Project description DEENESFRITPL 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. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective The evolutionary success of the most diverse group of land vertebrates, birds, largely lies in their ability to fly. Spectacular fossils have demonstrated that birds are paravian dinosaurs; the only representatives to survive the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Extinct paravians close to the dinosaur–bird transition show diverse skeletal and plumage morphologies, suggesting substantial variability in aerial skills. However, locomotor skills (e.g. running, flying) and related morphologies can change drastically through ontogeny in modern birds depending on the developmental strategy followed along the precocial (functional maturity at hatching, including various degrees of locomotor capability) to altricial (functional immaturity with embryo-like hatchlings) spectrum. This ontogenetic aspect of flight remains elusive in extinct bird-like dinosaurs, greatly encumbering research on flight origins. We aim 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. We will test correlation in a phylogenetic context between quantified limb bone histological traits and different developmental strategies in birds using thin sections and µCT data. These will provide a firm baseline for fossil inferences using the same approach and will generate a step-change in understanding the ontogenetic factor in the evolution of flight through the dinosaur to bird transition. The experienced researcher and hosts will bring together and integrate respective expertise in biology and palaeontology to deliver this highly innovative, timely, and multidisciplinary project that will broaden our view on how birds have mastered the skies for the last 150 million years. Fields of science natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencespalaeontologynatural sciencesbiological scienceshistology 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 See other projects for this call 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 See on map Region West Midlands (England) West Midlands Birmingham Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 212 933,76
