Job advertisement
The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz IZW) in Berlin is Germany’s premier wildlife research institute. The Leibniz IZW focuses on the life histories and mechanisms of evolutionary adaptations of mammals and birds, their limits and their conservation in natural and anthropogenically influenced environments. The institute operates within the fields of evolutionary ecology, ecological dynamics, evolutionary genetics, wildlife diseases, reproduction biology and reproduction management.
The IZW Department of Evolutionary Ecology offers (beginning earliest 1st November, 2022) an unpaid
Masters Student Project (m/w/d)
MSc project on the long distance communications in lions (Panthera Leo).
Tasks:
One of the most iconic sounds in the natural world is the roaring of lions; these roars are a form of long distance communication used to establish and maintain territories. However, little research has been done on what information is included in the lion’s roar and what factors affect lions roaring. Our project has equipped seven lions with GPS collars that include a continuously recording microphone.
The candidate will develop his/her/their own research questions within the scope of the project using audio recordings from collar mounted microphones. Additionally, GPS data from collared lions, and morphometric data is available.
Potential Research Areas:
- As intraspecific conflict in this species can be deadly, there should be a selection pressure to be able to broadcast a lion’s physical size over a distance. In this project a student will compare the acoustic variables of a lion’s roar to the morphometric data collected on these lions.
- Temperature, humidity and wind speed affect the propagation of sound waves and lions are primarily active at night. In this project, a student will investigate what environmental factors influence when lions roar.
- Lions with larger home ranges will have a lower chance of having their roars heard by a neighbour. Do lions with larger home ranges roar more?
Requirements:
Registration at a German university at a faculty of biology in a Master programme.
A suitable candidate will have some experience with R, a good command of English and preferably some experience with Audacity or other acoustic software and/or QGIS.
Good organisational skills, high motivation and the ability to work independently for long hours are essential. Personal interest in the questions of how species adapt to ongoing change is a bonus.
Applications and working environment:
The position will start on 1st Nov 2022 as soon as it is filled and will last for at least 3 months. Work load comprises a minimal of 10 hours per week, the actual amount of hours can be negotiated. The place of employment is the IZW Berlin or alternatively at home and no travel for the project is envisaged.
Enquiries or questions should be directed to PhD candidate Douglas Branch at +49 30 51 68 712, branch@izw-berlin.de.
As a member of the Leibniz Association the Leibniz-IZW is an equal opportunity employer, determined to increase the proportion of women in successful scientific careers, and particularly encourages women to apply. Preference will be given to disabled applicants with the same qualifications.
Please upload complete application documents including a letter of motivation, CV, proof of university enrolment and contact details (email address and telephone) of a person who can provide a reference. Submit your application as soon as possible but no later than 30th November 2022 via the Leibniz-IZW’s online-job-market (button “Apply online”).
