PhD Research Fellowship in Paleontology (ref 217881)

Updated: about 2 years ago
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 13 Feb 2022

This project will examine fossil material, collected by NHM researchers, from fossiliferous layers at three time-intervals from the Early Triassic of Svalbard. These three layers; the Fish Level, Grippia Level and Lower Saurian Level, record the rapid recovery of the marine ecosystem on Svalbard after the Permian Triassic mass extinction (PTME). The material is held in the collections at NHM-Økern (40.000+ fossils).  The project will give essential knowledge for understanding the recovery mechanics of trophic levels in marine ecosystems after mass extinctions. Teeth are by far the most common fossil type from the three bone bed layers and will be the focus of this project. This PhD project will estimate the composition of the vertebrate ecosystem based on dentition and compare the different bone beds. The morphotypes will be compared using ordination and unsupervised machine learning methods to show the variation in disparity in the bone bed layers and allow comparison through time after the PTME. This will allow us to estimate the recovery of different trophic levels over time. PTME biotic recovery is a ‘hot-topic’ with considerable potential for high-impact publication output. 

For more information and how to apply: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/217881/phd-research-fellowship-in-paleontology



Similar Positions