The mechanisms by which organisms adapt to rapid environmental change, and the consequences of such adaptation for other components of organismal biology are currently pressing questions, but have also been important throughout evolutionary history. The DPhil student will be part of an active research group which focusses on wide-ranging aspects of the evolutionary ecology of adaptation to dynamic environments. Current approaches include understanding the role of social learning for rapid behavioural adaptation, ecological studies of synchrony between trophic levels, and genetic studies of spatial adaptation. The details of any project will be worked out in discussion with the student, but the main focus of our current work is on populations of tits Parus, that have been the subject of long-term study at Wytham near Oxford.
Experience & Qualifications
MA (Cantab) Natural Sciences, PhD Zoology Sheffield
30 years of research experience; 16 as full Professor at Oxford
