PhD position on the project: The evolutionary causes and consequences of human commensalism - NIOO-KNAW - Wageningen

Project description:
It is becoming exceedingly clear that humans have, and still are, drastically altering the planet. Although human activity typically has a negative effect on biodiversity, some species have rapidly adapted to novel niches opened up by human activity. These anthrodependent taxa differ from domestic species; they depend on human resources but have evolved without our direct interference. Such species thrive in our vicinity and are well known to us, e.g., they are the birds we see in our gardens. Yet, despite our familiarity with human-commensal species, our understanding of the evolution of anthrodependency and its consequences are lacking. 

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a successful human commensal that thrives in human created niches. It has adapted to urban and agricultural habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Intriguingly, a number of other Passer sparrows are also human commensals having likely experienced similar selective pressures. The overarching aim of the project is to determine the evolutionary causes and consequences of human commensalism in European Passer sparrows and we will achieve this by addressing a set of key questions: Has anthrodependency arisen just once and spread via introgressive hybridization, or has it evolved in parallel in Passer sparrow species and subspecies? Are similar genes and phenotypes involved in independent adaptation to a human niche? What are the consequences of human commensalism for morphology, physiology, and behaviour and species interactions? 

The PhD project
The PhD student will conduct research aimed at understanding the evolutionary consequences of human commensalism and how it might drive divergence in phenotype, physiology, diet, and gut microbiomes, as well as the potential for reproductive isolation, between commensal and non-commensal Passer sparrow populations. To achieve these aims, we will compare commensal and non-commensal populations and (i) quantify variation in skull and bill morphology, (ii) test for dietary shifts towards anthropogenic food sources, (iii) measure variation in bite force capacity, (iv) quantify gut microbiome compositional and functional diversity, (v) quantify behaviour, (vi) assess immune function, and (vii) examine variation in reproductive behaviour and biology (e.g., breeding sites, sperm function). We will also use cline analysis to investigate the potential for selection and reproductive isolation between commensal and non-commensal lineages. The PhD project will involve both fieldwork and work in the laboratory, and will include behavioural, immunological, and reproductive assays, genomic analysis and bioinformatics. 

Training
The student will receive training in a broad range of core biological skills ranging from experimental design, molecular laboratory techniques, to statistical analysis and bioinformatics.