Cel Phenotypic plasticity plays a key role at the onset of the speciation process, facilitating diversification though the induction of novel phenotypes in response to distinct environments. Via genetic accommodation and genetic assimilation, this influence may extend throughout the speciation process and beyond, into subsequent speciation events. While the epigenetic regulation of gene expression that mediates phenotypic plasticity has been extensively studied in lab-based model organisms, very little is known about epigenetic variation in natural populations. This project will be the first epigenetic study explicitly focused on the speciation process. Using cutting-edge techniques, the applicant will characterize DNA methylation variation within and among the sympatric species of a recently discovered endemic cichlid fish radiation in Lake Massoko, Tanzania. Specifically the applicant will test: if 1) newly formed species differ in the distributions of epigenetic marks across the genome, 2) genomic variants linked to phenotypic divergence among species are in genomic regions unusually high in DNA methylation, as expected under a hypothesis of epigenetic differences preceding fixed nucleotide differences during adaptive divergence, 3) genomic regions diverging in patterns of methylation among incipient species are also exhibiting high levels of methylation in populations of Astatotilapia calliptera, the ancestral, colonizing species. The results of this pioneering project will provide the first empirical evidence of the importance of epigenetic variation during the emergence of new species. Dziedzina nauki natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural sciencesbiological sciencesevolutionary biologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsnucleotidesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsepigenetics Program(-y) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Temat(-y) MSCA-IF-2014-EF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) Zaproszenie do składania wniosków H2020-MSCA-IF-2014 Zobacz inne projekty w ramach tego zaproszenia System finansowania MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF Koordynator UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL Wkład UE netto € 183 454,80 Adres BEACON HOUSE QUEENS ROAD BS8 1QU Bristol Zjednoczone Królestwo Zobacz na mapie Region South West (England) Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area Bristol, City of Rodzaj działalności Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Linki Kontakt z organizacją Opens in new window Strona internetowa Opens in new window Uczestnictwo w unijnych programach w zakresie badań i innowacji Opens in new window sieć współpracy HORIZON Opens in new window Koszt całkowity € 183 454,80