Project acronym CULTSONG
Project Culture as an evolutionary force: Does song learning accelerate speciation in a bat ring species?
Researcher (PI) Mirjam KNÖRNSCHILD
Host Institution (HI) MUSEUM FUR NATURKUNDE - LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR EVOLUTIONS- UND BIODIVERSITATSFORSCHUNG AN DER HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAT ZU BERLIN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS8, ERC-2018-STG
Summary Culture is highly relevant for human evolution but whether animal culture can be an evolutionary force that promotes speciation is an open and highly contested issue. While culturally induced song divergence can be correlated with increased speciation rates in songbirds, it is hard to resolve whether cultural differences are promoting speciation or vice versa. Studying ring species is a perfect solution for this problem since they illustrate divergence in space instead of time, thus allowing us to determine whether cultural differences are causes or consequences of speciation. A ring species originates from a population that expands around an uninhabitable barrier and gradually diverges until the terminal forms are reproductively isolated upon secondary contact. We will study whether culturally induced song divergence accelerates speciation in the bat Saccopteryx bilineata, the first known mammalian ring species. Cultural differences between S. bilineata populations are manifested in distinct and temporally stable song dialects which juvenile males learn from adults. First, we will study song divergence around the ring and the relative contribution of song dialects to reproductive isolation of the co-occurring terminal forms of the ring. Second, we will study potential genetic predispositions for learning specific song dialects and investigate neurogenetic mechanisms involved in mammalian song learning. Third, we will reconstruct the history, evolutionary patterns and processes of speciation in a ring using a genomic approach in S. bilineata and its sympatric sister species. This comparative approach will allow us to unravel factors involved in the rapid divergence of S. bilineata on a small spatial scale. In synthesis, we will be able to determine whether sexually selected, culturally transmitted traits can accelerate speciation and elucidate the role of culture as an evolutionary force.
Summary
Culture is highly relevant for human evolution but whether animal culture can be an evolutionary force that promotes speciation is an open and highly contested issue. While culturally induced song divergence can be correlated with increased speciation rates in songbirds, it is hard to resolve whether cultural differences are promoting speciation or vice versa. Studying ring species is a perfect solution for this problem since they illustrate divergence in space instead of time, thus allowing us to determine whether cultural differences are causes or consequences of speciation. A ring species originates from a population that expands around an uninhabitable barrier and gradually diverges until the terminal forms are reproductively isolated upon secondary contact. We will study whether culturally induced song divergence accelerates speciation in the bat Saccopteryx bilineata, the first known mammalian ring species. Cultural differences between S. bilineata populations are manifested in distinct and temporally stable song dialects which juvenile males learn from adults. First, we will study song divergence around the ring and the relative contribution of song dialects to reproductive isolation of the co-occurring terminal forms of the ring. Second, we will study potential genetic predispositions for learning specific song dialects and investigate neurogenetic mechanisms involved in mammalian song learning. Third, we will reconstruct the history, evolutionary patterns and processes of speciation in a ring using a genomic approach in S. bilineata and its sympatric sister species. This comparative approach will allow us to unravel factors involved in the rapid divergence of S. bilineata on a small spatial scale. In synthesis, we will be able to determine whether sexually selected, culturally transmitted traits can accelerate speciation and elucidate the role of culture as an evolutionary force.
Max ERC Funding
1 492 911 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-05-01, End date: 2024-04-30
Project acronym CVI_ADAPT
Project Unraveling the history of adaptation in an island model: Cape Verde Arabidopsis
Researcher (PI) Angela Hancock
Host Institution (HI) MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS8, ERC-2014-STG
Summary Islands have played a pivotal role in evolutionary theory since Darwin and Wallace. Due to their isolation, they represent natural laboratories, providing uncomplicated microcosms where fundamental principles of the evolutionary process can be revealed. One area where island systems can provide a crucial advance is in evolutionary genetics. Here, a primary goal is to reconstruct the mechanisms, mode and tempo of the evolutionary process by identifying specific adaptive functional variants and studying the historical dynamics of these in nature. However, even with recent advances in tools and technologies (e.g., affordable genome-wide sequencing, developments in genome manipulation), the complexity of most natural systems makes this a challenging task.
