Background:
Northern bats are only active for a few months out of the year, during which they must reproduce and acquire enough energy stores to last the winter. When active, bats prefer to only fly in darkness. This creates a challenge for bats in northern latitudes, where summers are short and the nights are bright, especially under the midnight sun, which provides light throughout the night. We know that bats north of the arctic circle are active for fewer months out of the year and fly for fewer hours than their southern counterparts. We also know that bats in northern latitudes reduce the home range size over which they fly during the period of the midnight sun and that home range size in general is associated with wing shape. However, we don’t know if the challenges imposed on bats living at high latitudes has facilitated wing shape adaptations. This project seeks to investigate how wing shape varies along a latitudinal gradient in Norway.
We are seeking:
A driven MSc student with an interest in exploring biological form and function. You will contribute to a new study measuring wing shapes in bat specimens from different latitudes in Norway.
What you will learn:
You will learn how to study biological form and function. You will gain expertise in using image analysis and computer vision techniques. There will also be opportunity for working with natural history museum collections. These skills, in addition to the transferrable skills you gain in research and project management, will enhance future applications to PhD positions or jobs in the public or private sectors.
What we offer:
Our research group is friendly and small. We focus on close mentorship and skills development. We conduct weekly lab meetings, during which we discuss ongoing research within the group or relevant academic literature.