PhD in Animal Physiology

PHD POSITION in Animal Physiology
UNIVERSITY OF PAVOL JOZEF ŠAFÁRIK in Košice – SLOVAKIA
Faculty of Science – Technology and Innovation Park

seek to recruit a new PhD student

Four-year PhD program: Convergent osteo-physiological patterns in the evolution of the flapping flight: pterosaurs (Reptilia) versus bats (Mammalia)

Synopsis: There are three groups of vertebrates that colonized the aerial environment: pterosaurs (Reptilia), avialan dinosaurs (Aves), and bats (Mammalia). Apart from their distinct ancestry, bats and pterosaurs are well-known examples of functional convergence of the forelimb in the evolution of flapping flight. In contrast to birds, the wing airfoil is formed by a skin membrane called patagium in bats and pterosaurs. Patagial wings consists of the same bone elements, however, their active involvement in flying mechanics was specially modified in each group, respectively. Furthermore, pterosaurs and bats exhibit the ability to employ the patagial wing in quadrupedal locomotion.
This doctoral project is centered for the evaluation of adaptive changes of the wing bones of pterosaurs and bats at the microscopic scale. Bone tissue is considered here as a functional interface useful for correlation of osteonal bone patterns and growth dynamics, locomotor performance, metabolism and termoregulation. The main aim of the project is the quantitaive reconstruction of physiological characteristics in the evolution of the first active flying vertebrates – pterosaurs.
We expect the applicants to be fluent in spoken and written English, to show high work engagement, to work along and in a team, in lab as well as in field, to handle correctly fixed biological material and fossils, and to be interested in 3D imaging, phylogenetic and statistic methods.

Supervisor: Associate Professor Martin KUNDRÁT – Head of PaleoBioImaging Lab and Team Leader of Evolutionary Biodiversity Group; Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park, UPJŠ in Košice, Slovakia.
Co-supervisor: Professor LÜ Junchang – Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
Co-supervisor: Professor Beňadik ŠMAJDA – Head of Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, UPJŠ in Košice; Slovakia