3-year PhD position at Bavarian State Collection of Palaeontology and Geology, Munich At the Bavarian State Collection of Palaeontology and Geology Munich, in the frame of a DFG-funded project the position of a research assistant (f/m/d) in the field of virtual palaeobiology for 3 years (75%) is to be filled as soon as possible. More than 250 years after Linnaeus described the first species, there is still disagreement about how to define and delimit species. This discrepancy is particularly evident when comparing fossil and living species, for which different types and amounts of information are typically available, which has led to a variety of different species concepts over the centuries. To compare past, present, and projected rates of biodiversity turnover, reconstruct biogeographic patterns, and realistically infer evolutionary processes, a standardized species classification system that considers fossils and living taxa equally is required. The aim of this project is to develop a new machine learning approach that uses image data for extant species for which species boundaries have been established based on molecular data to enable standardized and consistent species delimitation of related fossil species. Extant and fossil freshwater gastropods with comparable, high morphological plasticity are used as a model group. The data obtained are used to reconstruct biodiversity patterns and diversification processes of the fossil representatives. Tasks: - Development of a neural network for image recognition of extant and fossil species of gastropods - Reconstruction of biodiversity patterns and diversification processes - Travel to national and international palaeontological collections to acquire image material - Participation in national and international conferences to present research results - Cooperation with national and international research teams Required qualifications: - Completed qualifying university studies (MSc, Diploma) in the field of palaeobiology, palaeontology, theoretical biology, evolutionary biology or bioinformatics - Sound knowledge of machine learning, with a focus on neural networks - Knowledge of Python - Communication, organizational and team skills - Ability to express yourself verbally and in writing (German and English) Desirable skills: - Experience in biodiversity informatics and systematic taxonomy - Knowledge of convolutional neural networks and Siamese neural networks - Experience in statistical analysis using R - Experience in writing scientific publications We offer: - A stimulating working environment with various departments of natural history collections and museums, as well as in close cooperation with the Chair of Palaeontology and Geobiology at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the LMU, where you can pursue a doctorate - A diverse research environment with diverse expertise, cooperation opportunities and state-of-the-art research infrastructure - International networking and exchange opportunities - Remuneration according to the collective agreement of the federal states (TV-L E13 75%) We look forward to receiving your meaningful and complete application documents with a letter of motivation, CV (including list of publications) and certificates, which must be sent to bewerbung@snsb.de by April 30, 2024 at the latest. If you have any questions regarding the content, please contact Dr. Thomas A. Neubauer (neubauer@snsb.de), who will supervise this project. If you have any questions about the procedure or application process, please contact Ms. Susann Windisch (personal@snsb.de). Severely disabled applicants will be given preference if their suitability is otherwise essentially the same. In order to achieve equality between women and men, there is a particular interest in applications from women. We would like to point out that once the process has been completed, the application documents will be destroyed and not returned. Travel costs for traveling to a possible job interview will not be covered. Thomas A. Neubauer, PhD habil. SNSB - Bavarian State Collection for Paleontology and Geology Richard-Wagner-Stra�e 10 80333 Munich Germany Phone: 0049 (0)89 2180 6541 "Neubauer, Thomas A." (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)