Using avian bone histology to trace back the evolution of flight-related locomotor ontogeny in the dinosaur–bird transition

Project description

How bone tissue reflects precocial and altricial locomotor development

The evolutionary success of birds, the most diverse group of land vertebrates, largely lies in their ability to fly. Fossil finds throughout the ages have demonstrated that birds are paravian dinosaurs; the only representatives to survive the mass extinction marking the end of the Cretaceous Period. The EU-funded HISTOLOC project aims to explore for the first time how bone tissue reflects precocial and altricial locomotor development, including the ontogenetic onset of powered flight, by studying limb bone shafts of growth series of modern birds, and apply these findings to bird-like dinosaurs. Tests and surveys will be conducted to generate a step-change in understanding the ontogenetic factor in the evolution of flight in the dinosaur to bird transition.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › earth and related environmental sciences › palaeontology
• natural sciences › biological sciences › histology

Keywords

• comparative bone histology
• birds
• dinosaurs
• flight evolution
• precocial – altricial development
• locomotor ontogeny
• quantitative osteohistology
• dinosaur
• bird transition

Programme(s)

• 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

Topic(s)

• MSCA-IF-2019 - Individual Fellowships

Call for proposal

H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

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Funding Scheme

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

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Net EU contribution

€ 212 933,76

Address

Edgbaston
B15 2TT Birmingham
United Kingdom

Region

West Midlands (England) › West Midlands › Birmingham

Activity type

Higher or Secondary Education Establishments

Links

Other funding

€ 0,00