dimanche 29 juillet 2018

PhD position on the evolution of sexual conflict

PhD Student- The role of ecology in the evolution of sexual conflict
What do we offer? We offer a PhD position starting on September 2018 to January 2019.
To do what? We are looking for a PhD student interested in studying the evolutionary factors modulating the intensity of male-male competition and sexual conflict, and its consequences in terms of population viability. Strong sexual selection can improve population viability and evolvability through a number of processes, such as genic capture. However, strong sexual selection will also often give rise to sexual conflict and female harm, which does not only tend to deviate females from their evolutionary optima, but can drastically affect population viability, leading to a “reproductive tragedy of the commons”. We are still far from understanding what factors modulate the evolution of female harm levels, and sexual conflict at large, and how this feeds back into population viability. Our on-going research aims to contribute to fill these gaps in knowledge by investigating factors potentially modulating the evolution of sexual conflict. This PhD will explore the role of different ecological and demographic factors (e.g. temperature, population density and structure) affect male-male competition levels and the potential for sexual conflict, mainly in Drosophila melanogaster. The research project involves behavioural experiments in the lab, experimental evolution, and considerable fieldwork in Spain, the USA and Australia.
Funding We offer funding for up to 3+ yrs, but applicants will be expected to apply for independent PhD fellowships.
Where? The student will be supervised by Dr. Pau Carazo, and based at the Behaviour and Evolution group of the Ethology Lab, at the Cavanilles institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (University of Valencia, Spain). For information about our group visit our website (http://paucarazo.com).
Who? We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic, hard-working candidate with some background (and a strong interest) in sexual selection, and evolutionary biology and animal behaviour at large.
Contact For further information and expressions of interest, please contact Pau Carazo (University of Valencia; pau.carazo@uv.es). The deadline for applications is the 10th September.
 Best wishes,
Pau

Dr. Pau Carazo
Ramón y Cajal Fellow
Instituto Cavanilles of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology
University of Valencia
Tel: +34 963544051