Understanding the past and future of global cultural and linguistic
diversity.
(University of Auckland    School of Biological Sciences)

We offer two fully funded 3-year PhD positions working with Associate
Professor Simon Greenhill and Professor Quentin Atkinson to revolutionize
our understanding of human linguistic and cultural diversity.

We are a cultural species - no other organism socially transmits such
a diverse array of behaviour and knowledge. Worldwide, we speak more
than 7000 languages, we construct our social groups and kinship systems
differently, we sing, dance, and conduct diverse rituals, and the objects
we use in our daily lives are as varied as the activities we undertake
in those lives. This cultural information is fundamental to human
identity, carries our ancestors' wisdom, documents our prehistory,
and is embedded in our languages, thoughts, and societies. But most
of the world's languages and the cultures they represent are not
expected to survive this century. Surprisingly, we know little about
how this diversity was generated or its likely future trajectory. This
project will use computational models and newly available data to:
1) identify the drivers of cultural and linguistic diversity; and 2)
forecast how language loss and climate change will shape the future of
Indigenous languages and cultures around the globe. Our findings will
inform current understanding of human diversity and make inroads to
protect this precious intangible heritage before it is too late.

Potential Applicants:

Your job will be to quantify linguistic and cultural diversity around
the globe, identify and test what drives this diversity, and forecast
future diversity.
    - Excellent Master's degree in
      historical/typological/computational linguistics, evolutionary
      biology/ecology, or evolutionary/cross-cultural anthropology.
    - Experience with programming languages (e.g., R, Python) and
      computational models (Bayesian phylogenetic methods or spatial
      modelling).
    - Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.
    - Effective communication and teamwork abilities.

How to apply:

To apply, please send a cover letter explaining your motivation and
relevant experience, a CV/academic transcript, and contact details for
two referees to simon.greenhill@auckland.ac.nz

More details:

https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/understanding-the-past-and-future-of-global-cultural-and-linguistic-diversity/?p183755

Simon Greenhill <simon.greenhill@auckland.ac.nz>

(to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to
golding@mcmaster.ca)