Professor Robbie Wilson
Professor

Robbie Wilson

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52773

Background

My research group studies animal performance in the laboratory and in the field. We focus on discovering the underlying mechanistic basis of physical performance and it's implications for an individual's survival and reproductive success. We’re particularly interested in how organisms respond to environmental variation, such as seasonal or long-term temperature change, and the costs of these responses to other traits. We examine interactions between behavioural, physiological and morphological traits to better understand how animal performance is optimised. Furthermore, we want to understand how an organism’s performance relates to population-level processes, enabling better conservation practices in urban and wild habitats. Our research is question-driven, and we use a variety of model systems in our studies, including freshwater fish, crayfish, reptiles, marsupials, and humans.

Current projects

  • Importance of performance, life history and behaviour to male mating success in the semelparous marsupial the northern quoll
  • Relative importance of athleticism, skill and balance to success in complex human activities - focus on soccer players
  • When and why do animals lie? Testing hypotheses of deceit and discovering its role in determining animal performance

Availability

Professor Robbie Wilson is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Ecology Zoology

Search Professor Robbie Wilson’s works on UQ eSpace

196 works between 1998 and 2024
All (196) Journal Article (137) Book Chapter (4) Conference Publication (54) Other Outputs (1)

21 - 40 of 196 works

2019

Journal Article

Self-deception in nonhuman animals: weak crayfish escalated aggression as if they were strong

Angilletta, Michael J., Kubitz, Gregory and Wilson, Robbie S. (2019). Self-deception in nonhuman animals: weak crayfish escalated aggression as if they were strong. Behavioral Ecology, 30 (5), 1469-1476. doi: 10.1093/beheco/arz103

Self-deception in nonhuman animals: weak crayfish escalated aggression as if they were strong

2019

Journal Article

Rapid larval growth is costly for post-metamorphic thermal performance in a Great Barrier Reef fish

da Silva, Carmen Rose Burke, Wilson, Robbie Stuart and Riginos, Cynthia (2019). Rapid larval growth is costly for post-metamorphic thermal performance in a Great Barrier Reef fish. Coral Reefs, 38 (5), 895-907. doi: 10.1007/s00338-019-01815-7

Rapid larval growth is costly for post-metamorphic thermal performance in a Great Barrier Reef fish

2019

Journal Article

Moving in complex environments: a biomechanical analysis of locomotion on inclined and narrow substrates

Clemente, Christofer J., Dick, Taylor J. M., Wheatley, Rebecca, Gaschk, Joshua, Nasir, Ami Fadhillah Amir Abdul, Cameron, Skye F. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2019). Moving in complex environments: a biomechanical analysis of locomotion on inclined and narrow substrates. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 222 (6) jeb189654, jeb189654. doi: 10.1242/jeb.189654

Moving in complex environments: a biomechanical analysis of locomotion on inclined and narrow substrates

2019

Journal Article

An intertidal fish shows thermal acclimation despite living in a rapidly fluctuating environment

da Silva, Carmen Rose Burke, Riginos, Cynthia and Wilson, Robbie Stuart (2019). An intertidal fish shows thermal acclimation despite living in a rapidly fluctuating environment. Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 189 (3-4), 385-398. doi: 10.1007/s00360-019-01212-0

An intertidal fish shows thermal acclimation despite living in a rapidly fluctuating environment

2019

Conference Publication

Manganese contamination affects the motor performance of wild northern quolls

Wilson, R. S., Amir, Abdul Nasir A. F., Cameron, S. and Von Hippel, F. (2019). Manganese contamination affects the motor performance of wild northern quolls. Annual Meeting of the Society-for-Integrative-and-Comparative-Biology (SICB), Tampa, FL, United States, 3-7 January 2019. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Manganese contamination affects the motor performance of wild northern quolls

2018

Journal Article

Predicting the defensive performance of individual players in one vs. one soccer games

