Robyn Grant
@robyngrant.bsky.social
Comparative biologist, anatomy and behaviour. Sensory Biologist. Whisker scientist, all views my own.
I watched the online premier of the @beavertrust.bsky.social #BalancingTheScales yesterday. It was beautifully filmed and lovely to see such a complex story summarised.
November 7, 2025 at 8:48 PM
I watched the online premier of the @beavertrust.bsky.social #BalancingTheScales yesterday. It was beautifully filmed and lovely to see such a complex story summarised.
Reposted by Robyn Grant
We're looking for a new postdoc on our new BBSCR grant (Graham Taylor/Tim Guilford/Cait Newport). See link below!
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
September 19, 2025 at 3:25 PM
We're looking for a new postdoc on our new BBSCR grant (Graham Taylor/Tim Guilford/Cait Newport). See link below!
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Catching the end of #SuperSeabirdSunday to show you a pic from our recent Albatross tour in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Amazing!
September 14, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Catching the end of #SuperSeabirdSunday to show you a pic from our recent Albatross tour in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Amazing!
I am reviewing all my new kiwi footage wearing my new kiwi t-shirt... which quite exciting :)
September 2, 2025 at 12:10 AM
I am reviewing all my new kiwi footage wearing my new kiwi t-shirt... which quite exciting :)
Reposted by Robyn Grant
Applications for Winter 2025 conference attendance grants are trickling in, awarding up to £500 with a high success rate (if eligible).
Deadline isn't until 1st October, but don't forget to get referee statements in by then too!
All the info you need is here:
www.asab.org/conference-g...
@asab.org
Deadline isn't until 1st October, but don't forget to get referee statements in by then too!
All the info you need is here:
www.asab.org/conference-g...
@asab.org
ICYMI : #ASABWinter2025 will take place from December 15-16, once again in lovely Edinburgh!
Registration is now open 🎉 Abstract submission deadline for posters and talks is August 29 🏃♀️🏃🏃♂️
More information here: asabwinter.github.io/2025/
Registration is now open 🎉 Abstract submission deadline for posters and talks is August 29 🏃♀️🏃🏃♂️
More information here: asabwinter.github.io/2025/
August 6, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Applications for Winter 2025 conference attendance grants are trickling in, awarding up to £500 with a high success rate (if eligible).
Deadline isn't until 1st October, but don't forget to get referee statements in by then too!
All the info you need is here:
www.asab.org/conference-g...
@asab.org
Deadline isn't until 1st October, but don't forget to get referee statements in by then too!
All the info you need is here:
www.asab.org/conference-g...
@asab.org
Reposted by Robyn Grant
*****EVERY EPISODE OF COUNT DUCKULA IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON ITVX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*****
July 27, 2025 at 1:11 PM
*****EVERY EPISODE OF COUNT DUCKULA IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON ITVX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*****
I had such a great time at Orana Wildlife park yesterday planning our first research projects together. Exciting :)
August 7, 2025 at 4:03 AM
I had such a great time at Orana Wildlife park yesterday planning our first research projects together. Exciting :)
Reposted by Robyn Grant
Join us for #ASABWinter2025 in Edinburgh Dec 15-16 🏴
Abstracts for posters/talks due Aug 29
More details here: asabwinter.github.io/2025/
Abstracts for posters/talks due Aug 29
More details here: asabwinter.github.io/2025/
July 29, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Join us for #ASABWinter2025 in Edinburgh Dec 15-16 🏴
Abstracts for posters/talks due Aug 29
More details here: asabwinter.github.io/2025/
Abstracts for posters/talks due Aug 29
More details here: asabwinter.github.io/2025/
Harry Gill first PhD paper is out, applying @deeplabcut.bsky.social to dog gait analyses ... and it worked pretty well :)
You can access the paper here:
authors.elsevier.com/c/1lXNEcF2Ow...
@cbrassey.bsky.social
You can access the paper here:
authors.elsevier.com/c/1lXNEcF2Ow...
@cbrassey.bsky.social
August 3, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Harry Gill first PhD paper is out, applying @deeplabcut.bsky.social to dog gait analyses ... and it worked pretty well :)
You can access the paper here:
authors.elsevier.com/c/1lXNEcF2Ow...
@cbrassey.bsky.social
You can access the paper here:
authors.elsevier.com/c/1lXNEcF2Ow...
@cbrassey.bsky.social
Reposted by Robyn Grant
July 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Kaikoura seal colonies, NZ, are just fantastic, there is just so much going on there! The behaviour is astounding and the whiskers are fabulous!
July 17, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Kaikoura seal colonies, NZ, are just fantastic, there is just so much going on there! The behaviour is astounding and the whiskers are fabulous!
I had an amazing day with the Kaikoura NZ Department of Conservation Team learning about their seal conservation work. What great work they do!
July 10, 2025 at 11:48 PM
I had an amazing day with the Kaikoura NZ Department of Conservation Team learning about their seal conservation work. What great work they do!
