PhD Studentship: Postreproductive Maternal Care and the Evolution of Sex Differences in Lifespan

University of East Anglia; Norwich; Vor Ort; GBP 21.000 - 23.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Fully funded

Stipend £21,805 p.a. 2026/27

Research training and support grant

Zusammenfassung

University of East Anglia in Norwich invites applications for an ARIES PhD Studentship exploring postreproductive care and longevity in nematodes. The project combines evolutionary theory, ecology and genetics to test whether maternal provisioning affects lifespan across species.

You will gain training in experimental design, phylogenetic analysis, statistics and R coding, with multi‑disciplinary supervision and opportunities for develop employability after the PhD.

Qualifikationen

• Interest in evolution, ecology or genetics.
• Strong motivation and ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Willingness to undertake rigorous training across topics in evolutionary biology.

Aufgaben

• Test whether postreproductive maternal care explains sex differences in lifespan across nematode species.
• Measure sex-specific survival, reproduction and provisioning across species.

Kenntnisse

Interest in evolution/ecology

Analytical skills

R coding

Tools

R programming

Jobbeschreibung

Scientific background

Why do some animals continue to live long after they have stopped reproducing? Classical evolutionary theory predicts that they should not. The force of natural selection on survival declines with age and falls to zero once reproduction ceases, so organisms are expected to die soon after their final reproductive event. Yet substantial postreproductive female lifespan occurs in humans, elephants and several toothed whales, and remains a striking unresolved problem in evolutionary ecology.

The leading explanation is intergenerational transfer theory, which posits that a female who no longer reproduces can still increase her fitness by provisioning her descendants. If care extends the period over which selection acts on survival, then species where mothers care after reproduction should evolve longer‑lived females. This idea is compelling but almost untested, because it has only been studied in protected long‑lived mammals which precludes experimental approach.

We have discovered a system where we can test this theory experimentally. In the nematode Caenorhabditis kamaaina, females that have finished reproducing secrete a nutritive fluid that their larvae eat, and provisioned larvae grow substantially faster. Remarkably, this is also one of the very few Caenorhabditis species in which females outlive males.

Research methodology

You will test whether postreproductive maternal care explains sex differences in lifespan. Using an available living collection of wild nematode species, you will measure sex-specific survival, reproduction and postreproductive maternal provisioning across phylogenetically diverse species, and test the prediction that the caring sex is the longer‑lived sex. You will then use custom genetic tools developed in our lab to understand the fundamental biology linking postreproductive care and long life.

Training

You will gain skills in experimental design, phylogenetic analysis, statistics and coding in R, evolutionary theory, molecular ecology and genetics, scientific writing and presentation. You will receive multi‑disciplinary training in evolutionary ecology/biology and in bio‑gerontology, thereby increasing opportunities for employability after the PhD. You will participate…in‑house research discussion groups and journal clubs.

Person specification

We seek an enthusiastic, highly motivated individual with a strong interest in evolution, ecology or genetics.

Funding details

ARIES studentships are subject to UKRI terms and conditions(opens in a new window). Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully‑funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£21,805 p.a. for 2026/27) and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.

£21,805 p.a