[Taxacom] PhD on the evolution of the Southern Hemisphere grass subfamily Danthonioideae, University of Zurich

[Peter Linder]

PhD on the evolution of the Southern Hemisphere 
grass subfamily Danthonioideae, University of Zurich


Applications are invited to a PhD position in the 
Institute of Systematic Botany of the University 
of Zurich ( http://www.systbot.uzh.ch/index.html) 
. The thesis will be supervised by Peter Linder, 
and will be on the evolutionary history of the 
grass subfamily Danthonioideae. We have collected 
extensive information on this subfamily, and have 
built a dated phylogeny. Based on this the 
generic classification has been revised, and we 
have explored diverse evolutionary aspects (eg 
diversification of the snow-grasses in New 
Zealand, the role of glands in the African 
Pentameris clade, the influence of awns on the 
overall diversification rate, and the 
biogeographical history of the clade). This sets 
the stage from which to address several 
interesting research questions, including the 
impact of genome duplication on diversification 
rates, the phylogenetic and ecological correlates 
of changes in the leaf anatomy, the 
conservativeness of niche evolution, 
phylogeographical patterns in the diversification 
of Cape danthonioids, and the systematics of the genus Cortaderia.

Applicants should submit their CV’s, a letter 
indicating why they are interested in this 
position, a summary of their Masters thesis, and 
two references, Peter Linder at

<mailto:peter.linder at systbot.uzh.ch>peter.linder at systbot.uzh.ch

by 15 April 2010


Peter Linder
Institute for Systematic Botany
Zollikerstrasse 107
CH 8008  Zürich
Switzerland
Ph: +41 (0)44 634 8410
Fax: +41 (0)44 634 8403