PhD fellowship in ADAPTATION AND FUNCTIONING OF SPECIES IN ECOLOGICALLY ISOLATED SYSTEMS

available at University of Rennes 1, France.

Scientific background: Most of ecology is implicitly based on the evolutionary assumption that species respond to environmental change by adaptation. Recent studies, however, indicate that this is not necessarily true. Under climate change, for instance, species tend to migrate with their climate and sedentary species tend to be replaced by immigrating invaders. Adaptation is thus replaced by migration and invasion. It has therefore recently been suggested that adaptation may occur only under very particular conditions such as ecological isolation of species within niche space (Ackerly 2003). The major goal of this thesis will be to test the importance of ecological isolation for phenotypic and genotypic responses of species to environmental change, and for the way how species interact with their environment. Approaches include meta-analyses of recent databases on the phylogeny, biology, ecology and sociology of plant species and on their genotypic differentiation. Application to various model systems in the field is possible.

Organizational background: A PhD fellowship by the Ecole Doctorale Vie, Agro, Sante (http://www.vas.univ- rennes1.fr/scripts/index.php, allocations 2005 on the left) for three years, approx. 1040 Euros/month (which can luckily be backed by teaching assistance). Please note that a certain proficiency of French is expected at the end of the thesis. In fact, the introductory and concluding parts of the thesis have to be in French. Such proficiency is indeed useful to more easily integrate. At the same time, everybody is capable and willing to communicate in English with a foreigner, and French students are obliged to take courses in English. For formal reasons, the application has to contain a one-page summary of your MSc thesis, and a half-page summary of earlier theses or reports; and this also has to be in French. The rest of the application (c.v., expertise, list of all kinds of scientific communications, research interests and outlook, letters of reference, transcripts) as well as the presentation can be in English. Candidates are invited to submit their English versions to Andreas Prinzing (see below), who can also suggest low-price translation services that may help in the preparation of the French versions.

Qualification of the candidate: French DEA / Master II or equivalent (MSc,
Diplom.) in biology or related field from a country of the European Union or the numerous European countries that have signed the Accord relatif
l'Espace Europeen de l'Enseignement Superieur (see
http://www.dr.education.fr/Alloc_doc/alloc_2.html) Broad interest and experience in ecology and evolution, particularly the interface between macroevolution and microevolution; experience in advanced classical statistical concepts (e.g., multivariate techniques, generalized linear models, null modeling), phylogenetic, morphometric or population genetic statistics. Writing and communication skills, stress tolerance and single mindedness; possibly programming capabilities.

Application from beginning of June to July-4 (deadline) online at http://www.vas.univ-rennes1.fr/scripts/index.php. Please send a *copy* to andreas.prinzing@univ-rennes1.fr. Presentations of short-listed candidates on July-11 and 12.

For further information please contact:
Andreas Prinzing, Prof.
Universit de Rennes 1
Unite Mixte de Recherche CNRS 6553 Ecobio : Ecosystemes - Biodiversite - Evolution Campus de Beaulieu, Batiment 14A 263 Avenue du General Leclerc 35042 Rennes Cedex, France andreas.prinzing@univ-rennes1.fr http://ecobio.univ-rennes1.fr/Fiches_perso/Fiche.asp?pseudo=APrinzing