PhD studentship based in České Budějovice, Czech Republic 2022–2025
Supervisors: Dr Vojtěch Kubelka (University of South Bohemia, CZ) Prof Tamás Székely (University of Bath, UK)
Sex roles (i.e. courtship, competition for mates, pair bonding and parenting) are among the most diverse social behaviour. Recent research is uncovering key elements of sex role variation, but significant gaps remain. Appropriate sexual behaviour is essential for reproduction, and thus understanding the causes and implications of sex roles are at the core of evolutionary biology and fundamental for the study of life history evolution, physiology and population biology. Understanding sex roles and demography (reproduction and mortality rates) is also important for biodiversity conservation since disruptions to normal sexual behaviour due to environmental changes reduce the viability of wild populations.
Our group is running an international project ÉLVONAL Shorebird Science: https://elvonalshorebirds.com/ with teams distributed worldwide to investigate sex role evolution in shorebirds. This PhD project will focus on sex role behaviour and demography in shorebirds. Using behavioural observations in wild populations it will investigate causes of courtship behaviour, pair bonding and parenting. The PhD student will test whether (i) sex role behaviours are induced by ambient environment, demographic parameters or social environment, (ii) explore the relationship between different sex role components, and (iii) test the fitness implications of sex role variations. We are also interested in the conservation implications of shorebird field biology and the particular targeting of the PhD project will be developed together with a successful applicant.
The ideal candidate has a strong interest in evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology and field biology, willing to work in remote areas, e.g. Arctic regions, South America, South Africa or elsewhere. He/she needs to have a solid background in data analyses preferably in R, and statistical modelling. A condition of the application is a Master degree (or equivalent) in biology, zoology or a similar subject. Experience in field ornithology and bird ringing or the use of comparative methods is desirable but not essential. The studentship can start during March – September 2022. We are preferably seeking candidates willing to raise their own funding but there are other options too.
České Budějovice is a vibrant medium-sized city and centre of South Bohemian region with an international university community. The University of South Bohemia is the biggest higher education institution in the region with more than 9,000 students, numerous leading departments in natural sciences and field research stations at Svalbard or Papua New Guinea. Five institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences are situated on the same campus, forming the Biological Centre and representing outstanding cooperation opportunities. The surrounding of České Budějovice has diverse natural and cultural landscapes, including Šumava National Park, two UNESCO biosphere reserves and numerous protected areas with impressive wildlife.
Interested candidates should contact Vojtěch Kubelka kubelkav@gmail.com. Applications that include a CV (max 3 pages) and a max 2 pages cover letter with personal motivation and the name and contact details of two references (both documents in English) should be sent to Vojtěch Kubelka before the deadline.
Deadline of application: 15 December 2021.
Selected References
Carmona-Isunza, M C, C Küpper, M A Serrano-Meneses & T. Székely. 2015. Courtship behavior differs between monogamous and polygamous plovers. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology 69: 2035–2042.
Liker A., Freckleton R. P. & Székely T. 2015: The evolution of sex roles in birds is related to adult sex ratio. Nature Communications 4 (1587).
Vincze, O., A. Kosztolányi, … & T. Székely. 2016. Parental cooperation in a changing climate: fluctuating environments predict shifts in care division. Global Ecology and Biogeography 26: 347–358.
Kubelka V., Šálek M., Tomkovich P., Végvári Z., Freckleton R. P. & Székely T. 2018: Global pattern of nest predation is disrupted by climate change in shorebirds. Science 362: 680–683.
Kubelka V., Sandercock B., Székely T. & Freckleton R. P. 2021: Animal migration to northern latitudes: environmental changes and increasing threats. Trends in Ecology & Evolution DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.010