Details of Award
NERC Reference : NER/B/S/2003/00850
Why are heterozygosity and fitness correlated?
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor L Kruuk, University of Edinburgh, Inst of Cell, Animal and Population Biol
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor JM Pemberton, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Biological Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of Edinburgh, Inst of Cell, Animal and Population Biol
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Science Topics:
- Population Genetics/Evolution
- Population Ecology
- Conservation Ecology
- Abstract:
- Inbreeding depression is of significant evolutionary, economic and conservation significance, but we still have only a poor understanding of the genetic mechanisms involved. In particular, it is not known whether inbreeding depression is generated by the effects of a few or many loci. We will provide a rigorous test of this issue using data from a wild bird population, the great reed warbler population at Lake Kvismaren, Sweden. Previous work suggests that a few key loci significantly affect survival in this population, but the current project will combine genotypes at a much larger number of microsatellite loci (50) with more sophisticated analytical approaches, a wider range of fitness measures and a larger sample of individuals, plus information from a concurrent project as to the location of loci in the genome. This will allow us to estimate the extent to which 'local' genetic effects at a limited number of loci or general effects at loci distributed throughout the genome would be responsible for heterozygosity-fitness correlations (and hence inbreeding depression). We will also quantify the degree of association between different loci and the extent to which environmental conditions in the population affect genetic effects. In using DNA samples that are already available and building on ongoing research activity, the project offers a cost-effective and efficient means of substantially improving our understanding of the genetic architecture of inbreeding depression.
- NERC Reference:
- NER/B/S/2003/00850
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Small Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Small Grants
This grant award has a total value of £26,203
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Staff | Total - T&S | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| £8,694 | £1,210 | £12,300 | £3,999 |
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