Disentangling competing sources of morphological variation in the fossil record of geckos and skinks from New Zealand and New Caledonia

Overview

The Department of Zoology has a strong international reputation in whole-organism biology, with research strengths in areas including conservation biology, genetics, evolutionary parasitology, environmental physiology, wildlife management, neurobiology and statistical modelling, as well as in molecular, functional, population, community, freshwater and behavioural ecology.

We have well-established links to the Departments of Botany and Marine Science, to the cross-disciplinary Ecology, Genetics and Neuroscience Programmes, and to other centres at the University of Otago, providing a collaborative environment and resources for innovative interdisciplinary research.

Our staff have international reputations in their areas of expertise and make major contributions to answering fundamental questions in basic and applied research.

About the position(s)

As a PhD or MSc student, your thesis research will be funded by a Marsden Fund project that aims to disentangle competing sources of morphological variation in the fossil record. Preliminary evidence suggests that variation within species is often mistaken for variation between species, perhaps leading to taxonomic over-splitting and inflated estimates of biodiversity and speciation/extinction.

You will work with the postdoctoral fellow and research assistant to test this overarching hypothesis by applying a novel combination of geometric morphometrics and palaeo-genetics to contemporary and fossil specimens of geckos and skinks from New Zealand and New Caledonia. You will lead a subset of the project, based on your area of expertise (e.g. palaeo-genetics, geometric morphometrics) and interests (e.g. skinks, geckos, New Zealand, New Caledonia). The outcomes of this research will have important implications for taxonomy, palaeontology, and conservation. We welcome potential students who want to focus on geometric morphometrics, palaeo-genetics, or a combination of both.

You will be located in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago, which has a dedicated ancient DNA laboratory, a modern genetics laboratory, and access to high-throughput DNA sequencing and 3D micro-CT scanners on campus and across Australasia. The department has a large, vibrant, and diverse research environment, providing opportunities to interact with students and academics across ecology, evolutionary genetics, neurobiology, parasitology, physiology, and zoology.

The PhD and MSc student will be supervised by Associate Professor Nic Rawlence and Dr Jo Monks (Otago University), Dr Kieren Mitchell (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research), and Dr Emma Sherratt (University of Adelaide). As part of the Marsden Fund project, you will be part of an internationally collaborative team including a postdoctoral fellow and research assistant, and researchers and museums from New Zealand, Australia, New Caledonia, the UK, and the USA.

Skills required

The PhD or MSc student must have an interest in evolution, palaeontology, geometric morphometrics, and/or genetics. The candidate will ideally have a background in genetics or biological sciences. The successful candidate will need strong organisational skills to lead experiments, experience with lab work, and an ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Candidates should have a BSc or equivalent for the Masters project, or a BSc(Hons), MSc, or equivalent for the PhD project.

Some knowledge and experience in some or all of the following areas would be advantageous:

1. Molecular biology (specifically modern and ancient DNA extraction, single and double stranded DNA library preparation, quantitative PCR, hybridisation capture enrichment).
2. Experimental design for Illumina high-throughput DNA sequencing platforms.
3. Bioinformatic analysis of high-throughput sequencing data (especially genome-scale data and/or ancient DNA data).
4. Phylogenetic analysis (especially BEAST and maximum likelihood methods).
5. Geometric morphometrics (3D micro-CT scanning, 2D and 3D photogrammetry, morphometric analysis in R).

Equal opportunities

We are committed to an inclusive and supportive research environment for people of all genders, ethnicities, and abilities.

Scholarships available at the University of Otago

The University of Otago offers PhD scholarships (fees and stipend, $32,544 pa) for three years, and MSc scholarships in the second year (fees and stipend, $18,204 pa). Research costs are covered by a Marsden Fund grant.

How to apply

To apply, email a cover letter (outlining your interests and background), your CV, academic transcript, and the names of three referees to:

Associate Professor Nic Rawlence
Email nic.rawlence@otago.ac.nz

Enquiries and questions before applying are welcome.

Applications will close 29 February 2024, with the student ideally starting from mid-2024.

Useful information

• Graduate research at the University of Otago
• Scholarships at the University of Otago