Objective
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the top predator of the northern hemisphere polar regions and the human iconic symbol of the Arctic and climate change itself. Due to projections of accelerated global environmental changes leading to dramatic reductions in range size over the next 50–100 years, global warming is believed to be the most important long-term threat to the polar bear’s future survival. However, these current projections are based on short-term ecological, behavioural, and genetic studies, and no scientific studies exist that directly quantify the effect of climate-induced environmental changes on the species. This study will apply novel shotgun sequencing methods to build a genome-wide SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) library of the polar bear genome, initially using modern populations, and subsequently transferring these methods to subfossil samples. By projecting the temporal genetic data against precise estimates of past climatic events derived from Arctic ice and lake cores, we will be able to estimate the precise timing, duration, and effects of past demographic changes. By understanding the significance of how environmental perturbations affected the species in the past, the first informed predictions can be made of how polar bears, and ultimately other Arctic marine mammals, will respond to the ongoing global warming that is threatening their ecosystem. This study will generate the first population genomic dataset of its kind, using both ancient and modern samples. The refinement of current laboratory methods and the development of analytical methods during the statistical analysis of the data will significantly contribute to the fields of evolutionary genetics and ancient DNA. In addition, the study will make an important contribution to polar bear research by answering the fundamentally important question of how polar bears responded to past climate changes.
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 DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy cetology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics nucleotides
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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-IOF
See other projects for this call
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
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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.