We have a new paper on rictal bristle development in Tawny Frogmouths:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
@isdp.org
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
@isdp.org
The Development of Facial Bristles in Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides)
Facial bristles are present in many avian species, although their morphology and function are still not well understood. Previous studies have suggested that rictal bristles are tactile and may play ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 7, 2025 at 9:53 PM
We have a new paper on rictal bristle development in Tawny Frogmouths:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
@isdp.org
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
@isdp.org
Excited to share my review @jphysiol.bsky.social :
Can we study whisker movements to gain insights into the natural sensory behaviours of mammals?
doi.org/10.1113/JP28...
I recommend developing more social and active foraging tasks and including a wider variety of species in lab studies
Can we study whisker movements to gain insights into the natural sensory behaviours of mammals?
doi.org/10.1113/JP28...
I recommend developing more social and active foraging tasks and including a wider variety of species in lab studies
Can we study whisker movements to gain insights into the natural sensory behaviours of mammals?
Abstract figure legend The recommended future of whisker science research is integrating findings from the laboratory with studies from other captive institutions (such as zoos, rehabilitation centre...
doi.org
June 28, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Excited to share my review @jphysiol.bsky.social :
Can we study whisker movements to gain insights into the natural sensory behaviours of mammals?
doi.org/10.1113/JP28...
I recommend developing more social and active foraging tasks and including a wider variety of species in lab studies
Can we study whisker movements to gain insights into the natural sensory behaviours of mammals?
doi.org/10.1113/JP28...
I recommend developing more social and active foraging tasks and including a wider variety of species in lab studies
Reposted by Robyn Grant
I'm so excited to share my latest paper out now! How did the ancestors of mammals make the switch from sprawling to upright, taking over the world in the process? Spoiler alert; it's complicated! journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Adaptive landscapes unveil the complex evolutionary path from sprawling to upright forelimb function and posture in mammals
The ‘sprawling-to-parasagittal’ postural transition is a key part of mammalian evolution from non-mammalian synapsids. This study uses evolutionary adaptive landscapes to reveal parasagittal postures ...
journals.plos.org
June 25, 2025 at 12:36 PM
I'm so excited to share my latest paper out now! How did the ancestors of mammals make the switch from sprawling to upright, taking over the world in the process? Spoiler alert; it's complicated! journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Robyn Grant
We are looking for a Research Assistant to contribute to our ongoing analysis of dolphin acoustic data from West Wales - collaboration between @wtsww.bsky.social @bristolbiosci.bsky.social 🐬
Deadline is 29th June - please share widely!
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Deadline is 29th June - please share widely!
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Details | Working at Bristol | University of Bristol
www.bristol.ac.uk
June 15, 2025 at 6:20 PM
We are looking for a Research Assistant to contribute to our ongoing analysis of dolphin acoustic data from West Wales - collaboration between @wtsww.bsky.social @bristolbiosci.bsky.social 🐬
Deadline is 29th June - please share widely!
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Deadline is 29th June - please share widely!
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Reposted by Robyn Grant
🦭🔥Hot off the press! 🔥🦭 Check out this exciting work from @robyngrant.bsky.social and colleagues looking at the wonderful world of whiskers! #anatomy #comparative #whiskers
Check out our new paper in @journalofanatomy.bsky.social with @cbrassey.bsky.social using FEA and bend tests to show that seal whiskers are stiffer - in both shape and material - than terrestrial species.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Determining modulus of elasticity using finite element analysis and non‐destructive testing: Are aquatic animal whiskers stiffer?
The values of the modulus of elasticity (E) for each species whiskers were obtained when the FE model was aligned to the maximum displacement values of the experiment. Grey seal E values were larger ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 11, 2025 at 12:48 PM
🦭🔥Hot off the press! 🔥🦭 Check out this exciting work from @robyngrant.bsky.social and colleagues looking at the wonderful world of whiskers! #anatomy #comparative #whiskers
Check out our new paper in @journalofanatomy.bsky.social with @cbrassey.bsky.social using FEA and bend tests to show that seal whiskers are stiffer - in both shape and material - than terrestrial species.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Determining modulus of elasticity using finite element analysis and non‐destructive testing: Are aquatic animal whiskers stiffer?
The values of the modulus of elasticity (E) for each species whiskers were obtained when the FE model was aligned to the maximum displacement values of the experiment. Grey seal E values were larger ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 11, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Check out our new paper in @journalofanatomy.bsky.social with @cbrassey.bsky.social using FEA and bend tests to show that seal whiskers are stiffer - in both shape and material - than terrestrial species.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Robyn Grant
Have you seen our new #MammalReview call for papers on Surveying and monitoring mammals in a changing world?
