Lead supervisor: Dr Laura Fitton (University of York Department of Archaeology)
Co-supervisors: Dr Alana Sharp (University of Liverpool), Dr Philip Cox (University of York)
The student will be registered with the Department of Archaeology
Mammalian biodiversity is often linked to dietary diversity, with species possessing masticatory specialisations to help them attain and consume different foods. Whilst adult phenotypes have received much attention in relation to dietary adaptations, habitat and species ranges, much less work has been done on juveniles. During development bone grows and adapts, teeth wear and are replaced, and muscle properties change, but their impact (in isolation and combination) on feeding performance has rarely been studied, limiting our understanding of the impact of dietary shifts due to environment change.
This project will apply traditional dissection and virtual anatomy techniques (DiceCT, image segmentation, muscle dissection) to quantify how the hard and soft tissue anatomy of species, belonging to different dietary categories, changes during development. Using physical testing (universal materials testing, 3D printing technologies) and biomechanical modelling (multibody dynamic modelling), the impact of these changes on performance will be assessed.
This project would be ideal for a student with a background in anatomy, engineering, palaeontology, or zoology. Prior experience in masticatory anatomy and/or biomechanical modelling is a bonus, but not essential, as training will be provided in-house. However, the student should be competent in mathematics and data handling and comfortable with animal dissection. The student will be based with the principal supervisor, Dr Laura Fitton, at the University of York. Co-supervision will be provided by Dr Alana Sharp (Liverpool) and Dr Phil Cox (York).
The ACCE DTP is committed to recruiting extraordinary future scientists regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.
Entry Requirements: Students with, or expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply. The interdisciplinary nature of this programme means that we welcome applications from students with backgrounds in any biological, chemical, and/or physical science, or students with mathematical backgrounds who are interested in using their skills in addressing biological, ecological or evolutionary questions.
Programme: PhD in ACCE (4 years)
Start Date: 1st October 2022 (the student will be registered with the Department of Archaeology)
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in the w/c 21 February 2022
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