Project description
Limb morphology and habitat diversification in birds and dinosaurs
Birds are the sole surviving lineage in the dinosaur family tree. However, little is known about the dinosaur to bird transition – a key event in vertebrate evolution. The unparalleled Mesozoic Jehol and Yanliao fossil assemblages from China include the best-known Mesozoic birds and feathered non-avian dinosaurs, offering unprecedented data on their diversification. The EU-funded Dino-Bird Ecology project will use pioneering 3D imaging methods to visualise limb morphology in bird-like dinosaurs and early birds during the dinosaur-bird transition. Through geometric morphometrics and finite element analyses based on a broad 3D database of extant tetrapods, the project will constrain the liaison between the foot and hand morphology and habitat ecology.
Objective
Birds are the only extant dinosaurs and have achieved enormous diversity, spanning a wide range of ecologies including substantial variation in habitat use. However, ecological diversification in the earliest birds and their closest dinosaurian relatives is poorly characterised. This presents a fundamental knowledge gap regarding the dinosaur-bird transition – a major event in vertebrate evolution. The unparalleled Mesozoic Jehol and Yanliao fossil assemblages from China include most known Mesozoic birds and feathered non-avian dinosaurs, revealing unprecedented data on this remarkable transition. I will use cutting-edge 3D imaging methods to visualise the limb morphology in early birds and bird-like dinosaurs. We will quantitatively constrain the link between the foot/hand morphology and habit ecology using geometric morphometrics and finite element analyses based on a large 3D database of extant tetrapods. The results will be used to infer the habitat use (e.g. arboreal, terrestrial, aquatic) of important fossil species during the dinosaur-bird transition, with a focus on early birds and closely related dinosaurs. This will add considerably to understanding of palaeoecology during dinosaur-bird transition, and clarify contentious hypotheses of the origin of bird flight. Our findings will also provide a test of ecological explanations for the extinction of the enantiornithine birds, and the ultimate survival and success of Ornithuromorpha, which includes all extant birds. Hosted in a world-class palaeontology lab in Oxford and trained by a supervisor leading the quantitative macroevolutionary research, this proposal will bring cutting-edge 3D morphometrics and statistical comparative skills to the researcher, ensuring her a promising independent future career. The long-term connection between key institutes of UK and China built in this proposal will also benefit both countries in not only research profiles, but also in public engagement and education.
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 computer and information sciences databases
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences palaeontology biostratigraphy
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences palaeontology paleoecology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
OX1 2JD Oxford
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.