Objective The question of how sex roles and parental investment have evolved belongs to the most controversial unresolved issues in evolutionary biology. The costliest form of reproduction regarding parental investment is viviparity. Its independent evolution in most vertebrate groups has required drastic morphological and genomic reorganisations in the sex bearing the young. Yet our knowledge is heavily biased towards mammals, where changes in the immune system and microbial composition are associated with pregnancy and placentation. Which factors have caused the selection and accompanied evolution of viviparity in other vertebrates remains severely understudied. As the evolution of viviparity is a textbook model of convergent evolution, I plan on using a comparative approach to identify selection and fitness benefits leading to the evolution of viviparity. I propose analysing mating system evolution, focusing on the unique evolution of male pregnancy in sex-role reversed syngnathids (pipefishes and seahorses) that show a gradient from external fertilisation to full viviparity and are, thus, ideal to study the evolution of viviparity. Only this genus allows the role of egg production and viviparity to be disentangled, as both traits co-occur in the female in most other species. As immunological tolerance is fundamentally associated with the evolution of pregnancy, I will investigate how male pregnancy has coevolved with adaptive immune system rearrangements and the broodpouch specific microbiota. Comparative genomics, transcriptomics and genetic engineering utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 will elucidate the genetic basis of trait loss and gain required for male pregnancy. In particular, I will assess whether new functions arose via gene duplication and neo-functionalization, via gene co-option or via de novo gene emergence. This proposal will pave the way for studying viviparity evolution beyond the mammalian model and will provide a fresh look at sex roles and parental investment. Fields of science medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringnatural sciencesbiological sciencesevolutionary biologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologymedical and health sciencesclinical medicineobstetricsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineembryology Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2017-STG - ERC Starting Grant Call for proposal ERC-2017-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Coordinator CHRISTIAN-ALBRECHTS-UNIVERSITAET ZU KIEL Net EU contribution € 644 150,50 Address Olshausenstrasse 40 24118 Kiel Germany See on map Region Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein Kiel, Kreisfreie Stadt 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 € 644 150,50 Beneficiaries (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all CHRISTIAN-ALBRECHTS-UNIVERSITAET ZU KIEL Germany Net EU contribution € 644 150,50 Address Olshausenstrasse 40 24118 Kiel See on map Region Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein Kiel, Kreisfreie Stadt 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 € 644 150,50 HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR OZEANFORSCHUNG KIEL (GEOMAR) Germany Net EU contribution € 855 838,50 Address Wischhofstrasse 1-3 24148 Kiel See on map Region Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein Kiel, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations 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 € 855 838,50