Wilson, Robbie S., Smith, Nicholas M. A., Santiago, Paulo Roberto Pereira, Camata, Thiago, de Paula Ramos, Solange, Caetano, Fabio Giuliano, Cunha, Sergio Augusto, de Souza, Ana Paula Sandes and Moura, Felipe Arruda (2018). Predicting the defensive performance of individual players in one vs. one soccer games. PLoS ONE, 13 (12) e0209822, e0209822. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209822

Predicting the defensive performance of individual players in one vs. one soccer games

2018

Journal Article

Behaviors of shooter and goalkeeper interact to determine the outcome of soccer penalties

Hunter, Andrew H., Angilletta, Michael J. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2018). Behaviors of shooter and goalkeeper interact to determine the outcome of soccer penalties. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 28 (12), 2751-2759. doi: 10.1111/sms.13276

Behaviors of shooter and goalkeeper interact to determine the outcome of soccer penalties

2018

Journal Article

Legs of male fiddler crabs evolved to compensate for claw exaggeration and enhance claw functionality during waving displays

Bywater, Candice L., Wilson, Robbie S., Monro, Keyne and White, Craig R. (2018). Legs of male fiddler crabs evolved to compensate for claw exaggeration and enhance claw functionality during waving displays. Evolution, 72 (11), 2491-2502. doi: 10.1111/evo.13617

Legs of male fiddler crabs evolved to compensate for claw exaggeration and enhance claw functionality during waving displays

2018

Journal Article

Manganese contamination affects the motor performance of wild northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus)

Amir Abdul Nasir, Ami Fadhillah, Cameron, Skye F., Niehaus, Amanda C., Clemente, Christofer J., von Hippel, Frank A. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2018). Manganese contamination affects the motor performance of wild northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus). Environmental Pollution, 241, 55-62. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.087

Manganese contamination affects the motor performance of wild northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus)

2018

Journal Article

Anticipating the direction of soccer penalty shots depends on the speed and technique of the kick

Hunter, Andrew H., Murphy, Sean C., Angilletta, Michael J. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2018). Anticipating the direction of soccer penalty shots depends on the speed and technique of the kick. Sports, 6 (3) 73, 73. doi: 10.3390/sports6030073

Anticipating the direction of soccer penalty shots depends on the speed and technique of the kick

2018

Journal Article

Testing for short- and long-term thermal plasticity in corticosterone responses of an ectothermic vertebrate

Jessop, Tim S., Lane, Meagan, Wilson, Robbie S. and Narayan, Edward J. (2018). Testing for short- and long-term thermal plasticity in corticosterone responses of an ectothermic vertebrate. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 91 (4), 967-975. doi: 10.1086/698664

Testing for short- and long-term thermal plasticity in corticosterone responses of an ectothermic vertebrate

2018

Journal Article

Multidimensional analyses of physical performance reveal a size-dependent trade-off between suites of traits

Charters, Jordan E., Heiniger, Jaime, Clemente, Christofer J., Cameron, Skye F., Amir Abdul Nasir, Ami F., Niehaus, Amanda C. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2018). Multidimensional analyses of physical performance reveal a size-dependent trade-off between suites of traits. Functional Ecology, 32 (6), 1541-1553. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.13115

Multidimensional analyses of physical performance reveal a size-dependent trade-off between suites of traits

2018

Journal Article

Ecological context and the probability of mistakes underlie speed choice

Wheatley, Rebecca, Niehaus, Amanda C., Fisher, Diana O. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2018). Ecological context and the probability of mistakes underlie speed choice. Functional Ecology, 32 (4), 990-1000. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.13036

Ecological context and the probability of mistakes underlie speed choice

2018

Journal Article

Surface friction alters the agility of a small Australian marsupial

Wheatley, Rebecca, Clemente, Christofer J., Niehaus, Amanda C., Fisher, Diana O. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2018). Surface friction alters the agility of a small Australian marsupial. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 221 (Pt 8) jeb172544, jeb172544. doi: 10.1242/jeb.172544

