Objective
The sex ratio is a key factor in the evolution of male and female reproductive function. First, the serration determines the strength of selection that mate competition and mate choice impose on sexual characters, such as testes size, ejaculate size and the production of accessory gland peptides inhales or the rate of mating and egg production in females. Second, the sex ratio determines the effective size of the population under selection. Biased sex ratios lower the effective population size, thereby increasing the force of genetic drift and constraining adaptive evolution. The present project aims to investigate the evolution of male and female sexual characters under strongly female-biased sex ratios. Strong female bias occurs naturally in a number of systems through the action of selfish genetic elements. An experimental evolution approach using Drosophilamelanogaster will be employed to study change in reproductive characters associated with biased population sex ratio. Treatments manipulating the sex ratio while controlling either the numerical or the effective population size will be performed to disentangle the effect of selection imposed by the serration from the effect of effective population size in constraining adaptive evolution. The project proposed will provide genuine scientific advance by combining evolutionary biology, quantitative genetics and behavioural ecology in examining the design and function of different aspects of reproductive biology. Besides the direct scientific merits, the fellowship will allow to complete the applicant\'s training by providing experience with the Drosophilae system, one of the most important animal models in molecular and organism biology. Further, transactional mobility of the applicant to the host institution UCL will guarantee knowledge transfer and networking within the EU.
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 biochemistry biomolecules
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences behavioural ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences reproductive biology
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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.
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.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-5
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
LONDON
United Kingdom
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.