proteomics and recently devised method for fluorescent staining of living spermatozoa. Together, these approaches will enable me to characterize and identify the proteome of male and female gametes and investigate whether egg-derived sperm chemoattractants have the capacity to bias competitive fertilization success (i.e. the outcome of CFC and SC). In addition, I will characterize patterns of multivariate selection on ejaculate traits when sperm compete to fertilize the eggs, thus addressing one of the key challenges remaining in sexual selection research. Proposed methodological approaches are rarely applied to evolutionary studies and have never been combined into PMSS research. I anticipate that this research will reveal previously unknown mechanisms of PMSS and thus may lead to groundbreaking findings that broaden our current understanding of sexual selection.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
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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-2013-IOF
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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
70211 KUOPIO
Finland
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.