Objective
Mate preferences are ubiquitous in nature and it has long been recognised that the sexual selection they generate may have important consequences for the evolution of biodiversity. This is especially true when preferences differ among populations, a situation that appears common in nature. Despite much attention being given to their role in the evolution of extravagant sexual display traits, less work has focused on understanding the mechanisms by which they diverge among populations and in particular the role (if any) male mate choice plays. Using an Australian Drosophila model, we aim to directly test for adaptive population divergence at mate preference loci in nature and develop a detailed understanding of the quantitative genetics of male and female mate preferences. In particular, using a combination of cutting-edge statistical quantitative genetics, molecular genetics, and behavioural assays we will 1) test for adaptive mate preference divergence among natural populations, 2) directly quantify the evolvability of female and male mate preferences and 3) determine the evolutionary coupling of mate preference in males and females by measuring the extent to which their genetic basis is shared between the sexes. A key part of this project is the re-integration of the methods beyond Drosophila, applying the techniques developed to European organisms to gain a more comprehensive understanding of mate preference evolution. The work will be on the frontline of applying quantitative genetics to evolution in the wild and we fully expect that the work outlined in this proposal will make a significant advance in understanding how and why mate preferences diverge. Our results will be of significant importance to evolutionary biologists, behaviourists, and molecular ecologists worldwide and will have important consequences for how we view mating decisions as a generator of phenotypic diversity.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology molecular genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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-IOF-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
22100 LUND
Sweden
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.