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| Investigating the Signature of Adaptive Radiation: A Study of East African Great Lake Catfish | ||||||||||||
Lakes, analogous to islands, provide less complex settings than continents or oceans in which to study factors affecting speciation. The East African Great Lakes are hotspots of biodiversity, having been established as major model systems for the study of adaptive radiation (1), most notably cichlid fishes (e.g. 2,3). In particular, the East African ancient lakes: Tanganyika and Malawi are some of the world’s richest freshwater ecosystems, containing numerous endemic species, many of which form evolutionary radiations. The multiple radiations of unrelated lineages offer biologists a unique opportunity to examine within lake diversification across a range of taxa, and hence test whether there are generalities common to these radiations. As such, it is possible to identify biological and/or environmental factors that have been responsible. However, non-cichlid faunas have received relatively little attention. Among the non-cichlid fishes that have radiated within these lakes are members of the Siluriformes (catfish), a hugely diverse group. Several unrelated genera that occur in African rivers, also form species flocks within the African ancient lakes (e.g. Synodontis 4,5). Thus, the objective of this project is to investigate the evolutionary radiations of catfish within Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi from an interdisciplinary approach, using a variety of methodologies (e.g. phylogenetics, stable isotopes) and data sources (e.g. genetic, ecological and morphological), to determine if these radiations are in fact adaptive, as defined by Schluter1, as well as quantifying their diversity. This project will not just be based in the laboratory, but will also involve fieldwork to the East African Great Lakes, as well as utilising the world-class collections of The Natural History Museum, London and the South African Institute of Aquatic Biology. To apply please send an email to both Dr Wilkinson and Dr Day outlining your interest and experience, and include a CV and at least two academic references. Funding Notes This project will be subject to open departmental competition, is funded at NERC CASE rates and is subject to NERC eligibility requirements (see details at: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/postgrad/eligibility.asp). Full studentships (stipend and tuition fees) are normally only available to UK citizens and to non-UK EU nationals who have been resident in the UK (including time spent in education) for the three years prior to the start date. Minimum UCL academic entry requirements apply (ie. BSc Upper 2nd Class Honours in a relevant subject). 1) Schluter D. 2000. The Ecology Of Adaptive Radiation. Oxford University Press. 2) Seehausen O. 2006. African cichlid fish: a model system in adaptive radiation research. Proc R Soc London B 273, 1987 1998. 3) Day JJ, Cotton JA & Barraclough TG. 2008. Tempo and mode of diversification of Lake Tanganyika cichlid fishes. PLoS ONE. 3 e1730. 4) Day JJ & Wilkinson M. 2006. On the origin of the Synodontis catfish flock from Lake Tanganyika, Biology Letters, 2, 548-552. 5) Day JJ, Bills R, Friel JP. 2009. Lacustrine radiations in African Synodontis catfish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 22 805-817. |
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