Project description
Studying ruminant evolution through ear anatomy
Resolving the evolutionary relationships among ruminants – a remarkably diverse group including cows, deer and sheep – has long been hampered by rapid morphological change. The ear region, thought to evolve slowly, could shed light on this. How it evolves among closely related species, particularly in response to ecological pressures, remains poorly understood. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EARSHOT project aims to quantify ear region variation and evolutionary rates across island and mainland ruminants, including documenting the ear anatomy of an extinct island ruminant for the first time. By developing and applying advanced geometric morphometric methods, EARSHOT will test assumptions about mammalian evolution while setting new standards for its study.
Objective
Morphological data are crucial to resolving evolutionary relationships, but rapid evolution can overwrite this information. Because of this, the evolutionary relationships of ruminants (e.g. cows, sheep, and deer), one of the most diverse groups of mammals, are poorly understood. Ear region data may aid in resolving these relationships because it is thought to evolve slowly. Yet little is known about how this region evolves among closely related species, or how ecological factors influence its evolution. Data from a pilot study I conducted and from Hoplitomeryx, an extinct insular ruminant, highlight how little is known about the variation and evolutionary rates of the ear region, bringing current dogma into question. In EARSHOT, I will combine my knowledge of CT data and the ear with training in geometric morphometrics (GMM) and ruminants. This will enable me to quantify variation and evolutionary rates of the ear region using a dataset of island and mainland ruminants, answering whether ear region structures are truly all slow evolving with little variation. I will document the morphology of Hoplitomeryx, producing the first description of the ear region of an island endemic, and develop a novel GMM protocol for the petrosal, a major ear region structure. I will also develop a new GMM method to compare separate structures. My GMM protocols will set a new standard for quantifying and comparing variation, and my findings will be applicable to the study of mammal evolutionary relationships and variation and evolutionary rates across vertebrates. My research uses novel methods to test assumptions about evolution, and I will develop my GMM skills, add to my CT knowledge, and broaden my taxonomic expertise, enabling me to strengthen my research program. These skills, plus the teaching, mentorship, management, and science communication that I will learn, will provide me with the toolkit I need to become a tenured researcher and instructor at an academic institution.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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)
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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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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-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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2333 CR Leiden
Netherlands
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