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)

81 - 100 of 196 works

2013

Conference Publication

Optimal Performance Theory: developing a framework for understanding whole-animal performance in the wild

Wilson, R. S. and Carter, A. J. (2013). Optimal Performance Theory: developing a framework for understanding whole-animal performance in the wild. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), San Francisco Ca, 03-07 January 2013. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Optimal Performance Theory: developing a framework for understanding whole-animal performance in the wild

2013

Conference Publication

Sex-specific aging of performance in male and female professional basketball players

Lailvaux, S. P., Wilson, R. and Kasumovic, M. M. (2013). Sex-specific aging of performance in male and female professional basketball players. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), San Francisco CA USA, 3-7 Jan 2013. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/icb/ict013

Sex-specific aging of performance in male and female professional basketball players

2013

Journal Article

Koala habitat use and population density: using field data to test the assumptions of ecological models

Ellis, William, FitzGibbon, Sean, Melzer, Alistair, Wilson, Robbie, Johnston, Steve, Berkovitch, Fred, Dique, David and Carrick, Frank (2013). Koala habitat use and population density: using field data to test the assumptions of ecological models. Australian Mammalogy, 35 (2), 160-165. doi: 10.1071/AM12023

Koala habitat use and population density: using field data to test the assumptions of ecological models

2013

Conference Publication

Power, accuracy & deception: using evolutionary theory to improve scoring success in soccer penalties

Hunter, A. and Wilson, R. S. (2013). Power, accuracy & deception: using evolutionary theory to improve scoring success in soccer penalties. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), San Francisco Ca, 03-07 January 2013. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Power, accuracy & deception: using evolutionary theory to improve scoring success in soccer penalties

2013

Conference Publication

The frenetic sex life of male northern quolls: does performance degrade when the sex becomes too demanding?

Heiniger, J., Dickman, C. and Wilson, R. S. (2013). The frenetic sex life of male northern quolls: does performance degrade when the sex becomes too demanding?. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), San Francisco Ca, 03-07 January 2013. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

The frenetic sex life of male northern quolls: does performance degrade when the sex becomes too demanding?

2013

Journal Article

Greater costs of inducible behavioural defences at cooler temperatures in larvae of the mosquito, Aedes notoscriptus

van Uitregt, Vincent O., Hurst, Timothy P. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2013). Greater costs of inducible behavioural defences at cooler temperatures in larvae of the mosquito, Aedes notoscriptus. Evolutionary Ecology, 27 (1), 13-26. doi: 10.1007/s10682-012-9576-0

Greater costs of inducible behavioural defences at cooler temperatures in larvae of the mosquito, Aedes notoscriptus

2013

Conference Publication

Can we improve a footballer s kicking performance using optimisation theory?

Hunter, A. and Wilson, R. S. (2013). Can we improve a footballer s kicking performance using optimisation theory?. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), San Francisco Ca, 03-07 January 2013. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Can we improve a footballer s kicking performance using optimisation theory?

2013

Journal Article

Extravagant ornaments of male threadfin rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri) are not costly for swimming

Trappett, Andrew, Condon, Catriona H., White, Craig, Matthews, Phil and Wilson, Robbie S. (2013). Extravagant ornaments of male threadfin rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri) are not costly for swimming. Functional Ecology, 27 (4), 1034-1041. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12097

Extravagant ornaments of male threadfin rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri) are not costly for swimming

2013

Conference Publication

The life and times of a sex addict in northern Australia: understanding the breeding dynamics of the world s largest semelparous mammal

Heiniger, J., Dickman, C. and Wilson, R. S. (2013). The life and times of a sex addict in northern Australia: understanding the breeding dynamics of the world s largest semelparous mammal. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), San Francisco Ca, 03-07 January 2013. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

The life and times of a sex addict in northern Australia: understanding the breeding dynamics of the world s largest semelparous mammal

2012

Journal Article

Capacity for thermal acclimation differs between populations and phylogenetic lineages within a species

Seebacher, Frank, Holmes, Sebastian, Roosen, Nicholas J., Nouvian, Morgane, Wilson, Robbie S. and Ward, Ashley J. W. (2012). Capacity for thermal acclimation differs between populations and phylogenetic lineages within a species. Functional Ecology, 26 (6), 1418-1428. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02052.x

Capacity for thermal acclimation differs between populations and phylogenetic lineages within a species

2012

Journal Article

Cryptic asymmetry: Unreliable signals mask asymmetric performance of crayfish weapons

