PhD Studentship: Eco-evolutionary drivers of hybrid fitness in snapdragons

A PhD studentship (3.5 years) is available from May 2025 under the supervision of Dr Sean Stankowski, Biology department, School of Life Sciences.

Overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic & motivated PhD student (starting May 2025) to study the ecological and genetic drivers of hybrid fitness in fitness in snapdragons.

The project

Are you fascinated by evolution, ecological processes, and the role that natural selection plays in shaping biodiversity? If so, join a team of international researchers focused on understanding the factors that shape fitness variation in a Snapdragon hybrid zone in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Snapdragons have been a model for studying trait variation since the time of Mendel and Darwin, and their vibrant flower colour patterns provide a rare opportunity to dissect the genetic and ecological processes maintaining species boundaries. In the Pyrenees, two subspecies—A. m. pseudomajus (magenta flowers) and A. m. striatum (yellow flowers)—come into contact, forming hybrid zones. These striking flower colour differences are controlled by a handful of key genetic loci and are thought to influence pollinator behaviour. Because colour loci segregate & recombine in hybrids individuals, their flower colour varies dramatically from the typical magenta and yellow subspecies. Our past work suggests that selection--probably selection by bee pollinators--is acting to keep two subspecies distinct.

This PhD project will contribute to our genetic, ecological, & evolutionary forces acting on this hybrid zone. Possible research avenues are up for discussion, but could include field experiments on pollinator behaviour, genomic analyses of colour-pattern loci, phenotypic analysis, and modelling evolutionary dynamics in hybrid populations. The project will take advantage of more than 15 years of data, and may combine molecular techniques, ecological fieldwork, & bioinformatics, offering training in a broad range of cutting-edge research skills.

The team

You will work in the Speciation Research Group (https://www.speciationgroup.org/) led by Dr Sean Stankowski in the Ecology and Evolution department at the University of Sussex, Brighton. There will be ample opportunity to collaborate and/or share findings with other scientists from the broader snapdragon community, including Nick Barton (IST Austria), and David Field (Macquarie University), Frank Chan (Groningen), and Enrico Coen (John Innes Centre). You will also benefit from other research groups within the Department of Ecology & Evolution who study evolution (Adam Eyre-Walker), and plant pollinator interactions (Beth Nicholas and Maria Clara Castellanos)

Informal enquiries about the project are especially welcome and can be made to:

Sean Stankowski at s.stankowski@sussex.ac.uk

How to apply:

Please submit a formal application by clickng the 'APply' button, above, attaching a CV, degree transcripts & certificates, and two academic referees. A research proposal is not required. Instead, please upload a personal statement describing your subject areas of interest, skills and previous experience, motivation for Doctoral Research, future goals, and why you are applying to this project.

On the application system select Programme of Study – PhD Biology. Please select ‘funding obtained’ and state the supervisor’s name where required. Applicants with overseas fee status need to provide evidence showing how they will fund the difference between Home and International tuition fees (approx. £18k per year).

Eligible applicants will hold a 2:1 BSc in a relevant subject.

Candidates for whom English is not their first language will require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall, with not less than 6.0 in any section or equivalent proficiency - English language requirements

For enquiries about the application process, please email:

Emma Chorley, lifesci-rec@sussex.ac.uk

Advert information