PhD Mésanges

A Marie Curie Early Stage Training fellowship is available for a PhD studentship based at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Edinburgh, UK, in collaboration with the Netherlands Institute of Ecology at Heteren, Netherlands, starting in September 2006.

The project will investigate the evolutionary quantitative genetics of important life history traits in a wild bird population, and the effect of changing environmental conditions on microevolution in natural populations. Using long-term records from several studies of great tits (Parus major) in the Netherlands, the student will quantify temporal changes in key components of fitness (fecundity, survival, breeding time) and in individuals’ ability to respond to different environments (plasticity). The project will focus on temporal changes in the heritability of traits, in the heritability of plasticity, and in genetic correlations between them, in order to identify genotype-environment interactions and ultimately to predict rates of microevolution. This will provide an illustration of the potential for climate change to shape genetic architecture and hence to drive evolution in natural populations. The study will involve a combination of statistical analysis and fieldwork, and the student would be part of the research groups of Dr Loeske Kruuk in Edinburgh (homepages.ed.ac.uk/loeske) and Prof. Marcel Visser in Heteren (www.nioo.knaw.nl/ppages/mvisser).

The studentship is available to nationals of EU member states and Associated Countries other than the UK. The living allowance will be the EU reference rate of €30,550 pa + a UK correction factor (12.5%), a mobility allowance and a travel allowance. See homepages.ed.ac.uk/eang09/MCwebpage.htm for further details.

To apply, or for further information, please send a CV and email addresses of 2 referees as soon as possible (before 6 Jan. 2005) to Loeske.Kruuk@ed.ac.uk.