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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:calibri">PhD offer:</span></u></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:calibri">Alien parrots: social and genetic structure of an invasive population</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri"> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:calibri">Lead supervisor: Prof. Ben Hatchwell, University of Sheffield, APS, UK</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:calibri">Co-supervisors: Dr. Dan Franks, Biology & Computer Science, University of York, UK
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:calibri"> Dr. Juan Carlos Senar; Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Spain.</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri"> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri">Invasions
by alien species are an increasing threat to global biodiversity and an
understanding of the process of invasion is a key requirement if we are
to mitigate the impact of this
threat. The main focus of studies of invasive species has been on the
species traits and population dynamic processes associated with
successful invasions. However, individual behaviours, social
interactions and kinship are also likely to play vital roles
in determining dispersal and other key demographic traits influencing
invasion success, but these have been overlooked in previous studies.
This project will take a multidisciplinary approach to fill this
important gap in the study of biological invasions.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri">The studentship involves study of an invasive parrot, the monk parakeet
<i>Myiopsitta monachus</i>, a species that has colonized cities across
Europe, North America and Asia. This species is a highly social
cooperative breeder that is unique among parrots in building communal
nests that may house several pairs. The student will
use observational, experimental and molecular genetic approaches in a
population of individually marked monk parakeets living in Barcelona,
the largest European population (>5000 birds). The growth of this
invasive population has been well documented from
its early stages and its numbers are currently increasing
exponentially, with a growing impact on native biodiversity and
agricultural production.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri">The student will:</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri">1.
Determine the genetic structure of the population at spatial and social
scales ranging from individual nests to the whole city.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri">2.
Test the roles of behavioural interactions and relatedness as drivers
of dispersal and social associations using social network analysis.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri">3.
Investigate how cooperation and conflict over individual investment in
communal nests determine the decision to initiate new colonies.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri"> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri">For more information visit:</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:calibri"><a target="_blank" href="https://acce.shef.ac.uk/alien-parrots-social-and-genetic-structure-of-an-invasive-population/"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">https://acce.shef.ac.uk/alien-<wbr>parrots-social-and-genetic-<wbr>structure-of-an-invasive-<wbr>population/</span></a></span><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)">Dr Sonia Vanderhoeven</span><br style="color:rgb(102,51,102)"><br style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)">Science Officer</span><br style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)">Belgian Biodiversity Platform</span><br style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.biodiversity.be">www.bi</a></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.biodiversity.be">odiversity.be</a></span><br style="color:rgb(102,51,102)"><span><span><span><span><span><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><img src="http://www.biodiversity.be/1575/download/inline" height="76" width="96"></font></span></span></span></span></span><br style="color:rgb(102,51,102)">
<div style="color:rgb(102,51,102)"><font size="2" face="Tahoma">SPW-DGARNE-DEMNA<br>Direction de la Nature et de l'Eau<br>Avenue de la Faculté,
22<br>B-5030 Gembloux</font></div>
<div style="color:rgb(102,51,102)"> </div>
<div style="color:rgb(102,51,102)"><font size="2" face="Tahoma">Tél : 081/620 438<br><br></font></div><div style="color:rgb(102,51,102)"><font size="2" face="Tahoma">ORCID : 0000-0002-6298-5373</font></div><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,51,102)"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.biodiversity.be/"></a></span></div></div></div>
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