Evolution of sexual dimorphisms: all about losing not choosing?

Información del proyecto

YnotSing

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 703999

DOI

10.3030/703999

Proyecto finalizado el 20 Abril 2017

Fecha de la firma de la CE 24 Febrero 2016

Fecha de inicio 1 Septiembre 2016

Fecha de finalización 31 Agosto 2018

Financiado con arreglo a

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Coste total

€ 165 598,80

Aportación de la UE

€ 165 598,80

Coordinado por

UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN
Netherlands

Objetivo

Males and females often differ dramatically in phenotype, with one sex exhibiting elaborate ornaments absent in the other. Darwin suggested such dimorphism evolves through sexual selection on males to attract females and repel rival males. Ever since, this framework served to explain why males are showy and females drab. Song in songbirds was a classic example (males sing and females are silent) until our recent research showed that female song is phylogenetically widespread and probably ancestral. Thus, current sex differences in song must have at least partly resulted from females evolving away from males by losing song. Therefore, the key question is not what has led to elaboration in males, but rather, what is responsible for losses in females. I will engage a network of experts from three EU institutions and the general public to participate in addressing this new, pertinent question of trait loss in a large-scale phylogenetic analysis across songbirds. I will focus on three goals important to progress in this field: (1) develop an urgently needed single quantitative score to compare song structure among species, (2) determine how gains and losses of song structure in each sex contribute to overall dimorphism, (3) compare dimorphism to a broad range of ecological and natural history correlates. From the host and partners, I will receive expert training through research in animal communication, bioacoustics, and character evolution, including advanced sound analysis tools during a Secondment and leadership training through a major citizen science project with xeno-canto, the world’s largest bird song database. This inclusive mentorship and training will equip me with diversified and advanced skills to contribute to this important research question and embark on my career goals of leading an independent, integrated research programme in behavioural ecology and evolution.

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

• ciencias naturales › informática y ciencias de la información › base de datos
• ciencias naturales › ciencias biológicas › biología evolutiva
• ciencias naturales › ciencias físicas › astronomía › ciencias planetarias › planetas
• ciencias naturales › ciencias biológicas › ecología › ecosistemas
• ciencias naturales › ciencias biológicas › ciencias biológicas del comportamiento › ecología del comportamiento

Palabras clave

• Selection pressures
• trait loss
• elaborate trait evolution
• bird song
• female ornamentation

Programa(s)

• H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions PROGRAMA PRINCIPAL
  
• H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
  

Tema(s)

• MSCA-IF-2015-EF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF)
  

Régimen de financiación

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

Convocatoria de propuestas

H2020-MSCA-IF-2015

Coordinador

UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN

• Aportación neta de la UEn: € 165 598,80
• Dirección: RAPENBURG 70 ; 2311 EZ Leiden ; Países Bajos
• Tipo de actividad: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Coste total: € 165 598,80