Ph.D. position, University of
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Mechanisms and Evolution of Object
Play, Tool Use, and Material Culture in the genus Macaca
Hiring Organization:
University of Lethbridge
Date Posted:
2020-08-29
Position Description:
We are seeking an independent, conscientious and highly motivated students to embark
on a four-year Ph.D. program in the Department of Psychology at the University
of Lethbridge, starting either in May or September 2021, under the supervision
of Dr. Jean-Baptiste Leca.
Proposed research topic:
The Ph.D.
student will investigate the proximate and ultimate links between culturally
maintained object play and tool use behaviors in macaques. More specifically, the research
project will consist in testing the hypothesis that object play – or any other type
of object-related manipulation which does not seem to be immediately
instrumental or rewarded in a tangible way, including object exploration – facilitates
the development, expression, and evolution of tool-assisted actions that are
directly beneficial. Proximate causes will include developmental,
motivational, cognitive, and cultural processes; investigating them will
require training on the use of specific behavioral analyses (e.g., temporal structure
analysis, movement analysis, social network analysis). Ultimate causes will include
the functional significance of, and cross-species differences in, object-oriented
behavioral propensities; investigating them will require training on the use of
phylogenetic analysis.
To address
these questions, field observational and experimental data will be collected
and analyzed from captive and free-ranging populations in several macaque
species, with different manipulative tendencies (e.g., Balinese long-tailed
macaques, Japanese macaques, Taiwanese macaques, rhesus macaques, lion-tailed
macaques, and bonnet macaques).
Work environment:
As part of the Ph.D.
program, the successful applicant will likely do field research in different
countries (e.g., Indonesia (Bali), Japan, Taiwan, India), with the help of several
field research assistants. The Ph.D. student may also use a large existing
video-recorded data set on object play, extractive foraging, and tool use behaviors
in Japanese macaques and Balinese long-tailed macaques, already collected by
our research team members. The Ph.D. student will probably work in
collaboration with a M.Sc. student in our lab, each covering complementary
research topics pertaining to the mechanisms and evolution of material culture
in macaques.
Collaborative opportunities:
During the M.Sc.
program, the successful applicant may benefit from already established
collaborations between Dr. Leca and other researchers in various fields (e.g.,
Neuroscience, Kinesiology, Anthropology, and Ecology) and from different
academic institutions:
·
University of
Lethbridge:
o
Dr. Sergio
Pellis, with expertise in play behavior and movement analysis
o
Dr. Andrew
Iwaniuk, with expertise in phylogenetic analysis
·
Primate
Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan: Dr. Michael Huffman, with
expertise in cultural primatology
·
National
Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan: Dr. Hsui-Hui Su, with expertise in
primate behavioral ecology
·
National
Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India: Dr. Anindya Sinha, with expertise in primate
behavioral ecology and evolution
·
University of
Girona, Spain: Dr. Miquel Llorente, with expertise in social
network analysis and social learning
Qualifications/Experience:
Required – Applicants should:
·
have, or
be working toward a Master’s degree in biology, ecology, psychology, or anthropology,
with an emphasis on animal/human behavior (e.g., ethology, behavioral ecology,
cognitive science);
·
have a
solid GPA and some research achievements (e.g., publications or conference
presentations) to be eligible and competitive for internal awards,
scholarships, fellowships offered by the School of Graduate Studies at the
University of Lethbridge;
·
have a
previous field research experience collecting behavioral data from large groups
of individually recognized free-ranging animals (preferably, but necessarily,
primates);
·
have a
detailed knowledge of, and hands-on experience in, behavioral data collection
methods (e.g., focal and scan sampling techniques);
·
show a
positive attitude in the face of long
and tiring field work days and unforeseen challenges;
·
be
physically fit to stand and walk several hours a day under a hot and humid
weather, while collecting behavioral data;
·
feel
comfortable walking around a large group of well-habituated monkeys, which may (occasionally)
include getting a monkey jumping on the observer’s shoulders;
·
be
mentally strong and emotionally mature to spend several months living under
basic conditions and being far away from family and friends;
·
be
able to communicate openly with our team about any problems that may arise;
·
possess
strong social skills, which include enjoying working and communicating easily within
a small team, sharing knowledge, and being teachable;
·
fluency
in English (spoken and written).
