The evolution of sex and society
It is now widely established that selection on sexual behaviour has
profound effects on the evolutionary transitions to cooperative societies
in which individuals forego the pursuit of selfish reproduction to
help others.
For example, cooperative breeding and eusociality have
been shown to be more likely to evolve when groups are founded by
monogamous females. However, it is currently unclear how the evolution
of cooperation is influenced by selection on sexual behaviour other
than female promiscuity. This PhD position will explore the relationship
between sexually selected behaviour and cooperation using a combination of
phylogenetic comparative analyses, field tests, experimental manipulations
of social groups, and quantitative genetic and genomic analyses. The
comparative component of this project will mainly be focused on birds, but
with the potential to examine other taxonomic groups, and the fieldwork
will be conducted on populations of ostriches,Struthio camelus, in Africa.
Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who-
have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least
240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses,
or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in
Sweden or abroad.
In particular the candidate should have:
1. A BSc or MSc in Biology, or closely related field, with a background
in evolutionary theory and ecology.
2. Practical experience of measuring social behaviour and conducting
fieldwork in remote and difficult environments with knowledge of
birds being an advantage.
3. Experience of molecular genetics and laboratory work as well as basic
skills in bioinformatics.
4. A good understanding of statistics both practically and conceptually.
5. Excellent spoken and written English.
Basis of Assessment
The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of
Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies
may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a
doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from
PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting
themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may
be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration,
in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.
More specifically, we are looking for a highly motivated candidate
with a strong scientific curiosity that has previously demonstrated the
ability to conduct high quality scientific research. In line with this,
candidates will be evaluated using the following criteria:
1. The ability to work independently, formulate and solve
scientific problems.
2. The relevance and quality of qualifications, experience and
publications and/or degree projects.
3. The clarity of written and oral communication. â¨
4. The scientific quality and feasibility of the research plan
(See below).
To facilitate assessment candidates are required to submit, together
with their application, a motivational letter of why they want to do a
PhD in ecology and evolution (1/2 page max), and a brief research plan
outlining a topic they are interested in, why this is important and how
the ideas presented can be tested (max 1 page).
Informal enquiries are welcome.
Deadline for applying: 30th March 2015
Charlie Cornwallis
Lund University
Web: https://lu.mynetworkglobal.com/en/what:job/jobID:59750/where:4/
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