If you have an idea for a suitable review, do submit :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... @mammalsociety.bsky.social
If you have an idea for a suitable review, do submit :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... @mammalsociety.bsky.social
Mammal Review Call for Papers - Surveying and Monitoring Mammals in a Changing World: Lessons Learned Across Ecological and Spatial Scales
We are upgrading Wiley Online Library over the weekend of May 17th–18th. All content will continue to be available, but some functionality may not work as expected. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 15, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Have you seen our new #MammalReview call for papers on Surveying and monitoring mammals in a changing world?
If you have an idea for a suitable review, do submit :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... @mammalsociety.bsky.social
If you have an idea for a suitable review, do submit :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... @mammalsociety.bsky.social
Have you seen our new #MammalReview call for papers on Surveying and monitoring mammals in a changing world?
If you have an idea for a suitable review, do submit :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... @mammalsociety.bsky.social
If you have an idea for a suitable review, do submit :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... @mammalsociety.bsky.social
Mammal Review Call for Papers - Surveying and Monitoring Mammals in a Changing World: Lessons Learned Across Ecological and Spatial Scales
We are upgrading Wiley Online Library over the weekend of May 17th–18th. All content will continue to be available, but some functionality may not work as expected. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 15, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Have you seen our new #MammalReview call for papers on Surveying and monitoring mammals in a changing world?
If you have an idea for a suitable review, do submit :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... @mammalsociety.bsky.social
If you have an idea for a suitable review, do submit :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... @mammalsociety.bsky.social
Reposted by Robyn Grant
Our latest paper on harbour seals is out. We draw from a vast collection of harbour seal skeletons at the University of Kiel—hundreds of specimens lost to a phocine distemper virus outbreak. Now fully sexed, weighed, and aged in the collection, we begin with... the penis bone
doi.org/10.1111/jzo....
doi.org/10.1111/jzo....
Morphology and development of the baculum in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)
This study examines the ontogenetic changes in the morphology of the penis bone in the harbour seal, focusing on the implications for sexual maturity and reproductive function. A large comparative da...
doi.org
May 8, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Our latest paper on harbour seals is out. We draw from a vast collection of harbour seal skeletons at the University of Kiel—hundreds of specimens lost to a phocine distemper virus outbreak. Now fully sexed, weighed, and aged in the collection, we begin with... the penis bone
doi.org/10.1111/jzo....
doi.org/10.1111/jzo....
We have just published our first #PracticeInsights article. A brand new article type in #MammalReview and an exciting way to publish your review articles that have direct practical implications for Mammal conservation or ecology. Do have a read to find out more 😸😺🐈
New research finds that captive-bred wildcats pose a negligible disease risk to humans, pets, and wildlife! While moving animals can raise health concerns, this study shows that with the right practices, we can reintroduce wildcats safely.
Read full study: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Read full study: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Practical Application of Disease Risk Assessment in Native Species Reintroductions: A Case Study of a European Wildcat (Felis silvestris) Population Reinforcement in the Cairngorms National Park
Disease risk assessment was conducted for the Saving Wildcats reintroduction project of captive-bred European Wildcats (Felis silvestris) to the Cairngorms National Park. Hazards were identified, and...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
April 16, 2025 at 9:01 PM
We have just published our first #PracticeInsights article. A brand new article type in #MammalReview and an exciting way to publish your review articles that have direct practical implications for Mammal conservation or ecology. Do have a read to find out more 😸😺🐈
Reposted by Robyn Grant
Apply now for a four year Research Fellowship at Kew. £41,020 per annum Closing Date 20/04/2025 opportunity to become an independent researcher with some startup funds for research and travel. careers.kew.org/internal/vac...
Kew Research Fellow (Trait Diversity and Function) - Careers | Kew GardensMenuClose menu
careers.kew.org
April 16, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Apply now for a four year Research Fellowship at Kew. £41,020 per annum Closing Date 20/04/2025 opportunity to become an independent researcher with some startup funds for research and travel. careers.kew.org/internal/vac...
Reposted by Robyn Grant
⏰ DEADLINE IS TOMORROW (15 April) ⏰
Submit your abstract now! 🚨
#BOUasm25 | A day at the museum: collections-based ornithological research in a changing world
📅 18 Nov 2025 | Natural History Museum, London
🔗 bou.org.uk/event/a-d...
#ornithology 🪶🧪
Submit your abstract now! 🚨
#BOUasm25 | A day at the museum: collections-based ornithological research in a changing world
📅 18 Nov 2025 | Natural History Museum, London
🔗 bou.org.uk/event/a-d...
#ornithology 🪶🧪
April 14, 2025 at 7:00 AM
⏰ DEADLINE IS TOMORROW (15 April) ⏰
Submit your abstract now! 🚨
#BOUasm25 | A day at the museum: collections-based ornithological research in a changing world
📅 18 Nov 2025 | Natural History Museum, London
🔗 bou.org.uk/event/a-d...
#ornithology 🪶🧪
Submit your abstract now! 🚨
#BOUasm25 | A day at the museum: collections-based ornithological research in a changing world
📅 18 Nov 2025 | Natural History Museum, London
🔗 bou.org.uk/event/a-d...
#ornithology 🪶🧪