‘Individual strategies in group coordination: the role of spatial organization and vocal signaling’
A three year SNF funded PhD position is available from November 2012 at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Zurich (http://www.ieu.uzh.ch/index.html), to work on group coordination in the cooperatively breeding meerkat (Suricata suricatta). Within this project under the supervision of Prof. M. Manser, we will investigate whether individuals within foraging groups use spatial locations and vocal signals strategically based on their current state of relationships with other group members. Field observations and experiments with the most advanced techniques will be carried out on a habituated population of meerkats at the Kalahari Meerkat Project in South Africa (http://www.kalaharimeerkats.com/index.php?id=1), and theoretical models will be developed in collaboration with Prof. H. Bagheri’s (UZH) and Prof. F. Schweitzer’s (ETH) research groups.
Candidates, with a Master‘s degree (equivalent Diplom) in Animal Behaviour or a related subject, with field work experience and preferably a background (or at least a high interest) in theoretical modelling, who are used to work independent, and fluent in English (German knowledge is not requested), are invited to apply. Please send your application by email as a single pdf document (before the 25th of September 2012) to the address given below and include:
1) statement about previous research and future research motivation
2) CV (with publication list) and graduate and undergraduate degree certificates
3) full contact details of two scientific referees
Selected candidates will be invited for interviews at the beginning of October 2012. For additional information on the position please contact Marta Manser via email.
Prof. Dr. Marta Manser
Verhaltensbiologie, IEU
Universität Zürich email: marta.manser@ieu.uzh.ch
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich
Switzerland