Dr Tasmin Rymer ~ Lecturer

I am a passionate animal behaviourist withh a fondness for rodents. I studied a BSc majoring in Zoology and Ecology, Environment and Conservation at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, South Africa, and followed this with a BSc Honours in Zoology, focusing on the behavioural ecology of Kalahari tree skinks Mabyua spilogaster. I then moved to the University of Pretoria, South Africa, to study an MSc with specialisation in Mammalogy. I returned to Wits to study my PhD under the supervision of Prof. Neville Pillay. My project focused on the ontogeny and function of paternal care behaviour in the African striped mouse Rhabdomys pumilio. I moved to James Cook University in 2012, where I am currently employed in the College of Science and Engineering. My current research focuses on the behaviour of Australian mammals, specifically the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat Melomys cervinipes, although I have some students favouring marine gastropods.

Teaching

• BZ1005: Introductory Ecology (Level 1; CNS)
• BZ1006: Diversity of Life (Level 1; CNS)
• BZ2820: Evolutionary Biology (Level 2; CNS)
• BZ5820: Evolutionary Biology (Level 5; CNS)

Research Disciplines

• Zoology (0608)
• Ecology (0602)
• Evolutionary Biology (0603)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding Knowledge (9701)
• Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity (9608)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Maxwell S, Rymer T and Congdon B (2017) Sex-ratio bias in Laevistrombus canarium Linné, 1758 (Gastropoda: Strombidae) from Far North Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 60. pp. 133-138
• Pillay N and Rymer T (2017) Behavioural correlates of group size and group persistence in the African ice rat Otomys sloggetti robertsi. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 71. pp. 1-13
• Pillay N and Rymer T (2017) Preference for outbreeding in inbred Littledale's whistling rats Parotomys littledalei. Evolutionary Biology, 44 (1). pp. 21-30
• Preece N, Abell S, Grogan L, Wayne A, Skerratt L, Van Oosterzee P, SHIMA A, Daszak P, Field H, Reiss A, Berger L, Rymer T, Fisher D, Lawes M, Laurance S, McCallum H, Esson C and Epstein J (2017) A guide for ecologists: detecting the role of disease in faunal declines and managing population recovery. Biological Conservation, 214. pp. 136-146
• Maxwell S, Congdon B and Rymer T (2016) A new species of Vasticardium (Bivalvia: Cardiidae) from Queensland, Australia. The Festivus, 48 (4). pp. 248-252
• Maxwell S and Rymer T (2016) Commercially driven taxonomy: the necessity of "knowing" species. The Festivus, 48 (1). pp. 52-53
• Pillay N, Rimbach R and Rymer T (2016) Pre- and postnatal dietary protein deficiency influences anxiety, memory and social behaviour in the African striped mouse Rhabdomys dilectus chakae. Physiology & Behavior, 161. pp. 38-46
• Rymer T, Pillay N and Schradin C (2016) Resilience to droughts in mammals: a conceptual framework for estimating vulnerability of a single species. Quarterly Review of Biology, 91 (2). pp. 133-176
• Delarue E, Kerr S and Rymer T (2015) Habitat complexity, environmental change and personality: a tropical perspective. Behavioural Processes, 120. pp. 101-110
• Pillay N and Rymer T (2015) Alloparenting enhances the emotional, social and cognitive performance of female African striped mice, Rhabdomys pumilio. Animal Behaviour, 99. pp. 43-52
• Mackay M, Rymer T and Pillay N (2014) Separation at weaning from the family is stressful for naturally group-living, but not solitary-living, male African striped mice Rhabdomys. Stress, 17 (3). pp. 266-274
• Rymer T, Thomson R and Whiting M (2014) At home with the birds: Kalahari tree skinks associate with sociable weaver nests despite African pygmy falcon presence. Austral Ecology, 39 (7). pp. 839-847

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 24+ research outputs authored by Dr Tasmin Rymer from 2007 onwards.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• A systematic revision of the family Strombidae (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Understanding the Biological Significance of Problem Solving in Wild Animals using an Australian Rodent Melomys Cervinipes (PhD , Primary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.