Project description
Placental nutrient transfer in extinct marine reptiles
During pregnancy, the mother transfers nutrients directly to the fetus through the placenta. This complex reproductive strategy is known as placentotrophy and is encountered in most mammals and a few other vertebrates. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EXPLAC project aims to investigate placentotrophy in extinct marine reptiles through changes in bone structure linked to pregnancy. Researchers will look for signs of calcium transfer from mother to fetus by comparing the bone organisation of fossil specimens to modern whales, with which ancient reptiles share similar biological traits. This pioneering study will shed new light on the evolution of pregnancy in ancient vertebrates.
Objective
Placentotrophy (delivery of nutrients to the fetus throughout pregnancy) is a highly derived reproductive strategy present in most mammals and some other vertebrates, including a handful of reptiles. Even though many different viviparous (life-birthing) reptiles are known in the fossil record, the presence of placentotrophy in these groups has never been documented. This project aims to explore the potential presence of placentotrophy in extinct the viviparous marine reptiles: ichthyosaurs and sauropterygians. Previous work on other animal groups indicates that a change in bone organization, induced by calcium scavening, is likely to be visible if placentotrophy is present. In this study whales are used specifically as comparison for extinct marine reptiles due to their similarity in ecology and bone histology. I will therefore first investigate the effects of pregnancy on bone organization in whales to test whether the patterns seen in terrestrial animals are visible in a fully marine adapted clade. Then, I evaluate if a similar signal is present in extinct marine reptiles. Bone organization will be assessed via bone micro-anatomy, specifically cortical thickness and trabecular bone volume, which have shown to be different in pregnant individuals. Data will be collected using CT scans and drill core samples. This study presents the first attempt to assess the presence of placentrophy in a fossil animal and is a crucial step in understanding the evolution of amniote reproductive strategies. Since many of the necessary clades for understanding this evolutionary puzzle are lost to extinction, utilizing fossil material is essential.
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.
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.
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy cetology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine obstetrics
- natural sciences biological sciences histology
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
0313 Oslo
Norway
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.