GENomic Signatures Associated with Vertebrate Extinction Risk

Descrizione del progetto

La genetica della sopravvivenza

Cosa permette alle specie di sopravvivere nel tempo? I modelli che prevedono il rischio di estinzione tendono a trascurare importanti variabili genetiche e storiche che influenzano la sopravvivenza delle specie. Con il sostegno del programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto GENESAVER punta a colmare questa lacuna. Più precisamente, l’obiettivo è usare la genomica, l’ecologia e le informazioni storiche per fornire previsioni più accurate sul rischio di estinzione dei vertebrati. Analizzare i genomi, le caratteristiche ecologiche e gli eventi storici ci aiuterà a capire in che modo la storia demografica e la variabilità genetica delle specie influenzano il loro rischio di estinzione.

Obiettivo

Biodiversity faces unprecedented threats, yet current extinction risk assessments remain limited by insufficient integration of genomic, ecological, and historical data. This project will bridge this gap by revealing how genomic diversity and demographic histories shape extinction vulnerability across vertebrates, using advances in genomics and computational modelling.

Focusing on ~200 species spanning mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, the project will:

- Quantify variation in demographic histories among vertebrate groups and identify key ecological and life-history drivers;

- Assess how paleoclimate shifts, habitat fragmentation, and human impacts have influenced species’ population dynamics;

- Detect genomic signatures linked to endangered status and develop a predictive model for extinction risk.

The research will harness extensive public whole-genome data, ecological traits, and historical records, combined with unique data and resources from the host, a leader in vertebrate genomics and biodiversity modelling. By combining coalescent-based demographic inference with advanced statistical and machine-learning approaches, the project will generate new understanding of species’ evolutionary histories and extinction risk, clarifying links between genetic diversity, resilience, and conservation status across vertebrate lineages.

Beyond advancing scientific knowledge, the project will deliver tools to improve extinction risk assessments and guide conservation actions, supporting European biodiversity goals. Results will be shared through open-access papers, major conferences, conservation guidelines, and outreach via European biodiversity networks. Methodological robustness and ample resource availability ensure the project’s feasibility. The fellowship will also equip the researcher with advanced skills in bioinformatics, machine learning, and interdisciplinary science communication, reinforcing their capacity for impactful, independent research.