Objective
Understanding how species were affected by past climate-induced environmental change is key to predicting the ecological consequences of future climate change. Ancient DNA-based studies have revealed complex Quaternary histories for mammalian populations, and raised new questions regarding the processes underlying the extinction of some species or populations and the survival of others. Here these questions will be addressed for four species of seals that have inhabited the Baltic Sea during the Holocene: the ringed seal Phoca hispida, the harbour seal Phoca vitulina, the grey seal Halichoerus grypus, and the harp seal Pagophilus groenlandicus. The Baltic seal populations have presumably been founded less than 8,000 years ago, with the exception of the ringed seal population, established about 10,000 years ago. The Baltic harp seals went extinct about 2,800 years ago, while the other species remain in the Baltic Sea until present. Genetic studies of contemporary Baltic seals suggest that they constitute demographically independent and evolutionarily significant units compared to other conspecific populations, which makes them a useful model to study past population dynamics. The aim of the project is to test the hypothesis that distinctive life histories led to substantial differences in the long-term dynamics of genetic and demographic changes between closely related species inhabiting the same changing environment. This will be achieved through: (1) reconstructing demographic and genetic changes in each population during the Holocene using ancient DNA techniques and coalescent models; (2) comparing the population dynamics of the four species in the context of climate-induced environmental change, human exploitation, and their life histories; (3) reconstructing the evolutionary process leading to the extinction of the Baltic harp seal. These data will facilitate the development of predictive models of the impact of future climate change on the extant Baltic seals.
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.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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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.
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.
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008
See other projects for this call
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.
Coordinator
DH1 3LE DURHAM
United Kingdom
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.