Finn Cowell
PhD student
PhD: Understanding changes in migration timing in Scotland’s Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).
Supervisor: Dr. Victoria Pritchard
"Although I have been interested in the natural world from a very young age, my academic background is in evolutionary biology, specifically population and quantitative genetics.
I completed a BSc in Evolutionary Biology at the University of St Andrews. The teaching there fostered in me a great interest in population genetics that led to me completing a research project looking at genetic differentiation in Scottish Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations, with Eef Cauwelier and Oscar Gaggiotti supervising this project.
I was also interested in trying to understand how phenotypes are influenced by evolutionary and ecological forces. The tools developed by the fields of quantitative genetics and evolutionary ecology are the best available when it comes to understanding this and so I undertook a MSc(Res) with Michael Morrissey as my supervisor. We used more than 50 years of data, which were collected as part of the Rum Red Deer Project, to understand the impact of size selective harvest (trophy hunting) on antler size in red deer (Cervus elaphus).
My focus for this PhD is to now build on the skills I have learnt and apply the tools necessary to understand how the great variations in run-timing are maintained in Scotland's salmon rivers."
Research interests:
- Quantitative Genetics
- Population Genetics
- Evolutionary Ecology
Past projects :
- Investigating the impacts of anthropogenic selection on antler size as a result of selective harvest (trophy hunting) in red deer (Cervus elaphus)
- Identifying the historical, environmental and anthropogenic variables influencing genetic diversity and differentiation between contemporary Scottish Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations.
Publications:
Cowell, F. (2023) 100 years of Haldane’s rule. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 36: 337-346