Project description
A novel approach to the study of evolutionary adaptation in island settings
Remote islands are used for the study of evolutionary processes due to their simplified ecosystems and high levels of endemic species with specific trait variations. Island species experience changes in sociality, competition and predation, all of which influence ornamental traits. Most research on the evolution of signals in birds has focused on male ornaments, neglecting to ask why and how these traits evolve in females. The EU-funded EvoColorIsla project will address this knowledge gap by studying the social and ecological factors associated with changes in female and male ornamentation following island colonisation. Researchers will determine how female and male ornamentation obtain predator and competitor responses in both island and mainland settings, using museum data and detailed field experiments.
Objective
What drives the evolution of female ornamentation? Explaining the evolution of signals found in nature has been a persistent challenge for biologists, but studies have focused mostly on male ornaments, neglecting the question of why and how these traits evolve in females. Oceanic islands around the world provide a “natural laboratory” setting to test evolutionary processes due to their simplified ecosystems, and high levels of endemic species with variation in some specific traits. In particular, island species experience changes in sociality, competition, and predation, all of which are known to influence ornamental traits.
I propose to combine comparative analyses, based on museum data, and detailed experimental investigation in the field, using 3-D printed models, to examine how female (and male) ornaments have evolved in island birds worldwide, while accounting for ancestral mainland attributes. Specifically, I will investigate a) the social and ecological factors associated with changes in female and male ornamentation following island colonisation, and b) test experimentally how female and male ornamentation elicit predator and competitor responses on both island and mainland settings.
The proposed project will thus have three key outcomes. First, it will determine how the transitions towards increased or decreased ornamentation in both sexes are influenced by changes in social, life-history and environmental factors. This will address the current disparity in our knowledge of elaborate signals in females vs. males and provide a comprehensive understanding of the processes that promote the diversity of sexual phenotypes. Second, the project will advance our understanding of the factors shaping the patterns of phenotypic change in island species. Finally, it will provide the first experimentally test of two central tenets of island ecology, such as lower predation and social competition pressure on islands compared to mainland.
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 ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
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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.4. - SPREADING EXCELLENCE AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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-WF-2018-2020
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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.
4485-661 VAIRAO, VILA DO CONDE
Portugal
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.