Evolutionary diversification across scales

Project Information

DISC

Grant agreement ID: 785799

DOI

10.3030/785799

Project closed

EC signature date 23 April 2018

Start date 3 December 2018

End date 2 December 2021

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 245 719,80

EU contribution

€ 245 719,80

Coordinated by

KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DISC (Evolutionary diversification across scales)

Reporting period: 2020-12-03 to 2021-12-02

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The project investigates the dynamics of species diversity. Number of species has been argued to accumulate across regions and taxa at constant, accelerating or decelerating rates, or even to stay largely equilibrial. Consequently, diversity dynamics remain controversial. The project evaluates the dynamics by combining genetic, geographic, and trait-based analyses across taxa (with focus on tetrapod vertebrates). The results have revealed that diversity dynamics change systematically across regions, taxa, geographic, temporal and phylogenetic scales. For example, regions with low diversity accumulate new species fast, contrary to the common assumption that fast accumulations of species in the tropics generates high tropical diversity. My project instead shows that the new species today accumulate fast at the species-poor high latitudes (Europe, North America). The knowledge of diversity dynamics across regions, taxa and scales will be key to resolve the ongoing controversy. Once we understand these dynamics, we might better identify regions and taxa that deserve heightened conservation efforts. Knowing the underlying principles of diversity dynamics, we can also predict how species diversity will respond to the ongoing global changes.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the three years of the project, I conducted research at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Copenhagen (UCPH). This research has produced three publications in international journals concerned with species diversity and its dynamics. These publications investigated co-speciation dynamics in the tropics (IF = 5.1) drivers of species diversity in fungi (IF = 12.1) and diversification across the birds of the New World (IF = 10.4). Two of these publications were produced in collaborations with European researchers from multiple universities, as is common in my field. The third one of these publications was single-authored by myself. In addition to the published research, I have delivered university lectures (University of British Columbia, University of New Mexico, Charles University, University of Copenhagen), participated in EU-based international research working groups (iDiv Working Group SELDIG), and participated in university retreats (UBC Retreat, UCPH CMEC Annual Retreat), workshops (UBC Networking workshop, UBC Teaching skills three-weekend workshop, UBC Postdoc Day), developed a new course (Evolutionary analysis now taught at Charles University and the University of South Bohemia), and regularly attended UBC Discussion Groups (EDG, BDG) and UCPH CMEC Seminars and lab meetings. Together, these activities have advanced my qualification and career (international connections, teaching experience, lecturing and networking, research training) as they are key to becoming an independent principal investigator and team leader. I also acquired new knowledge of the genomics, biogeography, modelling and statistics, which is a strong component of my host group’s research and also the progressive direction in current evolutionary science. Transfer of knowledge was aided during the discussion groups, lectures, and retreats listed above (UBC Postdoc Day, BDG, EDG, SELDIG, CMEC Annual Retreat, etc.). Dissemination and public outreach activities were planned to take place in Vancouver while at UBC (e.g. The Science Slam at Fox Theater, Public Lecture Series at the Beatty Biodiversity Museum), but the events that regularly take place were cancelled for the long-term due to the ongoing COVID crisis.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

In the third and final year of the project at the University of Copenhagen, I have worked toward seven manuscripts which are in various stages of the publication process (see the report for details), including publications on phylogenetic scale, hummingbird diversification, inverse latitudinal gradients. I have also applied for further funding, namely the ERC Starting Grant. This has been key to develop my career and advance the research I have pursued during my Marie Curie Global Fellowship. I have also given multiple public lectures targeted toward dissemination and public outreach (i.e. at high school in Czech republic), but some of the originally planned outreach activities have been thwarted by the COVID situation that prevent public events and gatherings. Similarly, it has been hard to coordinate the planned attendance of international conferences as most of the planned events have been cancelled or postponed (e.g. the IBS conference planned to take place in Vancouver in January 2021). On the other hand, I have attended workshops and delivered lectures online (e.g. my lecture at the University of New Mexico and the iDiv Working Group SELDIG), which was not originally planned in the project proposal.

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