Staff profile

Dr Kylie Robert

Lecturer

Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering

School of Life Sciences
Department of Zoology

Biological Sciences Building 2, Room 356, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

BSc Hons, PhD, SYD

Membership of professional associations

Australian Society of Herpetologists, Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour

Area of study

Zoology

Brief profile

The research of my group is broadly focused around ecological and evolutionary physiology of reproduction. We are particularly interested in viviparity, maternal effects on offspring phenotypes, sex allocation and the physiological and endocrinological basis for the variation in life history. The group uses a multidiscipline approach to question orientated research utilising a diverse range of taxa, including but not limited to reptiles, birds and marsupials.

Full details about my groups research activities can be found at the Robert Lab page: www.robertlab.com

 

 

Teaching units

ZOO3EPA - Reproductive Physiology

ZOO3EPA - Mallee Field Course

BIO1OF - Animal Physiology

Recent publications

Robert, K.A. & Braun, S. (2012) Milk composition during lactation suggests a mechanism for male biased allocation of maternal resources in the Tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) PLOS one (accepted 30th October).

Schwanz, L.E., & Robert, K.A. (2012) Reproductive ecology of wild tammar wallabies in natural and developed habitats on Garden Island, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 60(2): 111-119.

Robert, K.A. (2012) Temporal variation in the behaviour of the Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) in an urban wetland environment. Australian Field Ornithology 29: 93-101.

Robert, K.A., & Schwanz, L.E. (2011) Review Article - Emerging sex allocation research in mammals: marsupials and the pouch advantage. Mammal Review 41: 1-22. 

Robert, K.A., & Bronikowski, A.M. (2010) Evolution of senescence in nature: physiological evolution in populations of garter snake with divergent life histories. American Naturalist 175: 147-159.

Robert, K.A., Schwanz, L.E., & Mills, H.R. (2010) Offspring sex varies with maternal investment ability: empirical demonstration based on cross-fostering. Biology Letters 6: 242-245.

Robert, K.A., & Thompson, M.B. (2010) Review Article - Viviparity and temperature-dependent sex determination. Sexual Development 4: 119-128.

Robert, K.A., Vleck, C. & Bronikowski, A.M. (2008) The effects of maternal corticosterone levels on offspring behaviour in fast and slow-growth garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans). Hormones and Behavior 55: 24-32.

Robert, K.A., Brunet-Rossinni, A. & Bronikowski, A.M. (2007) Testing the “free radical theory of aging” hypothesis: Physiological differences in long lived and short lived Colubrid snakes. Aging Cell 6(3):395-404.

Robert, K.A. & Thompson, M.B. (2007) Is basking opportunity in the montane water skink, Eulamprus tympanum, a species with temperature-dependant sex determination, compromised by the presence of a predator scent? Journal of Herpetology 41(2):287-293.

Robert, K.A., Thompson, M.B., & Seebacher, F. (2006) Thermal biology of a viviparous lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. Journal of Thermal Biology 31: 292-301.

Robert, K.A. (2006) An inexpensive video surveillance technique for wildlife studies. Herpetological Review 37(1): 54-56.

Robert, K.A., Thompson, M.B., & Seebacher, F. (2003) Facultative sex allocation in the viviparous lizard Eulamprus tympanum, a species with temperature-dependent sex determination. Australian Journal of Zoology 51(4): 367-370.

Robert, K.A. & Thompson, M.B. (2003) Reconstructing the DS1921 Thermochron iButton to reduce size and weight as a new technique in the study of small animal thermal biology. Herpetological Review 34(2): 130-132.

Robert, K.A. & Thompson, M.B. (2001) Sex Determination - Viviparous lizard selects sex of embryos. Nature 412: 698-699.

Robert, K.A. & Thompson, M.B. (2000) Influence of feeding on the metabolic rate of the lizard, Eulamprus tympanum. Copeia 3: 851-855.

Robert, K.A. & Thompson, M.B. (2000) Energy consumption by embryos of the viviparous lizard, Eulamprus tympanum, during development. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 127: 481-486.

Research projects

Sex allocation in mammals: marsupials and the pouch advantage

 

Sex ratios in mammals have proven difficult to understand, and remain the next, great challenge for sex ratio theory. Marsupials display many biological traits that may relieve some potential constraints on facultative sex allocation associated with eutherian reproductive biology, potentially increasing the likelihood of maternal sex ratio manipulation in metatherian taxa. Wild marsupials frequently produce unbalanced offspring sex ratios, and the production of biased sex ratios in captive populations is an emerging problem in their conservation and management. Our research examines both the physiological mechanisms and the adaptive advantage of sex allocation in marsupials.

Reproductive investment and phenotypic plasticity: responding to a changing environment

How do environmental factors (e.g. temperature, humidity, pollutants) and/or maternal factors (e.g. diet, body condition, behaviour, stress) shape maternal allocation strategies and offspring phenotypes.

Maternal investment under un-predictable food variability in a short-lived marsupial

A major area of study in evolutionary biology concerns the adaptive basis and mechanisms responsible for maternal investment in offspring. Classical life history theory predicts maternal investment by mothers to enhance lifetime fitness by the production of the largest number of surviving young. The cost-of-reproduction theory predicts that higher investment in current reproduction hinders growth and survivorship and reduces future reproduction, while investments in survival and later reproduction will pay off with higher fecundity and future reproductive attempts. The primary driver determining the evolution of an organism’s life history is the unpredictability of the environment. This project tests for differential maternal investment in offspring (e.g. number, size, sex) in relation to first and second breeding attempts under distinct food abundance/quality scenarios in a common garden experiment.