PhD in Palaeoecology

Applications are invited from Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Republic of Ireland candidates only. International candidates should NOT apply for this PhD opportunity. This project investigates the depositional processes associated with environmental DNA in complex landscapes, specifically with regard to the taphonomic processes controlling deposition in lake and their catchments. There is a pressing need to utilise multi-locational sampling strategies to correlate sedaDNA sequences, and to investigate whether (i) there is correlation between sequences from discrete sample locations within lakes, and in the terrestrial sequences within lake catchments contributing to these sequences. This project will dovetail with a recently awarded AHRC Standard Grant (£1.5m awarded to PI, collaboration between QUB, Cardiff and Newcastle). As a part of the project the environmental and agrarian history of a series of palace complexes is being investigated by multi-proxy palaeoecology, including a combination of sedimentary aDNA and other proxies. This project will focus on interrogating control sequences to investigate correlation across catchments and the taphonomic processes impacting deposition.