Objective
Invasive species threaten ecosystems around the world. In fighting to protect local flora and fauna, scientists typically focus on research about preventative measures. However, cognitive functions that aid invaders in exploiting novel environments, such as spatial memory, mostly go unstudied. Spatial behaviors are of special interest to understanding how invasive species disperse, as movement and navigation affect the area that species can exploit and determine the range they ultimately occupy. To fill this gap, I will take an integrative approach that combines behavioral observations generated through cutting-edge biologging (use of wearable devices to record information about movement) with state-of-the-art lab-based characterizations of neural function and structure. I will study how invasion has affected the evolution of a well-known invasive amphibian in Australia, the cane toad (Rhinella marina). Specifically, I will: (a) investigate how navigation abilities differ between toads from the vanguard (invasion-front) as compared to those that have been longer established (invasion core) using translocation-homing experiments in the wild; (b) compare whole-brain activity between navigating, exploring, and dispersing toads to understand how brain regions support spatial cognition using whole-mount immunolabeling and 3D imaging; and (c) determine if selective pressures from invasion have caused shifts in brain structure by using microCT scans and isotropic fractionation to characterize regional volume and neuron density across toad populations. This project will be the first to investigate how selection has shaped cognitive traits that facilitate invasion, including neural substrates that underlie invasion success, leveraging the massive unplanned “natural experiment” created by cane toad invasion. In addition, this work will fill in a major blind spot in the understanding of vertebrate spatial cognition created by lack of knowledge of amphibian neural function.
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.
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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)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
1210 Wien
Austria
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.