The proposed research launches a program that employs a unique set of thale cress (Arabidopsis) samples from intriguing populations at the edge of the species range (Cape Verde Islands) to comprehensively characterize the adaptive process in a tractable and ecologically relevant island system. This collection represents the first population sample from this region, where a single individual was collected 30 years ago and has long been an enigma due to its remarkable phenotypic and genetic divergence. We will combine field monitoring, population genetic analyses, trait mapping, powerful new genome editing technology (CRISPR), and spatially explicit modeling to reconstruct the history of the adaptive process in exceptional detail. Moreover, synthesizing our results in the context of biological networks will provide the opportunity to decipher how epistasis and pleiotropy impacted adaptive trajectories. By applying the wealth of tools available in Arabidopsis thaliana to this intriguing natural population, we will uncover general principles of adaptation and produce a roadmap and toolkit for future research in diverse systems to predict outcomes of environmental fluctuations and longer-term changes.
Summary
Islands have played a pivotal role in evolutionary theory since Darwin and Wallace. Due to their isolation, they represent natural laboratories, providing uncomplicated microcosms where fundamental principles of the evolutionary process can be revealed. One area where island systems can provide a crucial advance is in evolutionary genetics. Here, a primary goal is to reconstruct the mechanisms, mode and tempo of the evolutionary process by identifying specific adaptive functional variants and studying the historical dynamics of these in nature. However, even with recent advances in tools and technologies (e.g., affordable genome-wide sequencing, developments in genome manipulation), the complexity of most natural systems makes this a challenging task.
The proposed research launches a program that employs a unique set of thale cress (Arabidopsis) samples from intriguing populations at the edge of the species range (Cape Verde Islands) to comprehensively characterize the adaptive process in a tractable and ecologically relevant island system. This collection represents the first population sample from this region, where a single individual was collected 30 years ago and has long been an enigma due to its remarkable phenotypic and genetic divergence. We will combine field monitoring, population genetic analyses, trait mapping, powerful new genome editing technology (CRISPR), and spatially explicit modeling to reconstruct the history of the adaptive process in exceptional detail. Moreover, synthesizing our results in the context of biological networks will provide the opportunity to decipher how epistasis and pleiotropy impacted adaptive trajectories. By applying the wealth of tools available in Arabidopsis thaliana to this intriguing natural population, we will uncover general principles of adaptation and produce a roadmap and toolkit for future research in diverse systems to predict outcomes of environmental fluctuations and longer-term changes.
Max ERC Funding
1 609 375 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-11-01, End date: 2020-10-31
Project acronym EVOCLOCK
Project From Evolution to Clockworks:Unravelling the molecular basis of circalunar clocks
Researcher (PI) Tobias KAISER
Host Institution (HI) MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS8, ERC-2018-STG
Summary Circalunar clocks are endogenous biological clocks, which allow organisms to time development and reproduction to lunar phase. They are common in marine organisms, but their molecular basis is still entirely unknown. Candidate gene approaches have failed so far. In the marine midge Clunio marinus (Diptera: Chironomidae), I can elegantly overcome this problem by exploiting an array of local genetic adaptations in circalunar timing. Through evolutionary analysis, QTL mapping and genome screens my group currently produces evidence-based circalunar candidate genes without any need for prior knowledge or assumptions.
In this ERC proposal, I aim to take this work to the next level and identify the molecular and cellular basis of circalunar clocks. I will establish molecular tools for Clunio and use them to confirm and characterize circalunar clock candidate genes. Specifically, I aim to: (WP1) Establish genome editing and confirm candidate genes via knockout and allelic replacement. (WP2) Study gene expression modules across the lunar cycle and identify the transcriptional regulators that exert circalunar control on development and maturation. (WP3) Describe Clunio’s larval nervous system and trace circalunar clock sensory input pathways to their convergence point. This will identify the cellular substrate of the circalunar clock. (WP4) Settle the on-going debate on the role of circadian clocks in circalunar timing. I will particularly study the role of the famous period gene.
