Associate Professor Sheri Johnson, Our People, Department of Zoology

Email sheri.johnson@otago.ac.nz Sheri_Johnson

Teaching

Research interests

Behavioural Ecology, Evolutionary Ecology, Molecular Ecology, Ecological Genetics, Reproductive Biology, Environmental Epigenetics, Behavioural Genomics, Insect Conservation and Behaviour

I am a behavioural ecologist with broad interests in sexual selection, mating system evolution, sperm biology and the effects of human-induced change on the reproductive ecology and behaviour of animals. Overall, my research programme investigates both genetic and environmental effects on behaviour and reproductive fitness. We currently use zebrafish, tree weta, stag beetles, and triplefins in our research, but I am open to working with different study systems.

Postgraduate students

I am currently accepting students interested in working on insect conservation and behaviour or transgenerational acclimation in fishes.

The University of Otago offers PhD scholarships to candidates with excellent academic records (irrespective of nationality). Please feel free to contact me if you are interested my research and would like to do your PhD in New Zealand. More information can be found on the Scholarships page.

Current students

Luna Thomas (PhD Zoology), The mating system of the endemic stag beetle, Geodorcus helmsi. Supervisors: Johnson, Jenny Jandt

Yasmin Foster (PhD Zoology), Integrating genomic and epigenomic approaches for kākāpō conservation. Supervisors: Robertson, Gossner, Dutoit, Johnson

Melita Busch (MSc Zoology). Foraging and defending in Vespula wasps. Supervisors: Jenny Jandt, Johnson

Sharn Milliken (MSc Zoology). Pollinators of rare limestone plants. Supervisors: Johnson, Janice Lord, Clement Lagrue

Breana Riordan (MSc Zoology). Thermal tolerances of triplefins fishes. Supervisors: Johnson, Tony Hickey

Zhuali Lim (MSc Ecology). Pollination and nesting behaviour of native NZ bees. Supervisors: Johnson, Janice Lord

Previous students

Mateus Detoni (PhD Zoology), Social wasp behavioural ecology and genomics. Supervisors: Jandt, Johnson

Meg Kelly (MSc Zoology), Examining behavioural differences between predator aware and predator naive tree wētā. Supervisors: Johnson, Priscilla Wehi

Fletcher Munsterman (MSc, Zoology), Impacts of microplastics on triplefin behaviour. Supervisors: Johnson, Bridie Allan

Dominque Harris (MSc, Zoology), Can territorial fish recognise each other as individuals? Supervisors: Closs, Johnson

Brad Lamont (MSc Marine Science), Investigating how a high predation environment during embryogenesis affects larval characteristics in triplefin fish using chemical alarm cues. Supervisors: Allan, Johnson

Adele Parli (MSc Zoology), Behavioural effects of brodifacoum bait exposure on Wellington tree wētā. Supervisors: Johnson, Priscilla Wehi, Anne Besson

Hilary Thomson (MSc Zoology), Repeatability of zebrafish personality traits. Supervisor: Johnson

Simon Lamb (MSc Zoology), Effects of atrazine on transgenerational epigenetics in zebrafish. Supervisor: Johnson

Carlos Lara Vasquez (PhD Zoology), Immunity, quality, and fitness in a bird with a variable mating system. Supervisors: Nakagawa, Robertson, Johnson

Benedikt Holtmann (PhD Zoology), Animal personality and social networks in a species with variable mating systems, the Dunnock. Supervisors: Nakagawa, Robertson, Johnson

Jordan Aria Housiaux (MSc Marine Sciences), Ecology of sevengill sharks using mark/recapture and connectivity analyses. Supervisors: Rayment, Hepburn, Johnson

Links

Google scholar profile

Publications

Milliken, S., Lagrue, C., Lord, J., & Johnson, S. (2024). What is pollinating the critically threatened calcicolous plants in the Waitaki Valley? New Zealand Journal of Ecology, 48(1), 3564. doi: 10.20417/nzjecol.48.3564 Journal - Research Article

Munsterman, F., Allan, B. J. M., & Johnson, S. L. (2024). The availability and ingestion of microplastics by an intertidal fish is dependent on urban proximity. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2024.2365272 Journal - Research Article

Grey, L., Trewick, S. A., & Johnson, S. L. (2024). Introduced mammalian predators influence demography and trait variation of a New Zealand stag beetle. Journal of Insect Conservation, 28, 725-736. doi: 10.1007/s10841-024-00593-0 Journal - Research Article

Schenk, S., Horsfield, J. A., Dwoskin, L., & Johnson, S. L. (2024). Methamphetamine effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) depend on behavioral endpoint, dose and test session duration. Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior, 240, 173777. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173777 Journal - Research Article

Grey, L., Holwell, G. I., Jandt, J. M., & Johnson, S. (2024). Weapon allometry and shape variation in the Helm's stag beetle (Geodorcus helmsi). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blae024 Journal - Research Article