Desirable – Priority will be given to
applicants with:
·
good
observation skills including patience, persistence and attention to detail;
·
a
previous experience using handheld data loggers in the field (e.g., field
computer/psion and video camera);
·
a
previous experience with behavioral data scoring softwares (particularly The
Observer XT by Noldus);
·
a
previous experience with (or at
least an interest in) behavioral analyses (e.g., temporal structure analysis,
movement analysis, social network analysis);
·
a previous
experience with (or at least an interest in) phylogenetic analyses;
·
a
previous experience traveling and living in foreign countries and cultures.
Salary/funding:
The successful applicant will be selected
on the basis of their eligibility and high probability to be fully funded by an
internal funding package offered by the School of Graduate Studies at the
University of Lethbridge. Indeed, provided a solid GPA and research potential,
the future Ph.D. student will be competitive for a tuition award (covering Ph.D. tuition fees and other
administrative fees at the University of Lethbridge), a fellowship award, a
teaching assistantship, and a Dean’s scholarship. This package may be
supplemented by a graduate research assistantship from the Ph.D. supervisor’s
research grant, if necessary.
Field research
expenses will be covered. This financial support will include one round-trip international
airfare (from Calgary to field research site(s)), administrative expenses incurred
while in the field (e.g., visa, long-term stay permit, research permit, field
site fees), and a monthly research stipend (covering basic local transport,
accommodation,
and food expenses).
Term of Appointment:
Depending on the successful applicant’s availability and the lifting of
covid-related international travel restrictions, the four-year Ph.D. program at
the University of Lethbridge will run:
·
either
from early May 2021 to April 2025 (application deadline at the University of
Lethbridge on February 1, 2021);
·
or from
early September 2021 to August 2025 (application deadline at the University of
Lethbridge on May 1, 2021).
Field data
collection will generally occur from May to August (i.e., 4 months during which
the successful applicant does not hold a teaching assistantship); however, this
schedule (i.e., when and how long) may be change depending on the
evolution of covid-related international travel restrictions.
Application Deadline:
Review
of applications to join our lab will begin immediately and will continue until
the position is filled.
Short-listed applicants will
be contacted to schedule phone interviews as soon as possible.
Comments:
Please
submit the following documentation in ONE single PDF file saved with your last
and first name in the file name (e.g., “Smith_John.pdf”):
·
A detailed cover
letter documenting your education, research experience, qualifications (among
those listed above), and interest in this position, with an emphasis on your
motivation to pursue your Ph.D. research on the topic described above. Please
also indicate whether you will be available to start the Ph.D. program either in
early May
2021
or in early
September 2021;
·
Your detailed CV, including all relevant degrees, diplomas,
certificates, coursework, field courses, field experience, and possible
publications/conference presentations;
·
A copy of your official undergraduate and graduate (M.Sc. or
M.A.) academic transcripts, with the detailed list of courses taken and the
corresponding grades;
·
Contact information (including email addresses) of THREE academic or professional
references who can attest to your qualifications, including ONE reference who
supervised you IN THE FIELD.
Applications
that contain more than one file will not be considered.
Your application should be
emailed to Dr. Noëlle Gunst (noelle.gunstleca@uleth.ca).
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, and we shall
get back to you as soon as possible, via email.
Contact
Information:
Jean-Baptiste Leca, PhD
Noëlle Gunst, PhD
Department of Psychology
University of
Lethbridge
Lethbridge, AB
Canada
Website:
http://www.jbleca.webs.com/
E-mail Address:
jeanbaptiste.leca@uleth.ca
AND