Research Officer: Major Evolutionary Trends and the Importance of Fossil Data
University of Bath
Department of Biology & Biochemistry
Ref: 09064JK
3 year fixed-term post
Closing date: 18th May 2009
Description:
What are the largest scale trends in the history of Life?
Do animal groups become inexorably more complex with time?
Do clades explore most anatomical design options early in their history?
Do more "advanced" clades competitively replace their forebears?
Answers to these questions can only be obtained by combining data from
fossils and stratigraphy with inferences from phylogeny. Before
embarking on this, we must know if evolutionary trees and fossil dates
are reliable. If biases exist, where are they, and how can we control
for them? This project will address all of these related questions
using novel statistical palaeontological approaches.
This project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, has three related
themes: Fossils and Phylogeny, Completeness of the Fossil Record and
Macroevolutionary Trends. You will contribute to all aspects of the
project, but will be strongly encouraged to pursue your own research
interests within one or more of these themes. You should have a PhD in
phylogenetics, systematics or an appropriate area of mathematical
biology. Knowledge of statistics and good programming skills are a
distinct advantage.
For more information, please contact Dr Matthew Wills, Tel: +44
(0)1225 383504, [log in to unmask]
Salary: In the range of £29,704 - £31,513 per annum
Further particulars:
http://www.jobs.ac.uk/jobs/QU171/Research_Officer/
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