MNF/Open PhD position in Branching Spirals in Deep Time: Ammonoid Phylogeny and Macroecology (Male/Female)

Universität Zürich - May 23, 2026

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Your Responsibilities

The offered PhD project will be centered on constructing an ammonoid phylogeny within a Bayesian framework, in collaboration with two postdoctoral researchers, the project leader, and a large group of international collaborators. The PhD candidate will:

  • Assist in defining morphological characters for character matrices to study ammonoid evolution;
  • Select a substantial group of ammonoids for which representative taxa will be scored;
  • Conduct Bayesian and parsimony analyses;
  • Integrate findings into an ammonoid supertree;
  • Investigate an additional significant aspect of ammonoids, such as dimorphism or variability.

Your Profile

The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated student of Life Sciences or Earth Sciences, with a background in biology, geology, or paleontology. Excellent writing skills in English are essential. Familiarity with methods for reconstructing phylogenies, such as Bayesian and parsimony approaches, is advantageous; however, it is expected that this knowledge will be developed early in the project. Some computational skills or experience in statistics are desired, and knowledge of ammonoid paleobiology would be beneficial. While German language skills are an asset for daily life in and around the university, they are not required for the position.

Application Process

Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

For further inquiries, please contact:

Christian Klug
Prof.
chklug@pim.uzh.ch

Location : Zürich
Country : Switzerland

Application Form

Please enter your information in the following form and attach your resume (CV)

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