2024

Journal - Research Article

Sanghvi, K., Vega-Trejo, R., Nakagawa, S., Gascoigne, S. J. L., Johnson, S. L., Salguero-Gómez, R., … Sepil, I. (2024). Meta-analysis shows no consistent evidence for senescence in ejaculate traits across animals. Nature Communications, 15, 558. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-44768-4

Thompson, L., Doogan, H., Thompson, C., Wehi, P., & Johnson, S. (2024). Are there differences in behaviour between the two colour morphs of the mountain stone wētā, Hemideina maori? New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 51(2), 211-227. doi: 10.1080/03014223.2023.2249408

2023

Journal - Research Article

Kelly, M., Wehi, P. M., & Johnson, S. L. (2023). Behavioural differences in predator aware and predator naïve Wellington tree wētā, Hemideina crassidens. Current Research in Insect Science, 3, 100058. doi: 10.1016/j.cris.2023.100058

Detoni, M., Johnson, S. L., Adams, C. I. M., Bengston, S., & Jandt, J. M. (2023). Older, but not wiser: Social wasp colony defensive behavior decreases with time, not experience. Insectes Sociaux, 70, 81-96. doi: 10.1007/s00040-022-00893-1

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Johnson, S., Thomas, L., Dutoit, L., Trewick, S., & McCulloch, G. (2023). Population genomics of an iconic stag beetle. Proceedings of the 71st Entomological Society of New Zealand (ESNZ) Conference. (pp. 58). Retrieved from https://ento.org.nz/

Thompson, L., Doogan, H., Wehi, P., & Johnson, S. (2023). Investigating differences in behaviour between predator naïve and predator aware mountain stone wētā, Hemideina maori. Proceedings of the 71st Entomological Society of New Zealand (ESNZ) Conference. (pp. 43). Retrieved from https://ento.org.nz/

Thompson, L., Doogan, H., Thompson, C., Wehi, P., & Johnson, S. (2023). Are there differences in behaviour between the two colour morphs of the mountain stone wētā, Hemideina maori? Proceedings of the 71st Entomological Society of New Zealand (ESNZ) Conference. (pp. 40). Retrieved from https://ento.org.nz/

Lim, Z., Lord, J., & Johnson, S. (2023). Foraging and nesting behaviours of ground-nesting bees in Dunedin. Proceedings of the 71st Entomological Society of New Zealand (ESNZ) Conference. (pp. 48). Retrieved from https://ento.org.nz/

Besson, A., Johnson, S. L., Nakagawa, S., Meylan, S., & Cree, A. (2023). Do personality traits co-vary with baseline concentrations of glucocorticoids in a viviparous lizard? In D. J. Wilson & J. M. Monks (Eds.), Recent developments in research on the herpetofauna of Aotearoa New Zealand: Proceedings of the 18th Biennial Conference of the Society for Research on Amphibians and Reptiles in New Zealand (SRARNZ) 2021: DOC Research and Development Series 369. 2.4. Retrieved from https://www.doc.govt.nz/about-us/science-publications/series/doc-research-and-development-series

2022

Journal - Research Article

Ragsdale, A., Ortega-Recalde, O., Dutoit, L., Besson, A. A., Chia, J. H. Z., King, T., Nakagawa, S., Hickey, A., Gemmell, N. J., Hore, T., & Johnson, S. L. (2022). Paternal hypoxia exposure primes offspring for increased hypoxia resistance. BMC Biology, 20, 185. doi: 10.1186/s12915-022-01389-x

Divers, S. L., Johnson, S. L., & Lokman, P. M. (2022). Sperm quality of artificially matured shortfinned eel is not affected by human chorionic gonadotropin dose and route of administration. PeerJ, 10, e13742. doi: 10.7717/peerj.13742

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Schenk, S., Horsfield, J., & Johnson, S. (2022). Zebrafish on "P": Behavioural effects of methamphetamine. In K. Horne (Ed.), Proceedings of the 38th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (AWCBR). (pp. 95). Retrieved from https://www.queenstownresearchweek.org

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Paul, J., Johnson, S., & Iremonger, K. (2022, August-September). Developing a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model to study behavioural and neuroendocrine responses to stress. Verbal presentation at the 16th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.

