Project description
Study explores what shapes avian colour patterns
Natural patterns in animals showcase incredible diversity in spatial arrangements across species. Despite this variety, certain trends persist within specific groups, posing a biological puzzle: what events shape these phenotypic landscapes? The ERC-funded PLUMAGE project will investigate the mechanisms behind avian colour patterns, exploring how these plumage designs form and evolve. The research proposes that despite their diversity, avian patterns are limited by early developmental constraints, with variations arising from colour changes in a common template. By surveying bird species, mapping embryonic colour domains and analysing genetic mechanisms, researchers aim to unravel the developmental processes influencing these patterns.
Objective
Most animals display striking patterns (i.e. spatial arrangement of characters in typical geometries). Natural patterns vary extensively, but also display trends within given taxa. A major biological challenge is to identify the pattern-forming events that shape this typical phenotypic landscape. Here, we propose to study the mechanisms responsible for the formation and evolution of the avian colour pattern (i.e. the spatial distribution of colour across the plumage). We test the provocative idea that despite enormous apparent diversity, variation in avian colour patterns is in fact very limited due to early developmental constraints, most variation resulting from colour choice changes in a common template. To test this hypothesis, we designed a step-wise approach organised in 4 specific research objectives: first, we will identify broadly shared and group-specific colour domains in the avian plumage by performing a quantitative survey across the entire bird phylogeny. Second, we will pinpoint the embryonic origin of these colour domains by constructing a lineage map of the developing skin. Third, we will identify positional cues controlling the establishment of embryonic blueprints of the future colour pattern by performing comparative expression analyses and functional tests in species displaying relevant pattern variation. Fourth, we will uncover changes in mechanisms through which embryonic blueprints implement the pattern in the late skin by pinpointing genetic loci co-evolving with pattern changes and testing their effect in an ex vivo system. In each objective, our methodology opportunistically uses non-model species of birds and robust functional testing performed in multiple species. Together, this proposal represents the largest comparative study of developmental processes undertaken in natural populations of birds. Results will provide a comprehensive understanding of the developmental mechanisms underlying trends and variation in natural patterns.
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 biological morphology comparative morphology
- engineering and technology materials engineering colors
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
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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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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2023-ADG
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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.
75794 PARIS
France
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.