PhD position: Evolution of Fish Life History Strategies

Doctorat / PhD Profil chercheur : First Stage Researcher (R1) Type de contrat : Temporary Date limite de candidature : 15 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Prague) Date de début : 1 Feb 2027 Programme UE : Not funded by a EU programme Domaine : Biological sciences

We invite applications for one fully funded PhD position to study the evolution of life-history traits in freshwater fishes. The PhD is expected to start in February 2027 , with enrolment at Masaryk University in Brno. The project Life-history strategies evolve in response to the ecological and evolutionary challenges faced by organisms, but their evolution is also constrained by ancestry and evolutionary history. This project will investigate how these forces shape the remarkable diversity of life-history traits found among freshwater fishes. The successful candidate will develop a research project within a larger comparative framework, focusing on traits related to reproductive biology, reproductive investment, sexual selection, and adaptation to challenging environmental conditions . The precise research questions and focal traits will be developed together with the selected student, providing considerable scope to pursue their own scientific interests while contributing to the overall aims of the project. Depending on the student's interests and expertise, the project can develop in one of two complementary directions: 1. Experimental and comparative research Conduct experiments with fishes to generate novel life-history data and integrate these data into comparative and phylogenetic analyses. 2. Phylogenomics and evolutionary diversification Use genomic data to investigate deeper evolutionary relationships and diversification within Nothobranchius , a diverse group of African annual killifishes, and use the phylogeny for broader comparative work. The two approaches can also be combined where appropriate.

We invite applications for one fully funded PhD position to study the evolution of life-history traits in freshwater fishes. The PhD is expected to start in February 2027 , with enrolment at Masaryk University in Brno.

The project

Life-history strategies evolve in response to the ecological and evolutionary challenges faced by organisms, but their evolution is also constrained by ancestry and evolutionary history. This project will investigate how these forces shape the remarkable diversity of life-history traits found among freshwater fishes.

The successful candidate will develop a research project within a larger comparative framework, focusing on traits related to reproductive biology, reproductive investment, sexual selection, and adaptation to challenging environmental conditions . The precise research questions and focal traits will be developed together with the selected student, providing considerable scope to pursue their own scientific interests while contributing to the overall aims of the project.

Depending on the student's interests and expertise, the project can develop in one of two complementary directions:

1. Experimental and comparative research Conduct experiments with fishes to generate novel life-history data and integrate these data into comparative and phylogenetic analyses.

2. Phylogenomics and evolutionary diversification Use genomic data to investigate deeper evolutionary relationships and diversification within Nothobranchius , a diverse group of African annual killifishes, and use the phylogeny for broader comparative work.

The two approaches can also be combined where appropriate.

Where to apply E-mail [email]