Island organisms worldwide show similarity in morphology and ecology, despite being separated by vast geographic and phylogenetic distances – a biogeographic pattern known as the ‘island syndrome(s)’. It is thought to arise from the combined effects that island area and isolation have on ecological communities on islands. To date, island syndrome(s) have been documented in many vertebrates, and in flowering plants, but many diverse and ecologically important taxa have been overlooked.
A striking gap are island arthropods. Just like anywhere else, arthropods, dominate island ecosystems, undergo adaptive radiations, and often evolve unusual forms. Some examples include the giant, flightless wētā of New Zealand and Wallace’s giant bee from Indonesia (see Figure). While arthropod biogeography has been widely studied, few studies have addressed the island syndrome (s). Many important biological traits such as body size or life history have not been explicitly studied and compared in the context of the island syndrome.
This doctoral project will address this research gap by undertaking a systematic assessment of the island syndrome(s) in arthropods. The doctoral researcher will focus on three central questions:
Figure caption. Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus) feeding in the machair habitat of the Outer Hebrides. Once widespread across the UK, this species has been pushed to the edge of its range and now only persists mostly on islands in northern Scotland, representing the process of island relictualisation. © Christine Johnson.
This project is a CENTA Flagship Project.
This project is not suitable for CASE funding
Each host has a slightly different application process.
Find out how to apply for this studentship.
All applications must include the CENTA application form.
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This PhD project is designed to be flexible, allowing the candidate to focus on their preferred arthropod group(s) and geographic region(s).
DRs will be awarded CENTA Training Credits (CTCs) for participation in CENTA-provided and ‘free choice’ external training. One CTC can be earned per 3 hours training, and DRs must accrue 100 CTCs across the three and a half years of their PhD.
The candidate will receive supervision from Dr Matthews (Birmingham), Dr Jezierski (Birmingham), Dr Martin (Operation Wallacea) and Dr Cooke (CEH) throughout the length of the project. The candidate will be trained by all supervisors in literature review and general academic practice. Dr Jezierski will provide training on the use of comparative methods, supported by Dr Matthews and Dr Cooke. Dr Jezierski and Dr Martin (Madagascar) will oversee fieldwork, and will provide support in terms of logistics, health and safety, and animal welfare, with inputs from Dr Matthews and Dr Cooke.
The project will be co-supervised by Dr Rob Cooke (UKCEH), who will provide expertise in working with functional traits in island biogeography systems. Dr Cooke can also facilitate access to data from ecological surveys in the UK. The project is also offered in collaboration with Operation Wallacea who have a unique forest biodiversity time-series inventory datasets from different islands (e.g., Madagascar, Indonesia, Honduras and Dominica), consisting of surveys of multiple different taxonomic groups, including insects.
Year 1: Start of literature review and training. Preparation for answering research questions 2 and 3. Data collection from museums, and potential fieldwork.
Year 2: Literature review to be ready in manuscript format. Analyses of museum data underway. Fieldwork in the Scottish Hebrides and Madagascar.
Year 3: Finishing manuscripts related to research question 2 and 3. Scope for additional fieldwork and candidate-led research projects. Thesis submitted at the end of Year 3.
BENíTEZ-LÓPEZ, A., SANTINI, L., GALLEGO-ZAMORANO, J., MILá, B., WALKDEN, P., HUIJBREGTS, M. A. J. & TOBIAS, J. A. 2021. The island rule explains consistent patterns of body size evolution in terrestrial vertebrates. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5, 768-786.
GILLESPIE, R. G. & RODERICK, G. K. 2002. Arthropods on Islands: Colonization, Speciation, and Conservation. Annual Review of Entomology, 47, 595-632.
JEZIERSKI, M. T., SMITH, W. J. & CLEGG, S. M. 2024. The island syndrome in birds. Journal of Biogeography, 51, 1607-1622.
LEIHY, R. I. & CHOWN, S. L. 2020. Wind plays a major but not exclusive role in the prevalence of insect flight loss on remote islands. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287, 20202121.
LOMOLINO, M. V., SAX, D. F., PALOMBO, M. R. & VAN DER GEER, A. A. 2012. Of mice and mammoths: evaluations of causal explanations for body size evolution in insular mammals. Journal of Biogeography, 39, 842-854.
WHITTAKER, R.J., FERNÁNDEZ-PALACIOS, J.M. & MATTHEWS, T.J. 2023. Island biogeography: geo-environmental dynamics, ecology, evolution, human impact, and conservation. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
For any enquiries related to this project please contact Tom Matthews, ([email protected])
To apply to this project:
Applications must be submitted by 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 7th January 2026.