“How are social behaviours and social cognition related to helping behaviours in a cooperatively breeding fish?”
This project will be carried out in the context of a large‐scale breeding scheme of a PhD project on the genetic basis of helping behaviour in the highly social African cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher. These fish have turned into a model species for studies of social evolution based on detailed information about their ecology and behaviour, excellent possibilities for behavioural and physiological experiments and recent sequencing of their full genome. In this cooperatively breeding species, the offspring stay in their natal territory and assist the breeder pair with territory maintenance, brood care and defense. The main focus of the breeding experiment is on how juvenile fish help the breeder pair with brood care: cleaning eggs from fungus and defending the clutch against an egg predator. In the master project behavioural tests will be done assessing whether certain social behaviours (e.g. aggressiveness, submissiveness, the ability to compete for a shelter, etc.) are inherited in connection with helping propensity in this fish species by comparing these traits among siblings and non‐relatives.
The master student will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Barbara Taborsky and Claudia Kasper (PhD student). We are looking for a strongly motivated student with a Bachelor’s degree preferably in Behavioural Ecology/Ethology or a related discipline. Experience with fish is beneficial but not required. The project should be started ASAP (ideally April/May 2014). No funding is available but we will provide support and assist the candidate if he or she wishes to apply for a grant.
The Ethologische Station Hasli of the Division of Behavioural
Ecology of the University of Bern, situated in a picturesque forest a few minutes from the city of Bern, is a bustling research environment consisting of ca. 7 PhD‐students and advanced research staff and a varying number of master’s students and guest scientists. Besides our Behavioural Ecology group, the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Bern comprises research groups in Aquatic Ecology (Ole Seehausen), Community Ecology (Wolfgang Nentwig), Conservation Biology (Raphael Arlettaz), Evolutionary Ecology (Heinz Richner) and Population Genetics (Laurent Excoffier). The city of Bern, a UNESCO world heritage, is situated only 30 min from the High Alps of Switzerland. Please visit our website for more information: http://behav.zoology.unibe.ch.
Application:
To apply (in English or German), please send a letter of motivation, providing a short overview of your interests and experience, and your CV to:
claudia.kasper@iee.unibe.ch
barbara.taborsky@iee.unibe.ch