PhD position in integrative evolutionary biology (100% for 3 years) Influence of life-history strategies and ecology on population differentiation, speciation and macroevolutionary dynamics in mollusks from Lake Tanganyika Lille University, CNRS, UMR 8198 Evolution, Ecology, Paleontology (UMR 8198; https://eep.univ-lille.fr/en/presentation-english/), Lille, France under supervision of Dr. Bert Van Bocxlaer (DR, CNRS), Prof. Dr. Hugo Gante (Associate Professor KU Leuven, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium); Dr. Anne Duputié (MCF, Univ. Lille). Contact: bert.van-bocxlaer|at|univ-lille.fr, hugo.gante|at|kuleuven.be, anne.duputie|at|univ-lille.fr Start date and duration: October 2026 for 3 years Vacancy description: We are pleased to announce a fully funded PhD fellowship for a highly motivated, enthusiastic and independent person with a keen interest in integrative phylogenetics and population genetics studies of both extant and extinct biodiversity. We will focus on comparative analyses of environmental, phenotypic and molecular data (for extant taxa only) to understand how differentiation occurs among populations and how such differentiation contributes to lineage divergence. Strong knowledge and competences in computational evolutionary biology are expected. Advanced knowledge in bioinformatics, morphometrics and/or ecological data analysis are plus-points. Project description: A central aim of modern evolutionary biology is to understand how new species arise and how they cope with environmental changes. At the microevolutionary scale, research has focused on the mechanisms driving trait evolution and progressive reproductive isolation up to speciation in living taxa. At the macroevolutionary scale, paleontologists have accrued data on how species diversity waxed and waned over time, while phylogenetic approaches have been developed to infer rates of trait evolution, speciation and extinction. To what extent and how the mechanisms that generate intraspecific variation and population differentiation contribute to macroevolution remain central questions, however. In the project divEARS, we will address these questions via integrative studies of three mollusk families from the East African Rift Systems (EARS) at both microevolutionary and macroevolutionary scales. We will generate data on ecology, life-history traits, reproductive strategies, phenotypes and single-copy orthologous genes to document intraspecific variation, dynamics of population differentiation up to speciation, as well as phylogenetic rates of diversification and phenotypic evolution, leveraging new advances in phylogenetics. In this PhD project, we will study how differences in life-history strategies and ecology influence intraspecific variation, population differentiation, and ultimately dynamics of speciation in six clades of endemic mollusks from Lake Tanganyika. We will use phylogenetics to identify ~15-20 species pairs for subsequent comparative population genomic analyses. This approach will enable us to assess variation in genetic diversity and phenotypic disparity within populations, among populations and among species in the context of differences in life-history and ecology, providing insight into how intrinsic drivers of population differentiation contribute to the dynamics of speciation. If time permits, we will apply phylogenetic approaches on continent-wide representatives of the mollusk families that containing the six previously mentioned clades to examine how extrinsic (habitat heterogeneity, environmental stability) and intrinsic differences (life-history strategies and ecology) contribute to variation in macroevolutionary patterns as well as rates of diversification and trait change throughout the EARS. Methodologically, we will use a recently developed next-generation sequencing pipeline (Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. 2023) to obtain data on ~1500 genes to develop backbone phylogenomic and population genomic datasets. Morphological disparity will be documented with trait measurements and geometric morphometrics, whereas ecological data will be derived from metadata collected at sampling localities. Setting and requirements: The PhD fellowship is funded by Lille University and data acquisition by ANR PRC project divEARS (2026-2030). This PhD project will be developed at UMR 8198 Evo-Eco-Paleo of the CNRS and Lille University in the context of an international collaborative network, notably with the Department of Biology of the KU Leuven. Master students that are graduating in the academic year 2025-2026 are invited to apply. More information on studying at Lille University can be found on the Lille University webpage: https://www.univ-lille.fr/home/international-student/. Profile: - Master's degree in a relevant field (ecology, evolutionary biology, bioinformatics or equivalent) - Strong competences in phylogenetics, population genetics, morphometrics, statistical inferences - Eager to acquire new competences and knowledge - Fluent in English, good knowledge of French is a plus-point - Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment (independency, reliability, integrity) - Ability to write clear scientific reports and disseminate results - Have good non-academic attributes (e.g. maturity, open- mindedness, respectfulness) How to apply: To apply for this position, please send your complete application file to Bert Van Bocxlaer, Hugo Gante and Anne Duputié (email addresses indicated above) with as subject 'PhD in Integrative Evolutionary Biology' and your name. Applications are open until 5 April. Late applications will be evaluated until the vacancy is filled by decision of the doctoral school. The application should contain the following information: a complete academic CV (with a list of publications if applicable) ; copies of academic diplomas (BSc and MSc), and the associated grades ; a letter of motivation that briefly indicates research experience, interests for this position and future objectives; the name and coordinates of one or two references (typically the promotors/supervisors of your master research projects); if possible, a copy of your master thesis report. Informal inquiries as to this vacancy can be sent to directly to Bert Van Bocxlaer. References: Ortiz-Sepulveda, C. M., M. Genete, C. Blassiau, C. Godé, C. Albrecht, X. Vekemans, B. Van Bocxlaer 2023. Target enrichment of long open reading frames and ultraconserved elements to link microevolution and macroevolution in non-model organisms. Molecular Ecology Resources 23: 659-679 (https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13735). Bert Van Bocxlaer (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)