PhD: Spatial signal and bias in the fossil record of seed plants in the late Mesozoic

As part of the recently established Emmy Noether Research Group “Spatial signal and bias in the fossil record of seed plants in the late Mesozoic”, we are hiring a doctoral student (m/f/d) in paleobiology and geoinformatics for a 3-year fixed term contract.

The project aims to identify the geological and biological causes of the patterns observed in Jurassic and Cretaceous floras by combining spatially explicit data from the rock record with trait-based data from the plant fossil record, in order to fully disentangle the different causes of the apparent quasi-synchronous radiation of seed plants. This position will focus on understanding the distribution of the rock record and the sampling effort of fossil plant sites across the globe during the Jurassic and Cretaceous.

Your tasks:

- Build a database of rock formations across the Jurassic and Cretaceous based on available information from geological maps and other literature.
- Obtain data from the Paleobiology Database and similar paleobiological databases on the sampling of the plant fossil record during the Jurassic and Cretaceous.
- Analyze the variation of rock availability through time using state-of-the-art statistical methods.
Identify the causes of sampling variation in the plant fossil record across time and space, and predict areas of high potential for future sampling.
- Disseminate results in scientific journals and international conferences.

Your profile:
Essential

- Diploma or Masters degree in Geology, Paleontology, Paleobiology or a related discipline.
- Good knowledge of the statistical programming language R.
- Strong interest in large-scale data analysis applied to geology and macroevolution.
- Good communication skills, in order to work in a highly collaborative and international environment.
- Very good command of written and spoken English.

Desirable

- Good knowledge of GIS software.
- Experience with geodatabase or other forms of spatially explicit data.
- Experience with the Paleobiology Database.
- Knowledge of stratigraphy and the plant fossil record.

How to apply:

Please send us your complete and meaningful application documents (letter of motivation, CV, training and employement references) as single pdf-file quoting Ref. #01-25002 by 16th of February 2025 to recruiting@senckenberg.de or apply directly on our homepage using the online application form.