[Lingtyp] PhD positions in Phylogenetics and Language Evolution in the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution

[Simon Greenhill]

(Apologies for Cross-posting)


We are offering positions for doctoral students with a strong background in historical linguistics, linguistic typology, evolutionary biology, computational linguistics or related discipline.

The Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution aims to answer big picture questions about human history. Our focus is on describing and explaining the major patterns of linguistic and cultural variation across the globe. We tackle these questions by developing novel language documentation methods, global linguistic and cultural databases, and analyses using evolutionary theories and computational methods.

As a doctoral student in the DLCE, you will have the chance to explore human prehistory, to actively assist the development of new methods for quantitative historical linguistics and typology, and to shed light on general processes of language change and evolution.

Possible topics include:

	• Computational phylogenetic analysis of language families to infer human prehistory in the Americas or Asia-Pacific.
	• Testing hypotheses about large-scale process shaping linguistic diversity.
	• Developing new quantitative or phylogenetic methods for modelling, investigating, and understanding language evolution and human prehistory.

More details: http://www.shh.mpg.de/1017107/phylogenetics-and-language-evolution-phds