Project description
Epigenetic processes driving animal dispersal after birth
Departure from the birthplace in search of new sites is an integral part of animal ecology and evolution. Not all animals, however, have the same propensity or strategies for natal dispersal. The EU-funded GENESPERSIVE project aims to investigate how epigenetic mechanisms may influence phenotypes that are tightly linked to the successful establishment of animals in new environments. Researchers will combine historical and newly collected data from different wild bird populations to associate epigenetic marks with colonisation across individual, population and species scales. In a broader sense, GENESPERSIVE will contribute to the prediction of species responses to climate and anthropic changes.
Objective
In an increasingly changing world, organisms need to adjust to environmental fluctuations, and life-history traits should evolve towards maximizing fitness in the face of this variability. Natal dispersal - the movement between the place of birth and first breeding - is a particularly relevant life history trait, and a pivotal decision that will determine fitness prospects, population dynamics and species distributions. Despite previous evidence that not all phenotypes are equally likely to disperse, the mechanistic underpinnings driving variation in natal dispersal remain poorly investigated. Epigenetic mechanisms – changes in gene expression that do not involve changes in the DNA sequence – enable more rapid and plastic phenotypic responses than are possible via genetic change, and individual genomes may differ in their capacity to respond epigenetically – i.e. epigenetic potential. A high capacity for epigenetically-induced phenotypic plasticity may be a requirement for dispersing individuals to successfully establish in novel environments, and I predict that individuals with higher natal dispersal propensity will show greater epigenetic potential. To test this, I will use a 37-year dataset from a wild bird population and combine analysis of historical samples, field experiments and cutting-edge epigenetic techniques. I will address this question at broad spatial and temporal scales, including long-term individual data and samples from multiple Eurasian populations to track past colonization and current expansion events. I will be amongst the first providing mechanistic insights of dispersal behavior, a fundamental part of accurately predicting species responses to climate and anthropic changes. I previously focused on studying physiological mechanisms driving phenotypic responses to environmental challenges, and I with this project I will take this expertise further into connecting molecular mechanisms, evolutionary processes and broad scale population dynamics.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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-2020
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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.
28006 Madrid
Spain
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.