Surface friction alters the agility of a small Australian marsupial

2018

Journal Article

Modeling the two-dimensional accuracy of soccer kicks

Hunter, Andrew H., Angilletta, Michael J., Pavlic, Theodore, Lichtwark, Glen and Wilson, Robbie S. (2018). Modeling the two-dimensional accuracy of soccer kicks. Journal of Biomechanics, 72, 159-166. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.03.003

Modeling the two-dimensional accuracy of soccer kicks

2018

Journal Article

The influence of speed and size on avian terrestrial locomotor biomechanics: Predicting locomotion in extinct theropod dinosaurs

Bishop, P. J., Graham, D. F., Lamas, L. P., Hutchinson, J. R., Rubenson, J., Hancock, J. A., Wilson, R. S., Hocknull, S. A., Barrett, R. S., Lloyd, D. G. and Clemente, C. J. (2018). The influence of speed and size on avian terrestrial locomotor biomechanics: Predicting locomotion in extinct theropod dinosaurs. PloS One, 13 (2) e0192172, 1-40. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192172

The influence of speed and size on avian terrestrial locomotor biomechanics: Predicting locomotion in extinct theropod dinosaurs

2018

Journal Article

Sex-specific thermal sensitivities of performance and activity in the asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus

Cameron, Skye F., Wheatley, Rebecca and Wilson, Robbie S. (2018). Sex-specific thermal sensitivities of performance and activity in the asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus. Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, 188 (4), 635-647. doi: 10.1007/s00360-018-1149-2

Sex-specific thermal sensitivities of performance and activity in the asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus

2018

Journal Article

Dribbling speed along curved paths predicts attacking performance in match-realistic one vs. one soccer games

Wilson, Robbie S., Smith, Nicholas M. A., Ramos, Solange de Paula, Giuliano Caetano, Fabio, Aparecido Rinaldo, Marcio, Santiago, Paulo Roberto Pereira, Cunha, Sergio Augusto and Moura, Felipe Arruda (2018). Dribbling speed along curved paths predicts attacking performance in match-realistic one vs. one soccer games. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37 (9), 1072-1079. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1544110

Dribbling speed along curved paths predicts attacking performance in match-realistic one vs. one soccer games

2017

Journal Article

Integrating conservation biology into the development of automated vehicle technology to reduce animal-vehicle collisions

Niehaus, Amanda C. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2017). Integrating conservation biology into the development of automated vehicle technology to reduce animal-vehicle collisions. Conservation Letters, 11 (3) e12427. doi: 10.1111/conl.12427

Integrating conservation biology into the development of automated vehicle technology to reduce animal-vehicle collisions

2017

Journal Article

Skill not athleticism predicts individual variation in match performance of soccer players

Wilson, Robbie S., David, Gwendolyn K., Murphy, Sean C., Angilletta, Michael J., Niehaus, Amanda C., Hunter, Andrew H. and Smith, Michelle D. (2017). Skill not athleticism predicts individual variation in match performance of soccer players. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284 (1868) 20170953, 1-9. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0953

Skill not athleticism predicts individual variation in match performance of soccer players

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    Conserving the Greater Bilby in Queensland
    Save the Bilby Fund Ltd
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    Using detector dogs to improve survey and monitoring of the cryptic Condamine earless dragon (Tympanocryptis condaminensis) (Round 7 Threatened Species)
    Community Sustainability Action - Qld Dep Env Science
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    The ecology of trace metal contamination in native Australian mammals
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Robbie Wilson is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Modelling the fine-scale behaviour, movement, and habitat use of free-range Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in southeast Queensland to predict and prevent risk of mortality

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Diana Fisher

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Modelling the fine-scale behaviour, movement, and habitat use of free-range Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in southeast Queensland to predict and prevent risk of mortality

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Diana Fisher

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Modelling the fine-scale behaviour, movement, and habitat use of free-range Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in southeast Queensland to predict and prevent risk of mortality

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Diana Fisher

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Optimal running speeds during predator-prey interactions

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Diana Fisher

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Human impacts on wildlife sociality

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Luskin

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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