Objective
A species response to environmental change is one of today’s most challenging issues for life scientists; it contributes to determine the extent to which human-induced environmental perturbations will affect human society. While theory is expected to play a key role in the understanding this complex and topical issue, current investigations are typically limited to the study of evolution of a single trait. This sharply contrasts with our usual understanding that a species response to environmental change is likely to involve many traits, where many genes pleiotropically affect several characters. Interestingly, the only brief attempt to investigate the effect of pleiotropy has demonstrated that adaptation of a single trait to a gradual environmental change can be substantially impeded by selection on a second pleiotropic trait. However, Waxman and Peck have shown that in a static environment, a qualitatively new phenomenon occurs when mutations pleiotropically affect not two, but three or more traits in an effectively infinite asexual population. When this holds, the genotypic distribution has a different equilibrium form to usual (where all genetic sequences are rare): a single optimal genetic sequence become predominant. Since the genotypic distribution is a key factor to adaptation, such a qualitative change will have significant impacts on the response of a population to a changing environment. In this proposal, we plan to theoretically investigate evolutionary adaptation to environmental change when the number of pleiotropic traits is larger than two. This first implies the need to generalize the theory of Waxman and Peck, in a static environment, by extending the analysis to: (i) finite populations, (ii) haploid sexual populations and (iii) diploid sexual populations. We will then be able to introduce environmental changes into this theory, in order to investigate how pleiotropy and drift combine to affect the adaptive response of a population to such changes.
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.
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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-2009-IEF
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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
BN1 9RH BRIGHTON
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.