Mario Vallejo-Marin

PhD project on convergent evolution in buzz-pollinated flowers at the Plant Ecology and Evolution program , Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University. This doctoral project examines how similar floral traits have evolved repeatedly across independent plant lineages in response to bee pollinators. The student will investigate buzz-pollinated flowers, a widespread example of convergent evolution, to compare similarity in floral form with similarity in function across several plant families and independent evolutionary origins. The research combines experimental and comparative approaches. The PhD student will work with bumblebees and with newly developed bee-size robotic shakers (“robo-buzzers”) to study how flowers respond to vibration-based pollination. The project also includes floral characterization using X-ray micro-computed tomography, as well as plant cultivation in the glasshouse and maintenance of bumblebee colonies. The position is based in the Department of Ecology and Genetics , which is described as an international environment with staff and students from around the world. The department is part of the Evolutionary Biology Center , offering a strong setting for graduate work on fundamental and applied biological questions from an evolutionary perspective. The student will join an active research group, participate in weekly meetings, develop analytical frameworks, prepare manuscripts, and present work at national and international meetings. The position is supervised by Professor Mario Vallejo-Marin .