Thesis supervisor: László Zsolt Garamszegi
co-supervisor: Enikő Kubinyi
Location of studies (in Hungarian): ELTE TTK, Etológia Tanszék Abbreviation of location of studies: ELTE
Description of the research topic:
"Dog breeds display extreme morphological, physiological and behavioural variation. Breed differences enable us to choose the ideal pet, but also raise important questions from an evolutionary point of view. The present variability in breeds is due to a several thousand years long natural experiment, i.e. domestication. However, we know only little about the selective pressures which resulted in the emergence of breeds. Our aim is to reconstruct the evolutionary mechanisms affecting the phylogeny of dogs (thus the present breed diversity). In order to identify specific evolutionary patterns we develop a large database containing more than one hundred breeds, together with their morphological (e.g. brain volume, teeth, fur type), behavior (playfulness, trainability, aggression), and genetic (genetic resemblance, inbreeding) characteristics. Data will be analysed by state-of-the-art phylogenetic comparative methods.
We are looking for a PhD student who is not only interested in dogs, but also in the ‘big questions’ of evolution, ecology and behavior; who is not afraid of modern statistics and big data; who is ready to submerge in the scientific literature, and ambitious in publishing and career development. The student will profit from the international collaboration of two supervisors: Enikő Kubinyi (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest) expert on canine cognition and behavior and László Zsolt Garamszegi (Doñana Biological Station, Sevilla), who focuses on phylogenetic comparative methods, animal personality and communication.
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Required language skills: magyar/angol Further requirements: interest in big data and statistical approaches
Number of students who can be accepted: 2
Deadline for application: 2019-05-31
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
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