Objective
The evolution of modern birds is still poorly understood. My recent phylogenetic results constitute the first step towards a new picture of the history of modern birds and demonstrate that the incorporation of key fossil taxa into phylogenetic analyses permits to elucidate hypotheses of relationship supported on the basis of extant taxa alone. Milner and colleagues recently investigated the brain anatomy of very ancient birds, using state-of-the-art high resolution X-ray computed tomographic (CT) analysis. These studies showed that: [1] Any reasonably complete and uncrushed fossil bird skull can be investigated with CT technology. [2] The application of CT techniques opens up a whole new set of characters for phylogenetic analysis of both fossils and extant birds. AVIAN EVOLUTION aims: [1] To use the state-of-the-art high resolution X-ray CT facility at the NHM (London) to obtain virtual endocranial casts of fossil and extant birds. [2] To use these to gain a better understanding of avian brain evolution across major avian clades, from the Cretaceous to the present. This will enable me to test the hypothesis that forebrain expansion provided modern birds with an advantage over archaic lineages at the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary. [3] To define new phylogenetic characters of the brain and endocranium to elucidate higher-level relationships of modern birds. [4] To provide a new, solid hypothesis for the early divergences of modern birds. This project will improve our knowledge of avian brain evolution and the diversification of birds through geological time, and will be a major contribution to the understanding of the history of life on earth. Additionally, this project will provide biologists with a solid working basis for better understanding how today’s avian biodiversity might respond to environmental change and global warming. This will ultimately have an impact on conservation biology in the European Area and around the World.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine anatomy and morphology
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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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
SW7 5BD London
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.