Scott P. McRobert

Associate Professor of Biology
Director - Environmental Sciences Program
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA 19131

Education

1987	Ph.D. Genetics	Temple University Philadelphia, PA
1983	M.A. Biology	Temple University Philadelphia, PA
1977	B.S. Biology	Juniata College Huntingdon, PA

Courses

	BIO 2111	Animal Behavior
	BIO 2131	Ecology
	HON 1473	Evolution
	ENV 1011	Environmental Science

Spring 1999 Office Hours

Monday 10:00-11:00
Wednesday 10:00-11:00
Friday 10:00-12:00

Room 219 Science Center
Phone: (610)-660-1833
e-mail: smcrober@sju.edu

Research Interests

My research focuses on the genetic, ecological, and evolutionary aspects of animal behavior. Animals utilized in my work include pomace flies (genus Drosophila), fish, turtles, and frogs. Much of the work is directed at understanding the biology of endangered species.

My work also involves overseeing the Biodiversity Laboratory, which houses large numbers of rare, exotic, and endangered species.

Current projects in the Biodiversity Laboratory:

Mutations that affect sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
Community structure, ecology, and evolution of mating systems in Drosophila
Factors influencing shoal-mate choice in fish
Social behavior and reproduction in Mantellas and Poison frogs
Juvenile growth rates in turtles

Dr. McRobert was recently featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer
for his student-assisted research on the behavior of "Fido", the iguana, at the SJU Biodiversity Lab.

A bite from the iguana turns inspiration:
A biologist's injury moved him to study the lizard's powers of recognition.
Thursday, July 22, 1999
Philadelphia Inquirer online

The work of Dr. McRobert and student Jill Compton was also featured recently in the New Scientist:

Oh, It's You
New Scientist
July 3, 1999

Recent Publications

McRobert, S.P., Adams, C.R., Wuttke, M., Frank, J., and Jackson, L.L. A comparison of postcopulatory behavior in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila biarmipes. Journal of Insect Behavior in press

McRobert, S.P. and Hopkins, D.T. The effects of dietary vitamin C on juvenile growth rates in slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine in press

McRobert, S.P. The tadpole tank: An efficient method for rearing poison frog tadpoles. Reptile & Amphibian Magazine in press

Bradner, J., Caesar, J., and McRobert, S.P. (1997). The role of visual cues in determining recognition behaviors in Poecilia latipinna and Poecilia velifera x Poecilia latipinna. Proceedings of the Eleventh National Conference on Undergraduate Research in press

Tompkins, L. and McRobert, S.P. (1995). Behavioral and pheromonal phenotypes associated with expression of loss-of-function mutations in the Sex-lethal gene of Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Neurogenetics. 9: 219-226.

McRobert, S.P., Schnee, F. B., and Tompkins, L. (1995). Selection for increased female sexual receptivity in raised stocks of Drosophila melanogaster. Behavior Genetics 25: 303-309.

McRobert, S.P. (1995). Juvenile growth rates in turtles. Reptile & Amphibian Magazine Sept/Oct 1995: 39-45.

Tompkins, L., McRobert, S.P., and Kaneshiro, K.Y. (1993). Chemical communication in Hawaiian Drosophila. Evolution47: 1407-1419.

McRobert, S.P. (1993) Ecosystems on the edge of collapse. The Earth Times 5

Bixler, A., Jenkins, J.B., Tompkins, L., and McRobert, S.P. (1992). Identification of acoustic stimuli that mediate sexual behavior in Drosophila busckii (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 5: 469-478.

McRobert, S.P. (1991). The effect of the homoeotic mutation, spineless- aristapedia, on perception of the courtship song in Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Neurogenetics 7: 253-256.

McRobert, S.P. and Jackson, L.L. (1989). A description of the sexual behaviors of Drosophila rajasekari: The role of (Z,Z)-7,11-heptacosadiene. Journal of Chemical Ecology 15: 1423-1432.

Ford, S.C., Napolitano, L.N., McRobert, S.P. and Tompkins, L. (1989). The development of behavioral competence in young Drosophila melanogaster adults. Journal of Insect Behavior 2: 575-588.

Tompkins, L. and McRobert, S.P. (1989). Regulation of behavioral and pheromonal aspects of sex-determination in Drosophila melanogaster males by the Sex-lethal gene. Genetics 123: 535-541.

Recent Presentations

"The choice of schoolmates in fish". 34th Annual Meeting of the Animal Behaviour Society. College Park, MD. (1997)
"Teaching Children about Endangered Species" Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia, PA (1997)
"Mutations in raised mutant Drosophila melanogaster affect experience-dependent aspects of sexual behavior in males and females."38th National Drosophila Research Conference, Chicago, IL (1997)
"Thoughts on Endangered Species." Episcopal Academy, Philadelphia, PA (1997)
"Contributions Since Darwin: The End of Evolutionary Science?" Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (1996)
"Turtles in the Laboratory" New York Turtle and Tortoise Society, Museum of Natural History, Manhattan, NY (1996)
"A proposal to study natural selection in turtles." Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA (1995)
"The effects of mating on sexual behavior in Drosophila biarmipes." 36th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, Atlanta, GA (1995)

Email

To send email to Dr. McRobert at smcrober@sju.edu

To visit other pages

A list of biology faculty & research areas
The Department of Biology Home Page
The Environmental Sciences Program Home Page
The SJU Home Page

Last revision: 7/30/99
Current Address: http://www.sju.edu/biology/smcrober.htm
The Biology Home Page can be accessed at the short address: www.sju.edu/biology