Does phenotypic plasticity age?

Synopsis 

Global change can have very unexpected outcomes in wild populations, especially if it interacts with other ecological processes, such as processes negatively affecting population’s demographics. One of such factors influencing population viabilities in dramatic ways is overharvesting of wild populations (fish or crustaceans, for example). Overharvesting can change age structures of populations, increasing numbers of short-lived or fast-ageing individuals. To see how coping with changing conditions (external temperature) depends on individual age by exposing individuals of varying age to contrasting thermal conditions. We will also decompose their plastic responses into their genetic and non-genetic parts.

Aims 

You’ll answer the following questions: ‘Does phenotypic plasticity depend on individual age?’ and ‘Is age-dependence of plasticity and learning genetically determined?’

Student benefits 

You’ll learn many skills essential for conducting high quality research and moving into a PhD. These skills include:

• experimental design
• behavioural assays
• data collection and management
• advanced statistical analyses.

Writing and publishing a scientific paper in a well-regarded journal.

Supervised by Dr Szymon Drobniak, Dr Erin Macartney, Prof. Shinichi Nakagawa