Program Overview

Environmental And Evolutionary Biology

The PhD program in Environmental And Evolutionary Biology offers an integrated scientific approach in the bio-naturalistic field, divided into four curricula: Anthropology, Animal Biology, Botany, and Ecological Sciences. The program addresses issues within the common evolutionary framework, focusing on the complex system of structural and functional relationships between animals, plants, microorganisms, and the abiotic environment.

Program Details

• ID: 26068
• Course type: Dottorato
• Academic year: 2025/2026
• Positions: 8
• Grant numbers: 1
• Number of scholarships financed by institutions: 0
• Number of scholarships financed by consortiums: 3

Educational Goals

The program aims to build skills in biological, natural, environmental, and agri-food sciences, as well as in sciences applied to cultural heritage. It trains highly qualified professionals capable of autonomously designing and carrying out basic and applied research.

Research Areas

Projects are mainly developed in:

• Anthropology, evolutionary and applied biology
• Biochemistry and physiology
• Molecular genetics
• Animal and plant ecology
• Systemic ecology
• Human ecology and bioarcheology
• Ethology
• Conservation biology and ecological modeling
• Morpho-anatomy
• Paleoanthropology
• Primatology
• Services ecosystems
• Environmental sustainability
• Agri-food development
• Taxonomy and systematics

Curricula

• Anthropology: The object of study is the natural history of the human species, concerning its origin, biological evolution, and biodiversity, in relation to the variability of the order Primates and the interaction with historical and archaeological contexts as well as with changing environments.
• Animal Biology: Covers the main aspects of animal biology, relating to animal phylogeny, theory and practice of biological systematics, microevolution and macroevolution, descriptive aspects of the functional level and interpretative aspects in an adaptive key of invertebrates and vertebrates.
• Botany: Interested in the various fields of plant biology, with research on biotechnological innovation and human health, plant pathology, systematics of current and fossil plants, ecosystem services of plants, studies on drugs of natural origin and on biologically active products.
• Ecological Sciences: Addresses issues of environmental complexity, with particular emphasis on the analysis, monitoring, and representation through models of the structural characteristics, mechanisms, and processes that underlie the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Exam and Evaluation

• Exam - Oral: Scheduled for July 14, 2025, at 09:00 in Aula C, Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Edificio Botanica.
• Tests - Evaluation of qualifications: Scheduled for June 27, 2025.

Department and Staff

• Department: Biologia ambientale
• Coordinator: Massimo Reverberi
• Staff: Catia Cerra

Additional Information

The activities of the PhD course also include national and international collaborations, with a high scientific profile. In case of admission, the research project will be defined and approved in agreement with the Collegio dei Docenti, based on a criterion of feasibility, before the start of the doctoral activities.