Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Evolutionary Biology
A two year position as postdoctoral research fellow available at Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences.
Within the framework of the position duties may be assigned. The position is available from April 2017. No one can be appointed for more than one fixed-term period at the same institution.
The Postdoctoral fellow will be part the DETERMINE project (Dissecting evolutionary rates across time: Bridging micro- and macroevolution) lead by Dr. Kjetil Lysne Voje (PI), where the main goals are to estimate rates of evolutionary change across different time scales, to identify factors that make certain species exceptional evolvers and to investigate on which time scales potential constraining mechanisms hinder evolution. The candidate will work in close collaboration with the PI and the rest of the project team, which includes Professor Thomas F. Hansen and Associate Professor Lee Hsiang Liow.
The position will be affiliated to CEES, a national centre of excellence (CoE). The appointment is for a period of two years, potentially including some time at the National History Museum in London. The Research Council of Norway finances the project.
Project description
While natural populations show high potential to evolve, species in the fossil record are often observed to change very little on macroevolutionary time scales. One hypothesis for why species show little change on million-year time scales is based on how traits are genetically linked: For example, strong directional selection on a trait may result in only a small evolutionary response if this trait is genetically linked to other traits under strong stabilizing selection, causing multivariate constraints.
The goal of the 2-year postdoc project is to estimate quantitative genetic parameters from the fossil record and use these to investigate how genetic (co)variances evolve, constrain and enhance trait evolution across various time scales. Much of the work will involve measuring and analysing traits in bryozoan fossils. Bryozoa is a phylum of colonial metazoans with an especially rich fossil record. This allows for repeated measurements of genetically identical individuals and therefore precise estimation of quantitative genetic parameters from fossil lineages.
The project provides a unique opportunity to study the relative effects of adaptation and constraints over different time scales, testing novel ideas in the intersection between micro- and macroevolution. The ideal candidate will make a major contribution to the planned research, but will also develop his/her own complementary lines of research that reflect the candidate's own expertise and interests, and that fit within the project's main goals.
Qualifications:
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being a leading research faculty. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.
Applicants must hold a PhD-degree (or other corresponding education equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree)
We are seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic and hard-working postdoctoral candidate with the ambition to gain new insights in evolutionary biology and publish papers in leading, international journals. The candidate will generate and analyse large amounts of fossil data, so the ideal candidate has a high sense of organization, experience with morphometrics and data analysis (R programming language and statistical modelling), and strong statistical and writing skills. A background from evolutionary biology is considered an advantage, and interest in and knowledge of quantitative genetics are particularly appreciated.
Applicants must show good interpersonal skills and be willing to work in close collaboration with the project PI and other members of the project team, as well as have the ability to work independently. Applicants should have a good publication record for their career stage.
The main purpose of post-doctoral research fellowships is to qualify researchers for work in top academic positions within their disciplines.
For more information click "Further official information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://uio.easycruit.com/vacancy/1766941/96871?iso=no