Missions

In connection with the objectives of the HorsePower project, the research carried out by the candidate should shed light on the history of horse domestication, particularly with regard to its role in the emergence of major powers in what are now Mongolia and China, as well as in the development of new belief systems. The role that horses may have played in the rise of other powers that have shaped more recent human history — notably in relation to colonization — may also be considered as a point of comparison.
The main approach will consist in analyzing horse genomes to uncover their origins, kinship relationships, and selected phenotypes, as well as to document breeding practices, their temporal changes, and regional specificities, particularly in relation to selection practices for environment and/or specific traits.

Activities

The candidate will devote most of their time to carrying out their research project within the international and collaborative framework developed around the ERC HorsePower project.
They will perform the computational analyses necessary for advancing the project, focusing on extensive genomic data already obtained (and to be supplemented by additional data currently being generated) from several hundred ancient equids. Genomic data from several hundred modern equids will also be available for comparison.

They will interact with a wide network of archaeologists, zooarchaeologists, and anthropologists in order to enable detailed interpretations of the data in connection with archaeological contexts.
They will prepare articles related to their own work in the project, in direct collaboration with their supervisor, and will actively contribute to the project's collective publications.

Skills

The candidate has successfully defended a PhD in the field of evolutionary genomics.
They are proficient in one or more programming languages and capable of implementing cutting-edge methods to characterize population structure, detect molecular signatures of selection, and contribute to the design and analysis of in vivo experiments aimed at functional validation.

The candidate has solid experience in the field of ancient DNA, particularly in the bioinformatic analysis of data generated by high-throughput sequencing technologies applied to ancient DNA characterization and whole-genome sequencing.
They demonstrate a strong record of scientific productivity.

The candidate has excellent command of written and spoken English (given the strong focus of the HorsePower project in China, proficiency in Chinese will be considered an advantage).
They have extensive experience working in an international research environment.

Knowledge of molecular technologies used in the production of ancient DNA data, as well as of the specific limitations inherent to such data, is required.
Skills and experience related to the evolution and domestication of the horse family will be considered an asset.

Work Context

The work will be carried out in connection with the ERC Synergy Grant HorsePower project, co-directed by Ludovic Orlando (https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/projects/horsepower-china-mongolia-and-steppe and https://www.horsepowerproject.org/), and involving a team that includes three other European laboratories. It will take place at the Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse (CAGT), in close collaboration with an international team of around twenty members.

The HorsePower project is dedicated to retracing the role of the horse in the emergence of the first nomadic steppe empires and the first imperial dynasty of China.

The work will be conducted within the HorsePower research project, as part of the AGES team at the CAGT, led by Ludovic Orlando. The CAGT laboratory is a joint research unit of the CNRS and the University of Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier, located on the university's Health Faculty campus in Toulouse. The unit includes over 60 members, about 30 of whom are permanent staff. It conducts research in the fields of evolutionary genomics, paleogenetics, anthropology, and evolutionary medicine (see https://cagt.cnrs.fr/

Additional Information

Thanks for applying and providing your resume together with your publication list and a motivation letter. Thanks also to add up to three referees. The application procedure will include an interview online in which applicants will present their background and previous research, and will discuss their skills and their scientific and professional expectations, in relation with the project and more broadly.