Stephen De Lisle, a biology researcher at Karlstad University, is one of the four recipients of the Swedish Foundations Starting Grant (SFSG), an initiative coordinated by seven research financiers to support outstanding researchers at Swedish academic institutions. His new research project aims to uncover how the evolution of sexes has influenced the diversity we observe today.
Grants from SFSG are targeted towards exceptional young researchers at Swedish academic institutions who have received top marks on their application to the European Research Council (ERC), but have not received funding due to ERC's limited budget. The grant awarded to Stephen De Lisle at Karlstad University marks the first such grant to a researcher at any of the newer universities.
"It is extremely gratifying that research at Karlstad University asserts itself so well in the fierce competition that exists internationally," says Jerker Moodysson, rector of Karlstad University. "Stephen De Lisle's groundbreaking research in evolutionary ecology can continue to generate both scientific advances and societal benefit through this grant. The initiative of the KK Foundation to join SFSG and thus enable this project is highly appreciated by us and fully in line with our ambition to work with world-leading research."
"Through the board's decision for the KK Foundation to join the SFSG collaboration, we will contribute to providing the same opportunities for young researchers at colleges and newer universities as those active at other institutions have in terms of financing Starting Grants projects," says Eva Schelin, CEO of the KK Foundation. "We are pleased to be able to finance Stephen De Lisle at Karlstad University, who will study how the evolution of sex has contributed to the diversity we see around us today, touching on the origins and development of life."
Diversity in Nature
Differences between males and females of the same species—known as "sexual dimorphism"—are a significant factor in the diversity of nature. "Despite this, we do not have a good understanding of how and if the evolution of sexual dimorphism affects the formation of new species and extinction," says Stephen De Lisle. "In fact, we have conflicting predictions from different subfields within evolutionary genetics and social ecology. Bridging this gap is crucial for understanding the origin of diversity in multicellular animals."
For most multicellular organisms on Earth, evolution occurs through selection and adaptation between two distinct groups: males and females. Although this division is central, we know very little about how and why the evolution of sex has influenced diversification, i.e., patterns of species emergence and extinction. This is partly because different theories and methods have yielded conflicting answers.
To address these questions, Stephen De Lisle is using a combination of experimental methods, both in the laboratory with fruit flies and through field studies on salamanders, to explore the interplay between natural and sexual selection. These experiments aim to provide insights into how sexual dimorphism affects species interactions during early stages of speciation.
"We intend to use comparative analyses with new comprehensive databases covering traits of multicellular animals to evaluate the impact of sexual dimorphism on contemporary population dynamics and its long-term significance for species diversification," says Stephen De Lisle.
The project aims to illuminate the critical role that the evolution of separate sexes has played in the development of diversity. Stephen De Lisle will investigate how the evolutionary independence of sexes has led to increased diversity by colonizing new habitats.
The overall aim is to understand how the evolution of sexual dimorphism may affect lineage diversification, through both effects on speciation and extinction.
"There are actually two longstanding hypotheses related to this overarching question, which provide conflicting predictions. One idea is that sexual dimorphism may promote speciation, and the other idea is that the evolution of sexual dimorphism involves a trade-off with species diversity due to ecological competition. I suspect that both hypotheses may play a role, and by combining different methods focusing on both mechanism and pattern, I hope to identify the various conditions."
Facts
- The four top researchers receiving funding in a collaboration between seven foundations are Laurence Picton, Karolinska Institutet; Kathlen Kohn, Kungl. tekniska högskolan; Roham Parsa, Karolinska Institutet; and Stephen De Lisle, Karlstad University.
- Researchers eligible to apply for funding from SFSG must have received top marks on their Starting Grant application to the European Research Council (ERC), but have not received funding due to ERC's limited budget.
- Sexual dimorphism is the difference in physical characteristics between males and females of a species. These differences include size, shape, color, and behavior, adapted for different reproductive roles. It is common in many animal species and arises through sex differences in sexual and natural selection.
- Read more here at the KK Foundation.
