Objective
Toothed whales (Odontoceti) are a spectacular example of evolutionary adaptation, highly specialised apex predators and a key component of modern ocean ecosystems. The key innovation that has facilitated their evolutionary success is echolocation. Research into odontocete hearing has so far been biased towards physiological experiments and auditory pathway identification; quantitative studies on the cochlea are lacking, despite its critical role in audition. I will fill this gap in knowledge of the cochlea in cetaceans by: (1) quantifying differences in the morphology of odontocete cochlea through the application of cutting-edge scanning, visualisation and quantitative analytical techniques (e.g. 3D geometric morphometrics) to gather in depth data of all features of a fully representative range of odontocete cochlea; (2) testing through statistical analysis whether these differences correlate with, or are driven by, factors such as diet, behaviour or auditory sensitivity; (3) incorporating fossil taxa to pinpoint the timing of the evolution of echolocation; and (4) identifying convergent evolution of specialised high frequency hearing in river dolphins using novel methods for testing and quantifying morphological convergence. This project will create the most comprehensive data set of odontocete inner ear models ever compiled and will mark a major advance in the understanding of cetacean sensory evolution, providing profound insights into how this enigmatic group of marine mammals came to dominate the oceans - making sense of a sixth sense. The data gathered will be made openly available to other researchers.
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 zoology mammalogy cetology
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2016
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
SW7 5BD 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.