Postdoctoral Research Assistant - Forams
This NERC-funded project aims to test whether adaptive zones have been important in shaping macroevolution, by focusing on the clade with the most detailed fossil record – macroperforate planktonic foraminifera – over the last 23 million years.
This role involves three main tasks. First, existing IODP cores will be stitched together to provide continuous synthetic stratigraphic columns through the Neogene in each of two widely-separated subtropical gyres. Second, these columns will be sampled at regular intervals, with the foraminiferal community characterized by complete assemblage counts and 2-D morphometrics. Third, the resulting data will be analysed using community phylogenetic and phylogenetic comparative approaches to test a range of predictions, and the results written up for publication.
The post is based with Prof Andy Purvis at the Natural History Museum in London. Some training is available on foraminiferal systematics and R programming, but a reasonable baseline of knowledge is required.
Role competences:
If you wish to be considered for this role you will need to address all of the following competences in your ‘cover letter’:
1. PhD in micropaleontology, comparative biology or a similar discipline
2. Up to 3 years of postdoctoral experience
3. Micropaleontology:
- Considerable experience with planktonic foraminifera is essential
- Expertise in taxonomy of Neogene planktonic foraminifera is desirable
- Ability to rapidly and accurately identify specimens to species is highly desirable
- Experience of assemblage counts is desirable
- Experience mounting, imaging and measuring specimens is desirable
4. Statistical computing:
- Considerable experience with R is essential
- Experience of morphometrics is desirable
- Experience of community phylogenetics is desirable
- Experience of phylogenetic comparative analysis of trait evolution is desirable
- Experience of writing R functions and packages is desirable
5. Other:
- Sufficient knowledge of sedimentology, including preservation and dating, to design the synthetic stratigraphic columns is highly desirable
- Experience of writing publication-quality manuscripts is essential
- Experience with specimen-level databases or Scratchpads is highly desirable
- Experience of stable isotope geochemistry is desirable
- Experience of supervising Masters project students is desirable