University of Southampton - Infrastructure Research Group
Research Assistant Post
Early Carboniferous palynology and tetrapod evolution
Tetrapods evolved from fish some 400 million years ago during the Devonian Period. But for all of this time they remained fish with fingers. In the Devonian-Carboniferous mass extinction the tetrapods disappeared from the geological record (Romer's Gap) for some 20 million years. The breakthrough is the discovery of a number of sites rich in fossils (tetrapods, fish, arthropods, plants) from within the gap that will enable us to track both tetrapod evolution and its associated ecosystem. These are all in the Scottish Borders. NERC has awarded a major Consortium Grant to a multidisciplinary group that is going to study these new sites. To tie these sites together and understand the relationships between environment, evolution and time within the Gap a 500m borehole is being drilled through the entire succession. The work of the RA will primarily be on the fossils spores from the borehole and a number of tetrapod sites and other field localities across the Midland Valley of Scotland.
The postholder will assist in developing a new quantitative palynostratigraphy for the earliest Carboniferous in the Scottish Borders and Midland Valley. They will be fully involved in logging field sections, excavating tetrapod sites and borehole sampling. They will be expected to work closely in the field with sedimentologists and help develop an integrated environmental models and a refined spore/ostracod zonation scheme. It is a unique opportunity to work with a consortium of specialists from the universities of Southampton, Leicester and Cambridge, the BGS and the NMS on a project that promises to rewrite our concept of tetrapod evolution.
The palynological training will give enhanced employment prospects in the energy industry.It is expected that applicants will have a good degree in the Earth Sciences but this is not essential. This 3 year post carries a starting salary of £22k and there will be an opportunity to register for a higher degree. The project website is at http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/highlights/2013/TWeed.html
Applications are via www.jobs.soton.ac.uk quoting reference 234013HN, closing date 31st May 2013.
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