Objective
Spermatogenesis is of fundamental importance to reproduction and fertility, yet several of its features remain enigmatic. Why, for example, do sperm display such extraordinary morphological diversity, when their basic function differs little from one species to another? And why are sperm produced in such large quantities, vastly exceeding the number of eggs produced by females? Sexual selection, the evolutionary force proposed by Charles Darwin 150 years ago, provides the most promising framework to answer these questions. We now recognize sexual selection can modify traits such as sperm morphology and sperm numbers whenever these enhance male fertilization success in competition with other males. However, there remain significant barriers to our understanding of how these traits evolve, because we know very little about either their genetic architecture or about how selection on sperm morphology or sperm numbers impacts on the machinery of spermatogenesis. To transform our understanding in these areas, we will use the highly amenable Macrostomum flatworms as a model to understand sperm evolution. First, we will conduct a quantitative genetic analysis in M. lignano of sperm morphology and numbers, plus a broad suite of additional male and female traits that are likely to affect sperm evolution. We will assess (a) genetic variation in and correlations between these traits and (b) the genetics of phenotypic plasticity in each trait. Second, we will apply immunocytochemical techniques to explore variation in the kinetics of spermatogenesis over both ecological and evolutionary timescales. We will test for (a) phenotypic plasticity; (b) genetic variation between inbred lines; and (c) divergence between related Macrostomum species with radically different sperm production requirements. Establishing how sexual selection shapes the complex machinery and products of spermatogenesis will provide widely applicable insights into the evolutionary biology of reproduction.
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 genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- social sciences sociology demography fertility
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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.
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.
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
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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.
Coordinator
4051 Basel
Switzerland
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.