Postdoc evolutivo con osos de agua o tardígrados

*PostDoc position in tardigrade evolution*

A 3-year postdoctoral position in tardigrade evolution at the
Jagiellonian University in Kraków (Poland) in the team of Dr. Łukasz
Michalczyk.

The main goal of the project is to test how reproductive mode and
cryptobiotic abilities affect dispersal and, in consequence, speciation
and extinction rates in tardigrades. Tardigrades are a phylum of
microinvertebrates that dwell a wide variety of habitats throughout the
globe. They are famous for their cryptobiotic abilities that allow them
to withstand extreme conditions (including outer space) and are also
thought to aid dispersal of individual species. Moreover, tardigrades
exhibit various reproductive modes, including dioecy and
parthenogenesis. Theory predicts that both asexual reproduction and
cryptobiotic survival should increase dispersal potential. On the other
hand, both reproductive mode and dispersal abilities are hypothesised to
affect speciation and lineage extinction rates. Thus, tardigrades are an
interesting model to address some of the fundamental questions of modern
evolutionary biology, biogeography and taxonomy such as mechanisms
underlying the evolution of biodiversity or evolution of sex.

The successful candidate will be involved in laboratory work (extraction
of tardigrades from moss samples, slide preparation, morphometrics and
imaging in light microscope, processing specimens for scanning electron
microscope, karyotyping, DNA extraction, amplification and multilocus
sequencing (NGS), species identification, testing cryptobiotic
abilities, and taking care of tardigrade cultures) and in data analysis
(mostly phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses) as well as in
preparation of manuscript drafts and in the promotion of results at
seminars and conferences.

The salary is ca. 4 500 PLN per month after tax (typically, cost of life
in Kraków for a single young person is ca. 3 500 PLN/month).

Deadline for applications: 20th May 2020.

Detailed information on the project, university, our team and the
application procedure is available at http://tardigrada.edu.pl/PostDoc.htm

Dr. Łukasz Michalczyk
LM@tardigrada.net