In the future, this molecular endeavour will also boost evolutionary work: Clunio will provide insights into fundamental questions, such as the role of genome architecture in local adaptation. But immediately, unravelling the molecular basis of circalunar clocks will be a breakthrough in chronobiology. It will inspire new ideas and experiments. Comparing circalunar to circadian clocks, we will for the first time be able to see basic principles in the molecular design of biological clocks.
Summary
Circalunar clocks are endogenous biological clocks, which allow organisms to time development and reproduction to lunar phase. They are common in marine organisms, but their molecular basis is still entirely unknown. Candidate gene approaches have failed so far. In the marine midge Clunio marinus (Diptera: Chironomidae), I can elegantly overcome this problem by exploiting an array of local genetic adaptations in circalunar timing. Through evolutionary analysis, QTL mapping and genome screens my group currently produces evidence-based circalunar candidate genes without any need for prior knowledge or assumptions.
In this ERC proposal, I aim to take this work to the next level and identify the molecular and cellular basis of circalunar clocks. I will establish molecular tools for Clunio and use them to confirm and characterize circalunar clock candidate genes. Specifically, I aim to: (WP1) Establish genome editing and confirm candidate genes via knockout and allelic replacement. (WP2) Study gene expression modules across the lunar cycle and identify the transcriptional regulators that exert circalunar control on development and maturation. (WP3) Describe Clunio’s larval nervous system and trace circalunar clock sensory input pathways to their convergence point. This will identify the cellular substrate of the circalunar clock. (WP4) Settle the on-going debate on the role of circadian clocks in circalunar timing. I will particularly study the role of the famous period gene.
In the future, this molecular endeavour will also boost evolutionary work: Clunio will provide insights into fundamental questions, such as the role of genome architecture in local adaptation. But immediately, unravelling the molecular basis of circalunar clocks will be a breakthrough in chronobiology. It will inspire new ideas and experiments. Comparing circalunar to circadian clocks, we will for the first time be able to see basic principles in the molecular design of biological clocks.
Max ERC Funding
1 499 728 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-01-01, End date: 2023-12-31
Project acronym FIT2GO
Project A toolbox for fitness landscapes in evolution
Researcher (PI) Claudia BANK
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACAO CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS8, ERC-2018-STG
Summary A major challenge in evolutionary biology is to quantify the processes and mechanisms by which populations adapt to new environments. In particular, the role of epistasis, which is the genetic-background dependent effect of mutations, and the constraints it imposes on adaptation, has been contentious for decades. This question can be approached using the concept of a fitness landscape: a map of genotypes or phenotypes to fitness, which dictates the dynamics and the possible paths towards increased reproductive success. This analogy has inspired a large body of theoretical work, in which various models of fitness landscapes have been proposed and analysed. Only recently, novel experimental approaches and advances in sequencing technologies have provided us with large empirical fitness landscapes at impressive resolution, which call for the evaluation of the related theory.
The aim of this proposal is to build on the theory of fitness landscapes to quantify epistasis across levels of biological organization and across environments, and to study its impact on the population genetics of adaptation and hybridization. Each work package involves classical theoretical modelling, statistical inference and method development, and data analysis and interpretation; a combination of approaches for which my research group has strong expertise. In addition, we will perform experimental evolution in Escherichia coli and influenza to test hypotheses related to the change of fitness effects across environments, and to adaptation by means of highly epistatic mutations. We will specifically apply our methods to evaluate the potential for predicting routes to drug resistance in pathogens. The long-term goal lies in the development of a modeling and inference framework that utilizes fitness landscape theory to infer the ecological history of a genome, which may ultimately allow for a prediction of its future adaptive potential.
