The genomic adaptations to cope with unpredictable climates over the course of l...
The genomic adaptations to cope with unpredictable climates over the course of life
Increasing climatic fluctuations mean that animals need to evolve increased heat resilience whilst simultaneously coping with cold periods throughout their lives. Large animals are particularly susceptible to temperature fluctuati...
ver más
¿Tienes un proyecto y buscas un partner? Gracias a nuestro motor inteligente podemos recomendarte los mejores socios y ponerte en contacto con ellos. Te lo explicamos en este video
Información proyecto ClimAdaptLife
Duración del proyecto: 64 meses
Fecha Inicio: 2022-12-12
Fecha Fin: 2028-04-30
Líder del proyecto
AARHUS UNIVERSITET
No se ha especificado una descripción o un objeto social para esta compañía.
TRL
4-5
Presupuesto del proyecto
1M€
Fecha límite de participación
Sin fecha límite de participación.
Descripción del proyecto
Increasing climatic fluctuations mean that animals need to evolve increased heat resilience whilst simultaneously coping with cold periods throughout their lives. Large animals are particularly susceptible to temperature fluctuations as their large size when mature exposes them to heat stress, and their small size when juvenile exposes them to cold stress. I will test two hypotheses that are central to understanding how large species evolve to cope with temperature fluctuations: 1) Genomic adaptations that increase heat resilience compromise cold resilience. 2) Genes that increase thermal resilience during early life have opposing effects on thermal resilience later in life.
Testing these hypotheses requires identifying the genomic basis of thermal resilience. This has remained elusive in large animals because of difficulties in 1) rearing high numbers of large animals, 2) exposing them to natural temperature fluctuations and 3) obtaining measurements of fitness related traits such as growth of juveniles and reproduction of adults. I will solve these issues by studying the largest bird on Earth, the ostrich, monitored in large numbers under natural temperature conditions. This will allow me to take an interdisciplinary approach combining body temperature measurements and cutting-edge genotyping of 2000 juveniles and adults. A close partnership with a South African research station will enable me to utilise data of growth and reproduction of 11700 juveniles and 1800 adults exposed to the natural climate over 25 years. To test the importance of identified genes for local climatic adaptation I will genotype natural populations of ostriches across climatic gradients. My work will resolve how genes conferring resilience to heat influence the ability to cope with cold, and if the same genes are important across different life-stages. This will shape our understanding of thermal evolution in endothermic animals at a critical time.