Angilletta, Michael J. Jr. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2012). Cryptic asymmetry: Unreliable signals mask asymmetric performance of crayfish weapons. Biology Letters, 8 (4), 551-553. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0029

Cryptic asymmetry: Unreliable signals mask asymmetric performance of crayfish weapons

2012

Journal Article

Is honesty the best policy? Testing signal reliability in fiddler crabs when receiver-dependent costs are high

Bywater, Candice L. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2012). Is honesty the best policy? Testing signal reliability in fiddler crabs when receiver-dependent costs are high. Functional Ecology, 26 (4), 804-811. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02002.x

Is honesty the best policy? Testing signal reliability in fiddler crabs when receiver-dependent costs are high

2012

Journal Article

Sex cells in changing environments: can organisms adjust the physiological function of gametes to different temperatures?

Adriaenssens, Bart, van Damme, Raoul, Seebacher, Frank and Wilson, Robbie S. (2012). Sex cells in changing environments: can organisms adjust the physiological function of gametes to different temperatures?. Global Change Biology, 18 (6), 1797-1803. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02672.x

Sex cells in changing environments: can organisms adjust the physiological function of gametes to different temperatures?

2012

Journal Article

The physiological arms race: Exploring thermal acclimation among interacting species

Ferris, Rebecca and Wilson, Robbie S. (2012). The physiological arms race: Exploring thermal acclimation among interacting species. Journal of Thermal Biology, 37 (3), 236-242. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2012.01.006

The physiological arms race: Exploring thermal acclimation among interacting species

2012

Journal Article

The energetic cost of exposure to UV radiation for tadpoles is greater when they live with predators

Alton, Lesley A., White, Craig R., Wilson, Robbie S. and Franklin, Craig E. (2012). The energetic cost of exposure to UV radiation for tadpoles is greater when they live with predators. Functional Ecology, 26 (1), 94-103. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01900.x

The energetic cost of exposure to UV radiation for tadpoles is greater when they live with predators

2012

Journal Article

Predicting the physiological performance of ectotherms in fluctuating thermal environments

Niehaus, Amanda C., Angilletta, Michael J., Sears, Michael W., Franklin, Craig E. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2012). Predicting the physiological performance of ectotherms in fluctuating thermal environments. Journal of Experimental Biology, 215 (4), 694-701. doi: 10.1242/jeb.058032

Predicting the physiological performance of ectotherms in fluctuating thermal environments

2012

Journal Article

Fall field crickets did not acclimate to simulated seasonal changes in temperature

Niehaus, Amanda C., Wilson, Robbie S., Storm, Jonathan J. and Angilletta, Michael J. (2012). Fall field crickets did not acclimate to simulated seasonal changes in temperature. Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical Systemic And Environmental Physiology, 182 (2), 199-207. doi: 10.1007/s00360-011-0611-1

Fall field crickets did not acclimate to simulated seasonal changes in temperature

2012

Conference Publication

Trade-offs and compensatory traits: bite force and sprint speed pose conflicting demands on the design of male geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus)

Cameron, S. F., Wynn, M. L. and Wilson, R. S. (2012). Trade-offs and compensatory traits: bite force and sprint speed pose conflicting demands on the design of male geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus). Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative-Biology (SICB)iology, Charleston, SC, United States, 3-7 January 2012. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/icb/ics078

Trade-offs and compensatory traits: bite force and sprint speed pose conflicting demands on the design of male geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus)

2012

Conference Publication

Death after Sex in the Australian Bush: Determinants of survival and reproduction in males of the world's largest semelparous mammal

Heiniger, J., Van Uitregt, V. and Wilson, Robbie (2012). Death after Sex in the Australian Bush: Determinants of survival and reproduction in males of the world's largest semelparous mammal. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative-Biology (SICB), Charleston, SC, United States, 3-7 January 2012. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/icb/ics079

Death after Sex in the Australian Bush: Determinants of survival and reproduction in males of the world's largest semelparous mammal

2012

Journal Article

Reduced size and starvation resistance in adult mosquitoes, Aedes notoscriptus, exposed to predation cues as larvae

van Uitregt, Vincent O., Hurst, Timothy P. and Wilson, Robbie S. (2012). Reduced size and starvation resistance in adult mosquitoes, Aedes notoscriptus, exposed to predation cues as larvae. Journal of Animal Ecology, 81 (1), 108-115. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01880.x

Reduced size and starvation resistance in adult mosquitoes, Aedes notoscriptus, exposed to predation cues as larvae

Availability

Professor Robbie Wilson is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

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

Completed supervision

Enquiries

For media enquiries about Professor Robbie Wilson's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au