Project description
Study could reveal how carnivore tooth shape and function gave rise to biodiversity
Carnivores rely heavily on their teeth for hunting and eating, offering a valuable window for understanding predator-prey relationships, dietary adaptations and ecological changes over time. Despite their importance, the evolution and efficiency of carnivoran teeth have not been sufficiently studied. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CARNIMORPH project will investigate how diet, evolution and biomechanics account for the diversity of carnivoran teeth. Using cutting-edge 3D geometric morphometrics, digitisation techniques and mechanical tests, the proposed study will analyse tooth shape with unprecedented precision. It will also develop new methods to simulate slicing and crushing as well as reveal trade-offs between these two critical functions.
Objective
The CARNIMORPH project aims to unravel the evolutionary and ecological dynamics shaping carnivoran craniodental diversity by investigating form-function relationships and modularity/integration. Teeth are crucial for acquiring and processing food, offering a valuable window into predator-prey interactions, dietary specializations, and ecological adaptability over time. Despite the significance of carnivoran teeth, no comprehensive ecomorphological study has yet been undertaken to quantify the modularity and functional efficiency of their diverse dental forms. To address this gap, CARNIMORPH will employ cutting-edge methodologies, including high-density 3D geometric morphometrics, advanced digitization techniques, and experimental mechanical testing, to study the biomechanical, dietary, and phylogenetic factors underlying the evolution of carnivoran dentition. By quantifying tooth shape with unprecedented accuracy, CARNIMORPH will disentangle the relative contributions of diet and phylogeny to tooth form, while also investigating ecomorphological convergence across extinct and extant species. Furthermore, a new protocol for conducting slicing and crushing simulations will be developed to assess the efficiency of carnivoran teeth and quantify the trade-offs between these two critical functions. The project will be hosted at UC Berkeley and Universidad de Málaga, leveraging state-of-the-art facilities and expertise in functional anatomy, evolution, and biomechanics. CARNIMORPH's findings will advance our understanding of the diversification and adaptive strategies of carnivorans across macroevolutionary timescales, contributing valuable insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that shaped current biodiversity. The outcomes will align with key priorities of the MSCA Work Programme by fostering innovative research, promoting international collaboration, and addressing important scientific questions on the intersection of evolution, ecology, and biomechanics.
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
- medical and health sciences basic medicine anatomy and morphology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences biological sciences biophysics
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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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-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
29016 MALAGA
Spain
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.