PhD position in Paleontology in the University of Lille

The University of Lille (France) may open a three-year PhD position in paleontology beginning in September 2014. Prospective graduate students interested in geometric morphometrics, macroevolution, and evolutionary ecology of marine invertebrates are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will work and collaborate with several researchers of the paleontological team of the University of Lille. For additional details, see below.

Application:
* Deadline: the 20th of June
* For more information and to download the application file, visit our website: http://geosystemes.univ-lille1.fr/geosystemes/spip.php?article322&lang=en
* Final decision with regard to the funding or not of this PhD position: the 27th of June

Interested candidates should contact the two supervisors:
* Dr. Catherine Crônier (Lecturer; Univ.Lille1/CNRS) at catherine.cronier@univ-lille1.fr
* and Dr. Claude Monnet (Research Engineer; Univ.Lille1/CNRS) at claude.monnet@univ-lille1.fr

Team: The paleontological group of the University of Lille works on topics such as evolutionary biology, biostratigraphy, paleoecology and paleogeographic and paleoclimatic reconstructions, and to these ends uses a wide range of fossil groups, including microfossils (palynomorphs, foraminifera, radiolaria), invertebrates (ammonoids, brachiopods, corals, echinoderms, trilobites) and vertebrates (Paleozoic fish). The overarching objective of the research is to better understand the relationships between the biological evolution and the paleoenvironmental changes that took place in deep time (especially the Paleozoic). For more information about the research in our lab, please visit the website: http://geosystemes.univ-lille1.fr/geosystemes/?lang=en

Subject of the PhD: This project will investigate the evolutionary responses of marine organisms facing climate changes by quantifying their (taxonomic and morphological) diversity and evolutionary patterns during the Paleozoic; with a peculiar focus on the Devonian as well as on the ammonoids, but not exclusively (comparison with radiolarians and trilobites are expected). The major analytical steps of this research project will be: data compilation (ammonoids and temperatures) of all occurrences of ammonoids during the studied time interval with filling and use of the worldwide “Paleobiology Database”; acquisition of morphometric data for each specimen record of the database; the reconstruction of biochronological scales and phylogeny of studied ammonoids; the evaluation by means of quantitative and statistical analyses of both the taxonomic diversity and the morphological disparity of ammonoid shells in space and time; and finally the comparison with known climate changes in order to extract ! any correlates between global warming and previously identified biotic changes.