Adaptation and speciation: what is the role of chromosomal inversions?

The origin of species through the operation of divergent natural selection in the presence of gene flow is a controversial process. It can be aided by processes that restrict recombination, including chromosomal inversions. Recent research in several species has supported the possible role of inversions, but there is still much to learn about their contribution. We have discovered putative inversions that contribute to a differentiation between locally-adapted populations of the coastal snail, Littorina saxatilis a major model system for understanding the genetic basis of adaptation and speciation. We now seek a highly-motivated student with a passion for evolutionary biology to join a large team working in the UK, Sweden, Spain and France. You will follow up the exciting new observations of inversions using field sampling and experimental manipulation, with behavioural, morphological and genomic analyses, learning a wide range of techniques.