Project description
Extinct cave bears shed light on the interrelationship between climate, diet and evolution
The ability of an organism to express different behaviours and observable characteristics with the same genes in response to environmental conditions (phenotypic plasticity) can increase fitness, generate biodiversity and spur evolution. However, it can be difficult to distinguish whether phenotypic changes are the result of genetics or phenotypic plasticity. As our climate changes, it is important to understand whether it is genotype or phenotype that is driving ecological extinction and evolution. The EU-funded Evolution project is looking to the past for answers. The Late Pleistocene period witnessed extinctions of large mammals including cave bears, and environmental changes disrupting food sources could have played a role. Scientists are carrying out next-generation genetic sequencing of cave bears from different populations and with varied dietary patterns to search for clues.
Objective
Previous studies on extinct Pleistocene megafauna attempted to decipher species’ responses to environmental change through genetic studies and palaeodietary reconstruction. However, none of these studies addressed the issue whether changes in palaeoecology represent evolutionary processes or are instead a result of environmentally induced plasticity. The present research project proposes novel ways of addressing the aforementioned question through an interdisciplinary approach including palaeogenomics, ancient epigenomics and palaeoecology. The project will focus on a case study of cave bear populations in the Romanian Carpathians, a key region of their distribution prior extinction showing the most dramatic dietary differentiation among cave bears across their entire geographical range. We will explore the response of Late Pleistocene cave bear populations to environmental heterogeneity, and determine the genetic and epigenetic processes that led to these differences in Romanian cave bears. To achieve this, we will carry out next-generation sequencing of cave bears from different time-related populations with various dietary patterns. This dataset will constitute the most complete cave bear genome dataset ever analysed, allowing us to gain an unprecedented understanding of cave bear evolutionary history and moving forward the field of evolutionary epigenomics. This project will provide new research avenues that the experienced researcher will be able to exploit in order to reach and reinforce a position of professional maturity and independence. The experienced researcher will also be trained in cutting edge scientific techniques and analyses, as well as a number of skills that are transferable between countries and sectors (including management, grant writing, communication and teaching), and that will facilitate her development into a research leader.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
SE 114 18 Stockholm
Sweden