PhD position: Evolution of Avian Mating Systems in Taiwan

 PhD position on the breeding ecology and evolution of mating systems in shorebirds in Taiwan

Mating systems can influence sexual selection, parental behaviour, and other social behaivours in wild animals. Despite many studies investigating the causes and consequences of several common mating systems such as polygamy and monogamy (with or without extra-pair mating), our understanding on polyandry remains limited. The diverse mating systems in shorebirds make them an ideal system to study the causes and consequences of sex-role reversal in polyandry. The objective of this studentship is to investigate these fundamental issues by means of fieldwork and population genetics on breeding shorebirds in Taiwan.

WHAT:

We seek one bright and highly motivated student with strong interests in evolutionary ecology and behavioural ecology. The successful candidate is expected to conduct extensive fieldwork in residential areas, so strong willingness to conduct fieldwork and good communication ability with residents are essential. This student will search for nests, trap and ring birds, take blood samples and record their behaviours. In addition, this student will use molecular methods to reconstruct the pedigree of avian population(s). Previous experience with avian field biology and the ability to work independently is important.

The successful candidate will be co-supervised by Yu-Hsun Hsu and Tamás Székely. Both supervisors share their research interests on the evolution of avian mating systems. Professor Tamás Székely is one of the core members of the ÉLVONAL SHROEBIRD SCIENCE. By participating in this PhD project, the successful candidate may have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other shorebird ornithologists.

WHERE:

This student will be based in the Department of Life Sciences in National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bio.ncku.edu.tw%2Fenglish&data=02%7C01%7Cbssts%40bath.ac.uk%7C25f5c733c4de402e828308d83b6ae6ca%7C377e3d224ea1422db0ad8fcc89406b9e%7C0%7C0%7C637324677620846461&sdata=zBOqnpHR9ZHpTzd82MHLuea4ZdxacqIiURURbWoaD6c%3D&reserved=0). Full funding is available by the ÉLVONAL SHOREBIRD SCIENCE to cover the fieldwork, attending conferences and visiting Tamás Székely in the University of Bath, UK. Scholarship for the first year will be provided by NCKU. The amount of scholarship may increase by Yu-Hsun Hsu’s grant funding for the second year onwards depending on your performance.

HOW:

To apply, please send your CV, the name of two referees, and a concise statement of your research interests, the transcripts of your BSc and MSc as a single PDF file to yuhsunhsu@mail.ncku.edu.tw. All documents should be in English. The deadline of application is 15th September 2020. A double interviews with both Yu-Hsun Hsu and Tamás Székely will be held soon thereafter. After the interviews, the successful candidate will need to go through the official application process in NCKU before 10th October 2020.
For further information concerning this position, please contact Yu-Hsun Hsu ( yuhsunhsu@mail.ncku.edu.tw ).


Websites with related information:

Yu-Hsun Hsu: https://sites.google.com/site/yuhsunhsu/

Hsu, Y.-H.. The consequences of infidelity in non-human animals. In: *Handbook of Infidelity*. Expected in 2020. Edited by T. Shackelford & T. DeLecce.
Oxford University Press. Invited review. *Accepted*.

Hsu, Y.-H., R. B. Cocroft, R. L. Snyder & C.-P. Lin. 2018. You stay, but I
hop: Host-shifting near and far co-dominated the evolution of *Enchenopa* treehoppers. *Ecology and Evolution* 8(4): 1954-1965.

Hsu, Y.-H., J. Schroeder, I. Winney, T. Burke & S. Nakagawa. 2015. Are extra-pair males different from cuckolded males? A case study and a meta-analytic examination. *Molecular Ecology* 24(7): 1558-71

Tamás Székely: https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/tamas-szekely

Kubelka, V., M. Šálek, P. Tomkovich, Zs. Végvári, R. Freckleton & T.
Székely. 2018. Global pattern of nest predation is disrupted by climate change in shorebirds. *Science* 362: 680-683.

Eberhart-Phillips, L. J., C. Küpper, M. C. Carmona-Isunza, O. Vincze, S.
Zefania, M. Cruz-López, A. Kosztolányi, T. E. Miller, Z. Barta, I. C.
Cuthill, T. Burke, T. Székely, J. I. Hoffman & O. Krüger. 2018. Demographic causes of adult sex ratio variation and their consequences for parental cooperation. *Nature Communications* 9:1651

Pipoly, I., V. Bókony, M. Kirkpatrick, P. F. Donald, T. Székely & A. Liker.
2015. The genetic sex-determination system predicts adult sex ratios in tetrapods. *Nature* 527: 91 – 94.

ÉLVONAL SHOREBIRD SCIENCE: https://elvonalshorebirds.com

Department of Life Sciences in NCKU: https://www.bio.ncku.edu.tw/english