Project description
Genetic architectures behind social dimorphism
Ants are social insects that live in colonies with at least one queen. The number of queens is a significant trait associated with queen lifespan and fecundity, as well as dispersal strategies and responses to environmental stimuli. In this context, the EU-funded ConvergeAnt project will consider the recurrent evolution of social queen-worker dimorphism in ants to understand the genomic basis of this complex trait. ConvergeAnt will perform genome-wide and phylogenetic profile comparisons. Moreover, it will investigate supergenes to check whether differences in gene expression in workers of single- versus multiple-queen colonies are consistent across species by performing transcriptome-wide comparisons.
Objective
Understanding how complex traits evolve repeatedly across species remains a major challenge in biology. The number of queens in an ant colony is an important trait associated with queen lifespan and fecundity, dispersal strategies, and responses to environmental stimuli. Although colonies of most ant species have either one or multiple queens, more than twelve ant species have evolved social dimorphism: co-existence of single- and multiple-queen colonies in a population. This phenomenon presents a remarkable opportunity to discover mechanisms of convergent genetic evolution. Our proposal takes advantage of the recurrent evolution of social dimorphism in ants to understand the genomic basis of this complex trait.
Recent genomic studies have revealed that a “supergene” genomic region including hundreds of linked genes determines colony type in two distantly related ant species. However, it remains unclear to what extent supergenes underlie social dimorphism and which genes are important for the evolution of this trait. Here, we aim to elucidate general principles governing the evolution of social dimorphism at the molecular level. We will select six ant lineages in which the co-existence of the two social forms has independently evolved to accomplish three goals: 1) test whether supergenes are required for dimorphic social organization by performing genome-wide comparisons between single- and multiple-queen colonies; 2) test for similar changes in gene content or sequence across the independent origins of social dimorphism by comparing phylogenetic profiles; 3) determine whether differences in gene expression in workers of single- versus multiple-queen colonies are consistent across species by performing transcriptome-wide comparisons. Our project will provide major insights into the genetic architectures and pathways underpinning the evolution of social dimorphism, and will substantially improve our understanding of the evolution of complex phenotypes.
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 genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
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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-2018
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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.
E1 4NS 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.