Summary
A major challenge in evolutionary biology is to quantify the processes and mechanisms by which populations adapt to new environments. In particular, the role of epistasis, which is the genetic-background dependent effect of mutations, and the constraints it imposes on adaptation, has been contentious for decades. This question can be approached using the concept of a fitness landscape: a map of genotypes or phenotypes to fitness, which dictates the dynamics and the possible paths towards increased reproductive success. This analogy has inspired a large body of theoretical work, in which various models of fitness landscapes have been proposed and analysed. Only recently, novel experimental approaches and advances in sequencing technologies have provided us with large empirical fitness landscapes at impressive resolution, which call for the evaluation of the related theory.
The aim of this proposal is to build on the theory of fitness landscapes to quantify epistasis across levels of biological organization and across environments, and to study its impact on the population genetics of adaptation and hybridization. Each work package involves classical theoretical modelling, statistical inference and method development, and data analysis and interpretation; a combination of approaches for which my research group has strong expertise. In addition, we will perform experimental evolution in Escherichia coli and influenza to test hypotheses related to the change of fitness effects across environments, and to adaptation by means of highly epistatic mutations. We will specifically apply our methods to evaluate the potential for predicting routes to drug resistance in pathogens. The long-term goal lies in the development of a modeling and inference framework that utilizes fitness landscape theory to infer the ecological history of a genome, which may ultimately allow for a prediction of its future adaptive potential.
Max ERC Funding
1 366 250 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-03-01, End date: 2024-02-29
Project acronym HybridMiX
Project Genetic Mapping of Evolutionary Developmental Variation using Hybrid Mouse in vitro Crosses
Researcher (PI) Yingguang Frank Chan
Host Institution (HI) MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS8, ERC-2014-STG
Summary Discovering the genetic changes underlying species differences is a central goal in evolutionary genetics. Most evolutionarily important traits affecting fitness are complex or quantitative traits, whose genetic bases are elusive. In mammals, dissecting the genetic basis of complex trait variation is particularly challenging, because efficient genetic mapping requires enormous pedigrees or specialized genetic panels that are typically beyond the resources of individual groups. Using a radically novel method to circumvent breeding limitations by “breeding” mice in vitro, I propose to dissect the genetic basis of evolutionary developmental variation. This ground-breaking approach will allow me to create large genetic mapping panels of potentially any size from mouse interspecific hybrids of increasing evolutionary divergence. In vitro crosses promise a breakthrough in evolutionary biology: by bypassing hybrid sterility and inviability, we will ask which genetic changes underlie species differences. The proposed experiments address how genetic changes accumulate during evolution of new species to shape gene regulatory networks and cause phenotypic changes at the gene expression, fitness and organismal level. This research has the potential to revolutionize genetic mapping. If realized, its impact on personalized medicine, agricultural science and evolutionary research cannot be understated.
Summary
Discovering the genetic changes underlying species differences is a central goal in evolutionary genetics. Most evolutionarily important traits affecting fitness are complex or quantitative traits, whose genetic bases are elusive. In mammals, dissecting the genetic basis of complex trait variation is particularly challenging, because efficient genetic mapping requires enormous pedigrees or specialized genetic panels that are typically beyond the resources of individual groups. Using a radically novel method to circumvent breeding limitations by “breeding” mice in vitro, I propose to dissect the genetic basis of evolutionary developmental variation. This ground-breaking approach will allow me to create large genetic mapping panels of potentially any size from mouse interspecific hybrids of increasing evolutionary divergence. In vitro crosses promise a breakthrough in evolutionary biology: by bypassing hybrid sterility and inviability, we will ask which genetic changes underlie species differences. The proposed experiments address how genetic changes accumulate during evolution of new species to shape gene regulatory networks and cause phenotypic changes at the gene expression, fitness and organismal level. This research has the potential to revolutionize genetic mapping. If realized, its impact on personalized medicine, agricultural science and evolutionary research cannot be understated.
Max ERC Funding
1 499 923 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-08-01, End date: 2020-07-31
