PhD in Ethology (M/F)

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Influence of sex on social behaviour in juvenile solitary spiders. Among arthropods, the maintenance of social cohesion amongst juveniles is considered the primary route leading to the emergence of a permanent social life. Spiders provide suitable models for conducting comparative studies and exploring the mechanisms involved in the evolution of sociality. Although the majority of the 54,000 species are solitary as adults, all exhibit a transient gregarious phase during the early stages of their development, and around twenty social spider species have been described. In the solitary spider Agelena labyrinthica, our previous work has shown that the loss of social tolerance during ontogenesis results from isolation following dispersal: juveniles reared in groups remain tolerant, whilst those reared alone become aggressive. However, the influence of sex on the expression of these social behaviours in juveniles has never been studied. By combining ethological and molecular biological approaches, this thesis aims to characterise the influence of sex on the dispersal capabilities and the expression of social behaviours in juvenile solitary spiders.

Required skills
- Holder of a Master's degree in biology or ecology
- Solid knowledge of ethology and evolutionary biology
- Knowledge of molecular biology techniques (DNA extraction, qPCR)
- Rigorous and reliable
- Initiative and creativity
- Ability to work independently and organise experimental work effectively
- Good oral and written communication skills (French and English)
- Team spirit
- Enthusiasm for working with live animals and for fieldwork

Your Work Environment

The PhD student will join the Centre for Research on Animal Cognition (CRCA), an institute dedicated to multidisciplinary and comparative studies of cognition in various animal models. Based on the University of Toulouse campus, the CRCA has a staff of nearly 100, including forty permanent members. The CRCA forms part of the Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI), which brings together more than 400 scientists across some 40 research teams. The work carried out within the CBI covers a wide range of disciplines, including genetics, microbiology, cell biology, neurobiology and computational biology. The centre also benefits from numerous state-of-the-art technological platforms, offering access to high-calibre equipment and recognised technical expertise.
The PhD thesis will be supervised by Raphaël Jeanson (research director at the CNRS). The PhD student will join the CRCA's IVEP team (Inter-individual Variability and Emerging Plasticity).

Constraints and risks

- Thesis work may involve fieldwork abroad.
- Occasionally, work may be required at irregular hours and at weekends or on public holidays, depending on experimental requirements.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions