Two new PhD scholarships available

Balance and mass distribution of the head in bipeds

The shift during human evolution from quadrupedal locomotion in a pronograde position to bipedalism in an upright, orthograde position is associated with the fragmentation of wooded habitats. Standing and moving in an upright posture on two legs requires a number of adaptations to maintain balance of the whole body against the ground and also the head atop the vertebral column with minimal energetic cost. Bipedal locomotion in mammals has independently evolved within marsupials and rodents in addition to humans. This project will investigate the role of the redistribution of mass in the head of bipeds to bring the centre of mass of the head closer to the vertebral axis of the body, and so aid in maintaining the balance of the head and whole body when upright.

This project will use CT data to quantify and map the mass distribution in the head of bipedal and quadrupedal primates, rodents and marsupials. An additional aim of the project is to reconstruct the mass distribution of the head in fossil hominins using fossil hominin crania to address the evolution of bipedalism in humans. The development of a validated method to reconstruct the missing soft tissue of the fossil crania will be necessary to understand the link between anatomical, behavioural and environmental changes associated with upright locomotion

This project would be ideal for a student with a background in anatomy, engineering, palaeoanthropology, palaeontology, or zoology. Prior experience in working with imaging data and/or biomechanics is an advantage, but not essential, as all necessary training will be provided. The student should however be competent in mathematics and data handling. The student will be based with the principal supervisor, Dr David Orton, at the University of York. Co-supervision will be provided by Professor Nathan Jeffery (Liverpool) and Dr Nathan Wales (York).

Find more information and how to apply on the FindAPhD website

Using Ancient DNA to explore the effects of land use change on small mammals

Lead supervisor: Dr Sam Cobb (University of York Department of Archaeology)

Co-supervisors: Dr Selina Brace (NHM) Dr Laura Fitton (University of York Department of Archaeology) Dr Sophy Charlton (University of York Department of Archaeology)

This project will use CT data to quantify and map the mass distribution in the head of bipedal and quadrupedal primates, rodents and marsupials. An additional aim of the project is to reconstruct the mass distribution of the head in fossil hominins using fossil hominin crania to address the evolution of bipedalism in humans. The development of a validated method to reconstruct the missing soft tissue of the fossil crania will be necessary to understand the link between anatomical, behavioural and environmental changes associated with upright locomotion

This project would be ideal for a student with a background in anatomy, engineering, palaeoanthropology, palaeontology, or zoology. Prior experience in working with imaging data and/or biomechanics is an advantage, but not essential, as all necessary training will be provided. The student should however be competent in mathematics and data handling. The student will be based with the principal supervisor, Dr Sam Cobb, at the University of York. Co-supervision will be provided by Professor Nathan Jeffery (Liverpool) and Dr Laura Fitton (York).

The ACCE DTP is committed to recruiting extraordinary future scientists regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.

Find more information and how to apply on the FindAPhD website