Domestication and environmental adaptation in livestock

About the Project

Project Description

Livestock species have an incredible history, having been recently domesticated from wildlife species such as the aurochs, mouflon, wild buffalo etc, and since then having been changed by early and modern farmers to fulfil an economic role supporting human societies. Through that process, livestock species have changed morphologically and behaviourally, with all those changes having left signatures in their genome on the genes responsible for these phenotypes (e.g. Orozco-terWengel et al 2015, Alberto et al 2018). Moreover, livestock species have been moved far and beyond their domestication geographic regions, having exposed them to a range of novel disease, food sources and climates. Such movements across the world became more pervasive during the last 500 years when Europeans contributed to moving livestock all over the world using ship trading routes.

This PhD will use a variety of livestock species to characterise their population structure and genetic variation, to help redefining the centres of livestock domestication (e.g. Pitt et al 2019 a,b) and to model their domestication history to assess the evidence for past bottlenecks and population expansions. Furthermore, using a comparative genomics approach between the species ancestral range and geographic areas where they have been recently introduced, the project will look at determining genes involved in environmental adaptation. Together with environmental niche modelling, this data will be used to assess the adaptive potential of various livestock species to the expected environmental changes derived from climate change.

Contact details for supervisor- Dr Pablo Orozco Ter Wengel

Email – Orozco-terWengelPA@cardiff.ac.uk

Phone Number - +44 29208 75206

How to apply:

You can apply online - consideration is automatic on applying for a PhD in Biosciences

Please use our online application service at https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/biosciences-phd-mphil-md

Please specify that you are applying for this particular project, the supervisor and source of funding.

Information on the application process can be found here

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying

Please provide a CV, 1 Page (max) statement of purpose, two letters of support from referees, copy of transcripts and diplomas at point of application.

Academic criteria: Applicants should have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, Applicants with a lower second class will only be considered if they also have a Master’s degree. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.

English requirements: IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in all subskills, or equivalent. Please see our English Language Requirements guidance for more details.

Funding Notes

This 4-year project is suitable for self funded or externally funded students looking for a PhD position at Cardiff University.

Funding required will need to cover the Tuition fees, bench fees and Living expenses.