2020

Journal - Research Article

Johnson, S. L., Borziak, K., Kleffmann, T., Rosengrave, P., Dorus, S., & Gemmell, N. J. (2020). Ovarian fluid proteome variation associates with sperm swimming speed in an externally fertilising fish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 33, 1783-1794. doi: 10.1111/jeb.13717

Lara, C. E., Grueber, C. E., Holtmann, B., Santos, E. S. A., Johnson, S. L., Robertson, B. C., … Nakagawa, S. (2020). Assessment of the dunnocks’ introduction to New Zealand using innate immune-gene diversity. Evolutionary Ecology, 34, 803-820. doi: 10.1007/s10682-020-10070-0

Sasson, D. A., Johnson, S. L., Smith, M. D., & Brockmann, H. J. (2020). Seasonal variation in reproduction of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) from the Gulf Coast of Florida. Biological Bulletin, 239, 24-39. doi: 10.1086/709876

Thomson, H. R., Lamb, S. D., Besson, A. A., & Johnson, S. L. (2020). Long-term repeatability of behaviours in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Ethology, 126, 903-911. doi: 10.1111/eth.13038

Lamb, S. D., Chia, J. H. Z., & Johnson, S. L. (2020). Paternal exposure to a common herbicide alters the behavior and serotonergic system of zebrafish offspring. PLoS ONE, 15(4), e0228357. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228357

Parli, A., Besson, A., Wehi, P., & Johnson, S. (2020). Sub-lethal exposure to a mammalian pesticide bait alters behaviour in an orthopteran. Journal of Insect Conservation, 24, 536-546. doi: 10.1007/s10841-020-00222-6

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Ragsdale, A. K., Dutoit, L., Besson, A. A., King, T., Gemmell, N. J., Hore, T., & Johnson, S. L. (2020). Paternal hypoxia exposure primes offspring for increased hypoxia resistance. Integrative & Comparative Biology, 60(Suppl. 1), (pp. E192). doi: 10.1093/icb/icaa006

2019

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Ragsdale, A., Dutoit, L., Besson, A., King, T., Gemmell, N., Hore, T., & Johnson, S. (2019). Paternal hypoxia exposure primes offspring for increased hypoxia resistance. Proceedings of the 16th Asian Conference on Transcription. (pp. 48-49). Retrieved from http://act2019.p.events4you.currinda.com/days/2019-12-02/

Ragsdale, A., Dutoit, L., Chia, J., Gemmell, N., & Johnson, S. (2019). It's in your head: How echoes of the past shape future progeny. Proceedings of the Genetics Society of Australasia (GSA) Conference. Retrieved from https://event.crowdcompass.com/gsa2019

2018

Journal - Research Article

Johnson, S. L., Zellhuber-McMillan, S., Gillum, J., Dunleavy, J., Evans, J., Nakagawa, S., & Gemmell, N. J. (2018). Evidence that fertility trades off with early offspring fitness as males age. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 285(1871), 20172174. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2174

2017

Journal - Research Article

Lamb, S. D., Taylor, H. R., Holtmann, B., Santos, E. S. A., Tamayo, J. H., Johnson, S. L., Nakagawa, S., & Lara, C. E. (2017). Coprophagy in Dunnocks (Prunella modularis): A frequent behavior in females, infrequent in males, and very unusual in nestlings. Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 129(3), 615-620. doi: 10.1676/16-059.1

Gessner, C., Johnson, S. L., Fisher, P., Clarke, S., Rutherford, K., Symonds, J., & Gemmell, N. J. (2017). Male-female relatedness at specific SNP-linkage groups influences cryptic female choice in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 284(1859), 20170853. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0853

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Thomson, H., & Johnson, S. (2017). Genetic effects on social isolation anxiety in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Genetics Society of Australasia (GSA) with the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB). 539. Retrieved from http://gen2017.w.events4you.currinda.com

Ragsdale, A., Hore, T., & Johnson, S. (2017). DNA methylation and aging in zebrafish. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Genetics Society of Australasia (GSA) with the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB). 531. Retrieved from http://gen2017.w.events4you.currinda.com

Johnson, S. L., & Lamb, S. D. (2017). Intergenerational effects of atrazine exposure suring juvenile development in zebrafish. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Genetics Society of Australasia (GSA) with the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB). 704. Retrieved from http://gen2017.w.events4you.currinda.com

2016

Journal - Research Article

Holtmann, B., Grosser, S., Lagisz, M., Johnson, S. L., Santos, E. S. A., Lara, C. E., Robertson, B. C., & Nakagawa, S. (2016). Population differentiation and behavioural association of the two 'personality' genes DRD4 and SERT in dunnocks (Prunella modularis). Molecular Ecology, 25(3), 706-722. doi: 10.1111/mec.13514

Flynn, T., Signal, B., Johnson, S. L., & Gemmell, N. J. (2016). Mitochondrial genome diversity among six laboratory zebrafish (Danio rerio) strains. Mitochondrial DNA, 27(6), 4364-4371. doi: 10.3109/19401736.2015.1089536

Senior, A. M., Johnson, S. L., & Nakagawa, S. (2016). Sperm traits of masculinized fish relative to wild-type males: A systematic review and meta-analyses. Fish & Fisheries, 17(1), 143-164. doi: 10.1111/faf.12096

Journal - Research Other

O'Dea, R. E., Noble, D. W. A., Johnson, S. L., Hesselson, D., & Nakagawa, S. (2016). The role of non-genetic inheritance in evolutionary rescue: Epigenetic buffering, heritable bet hedging and epigenetic traps. Environmental Epigenetics, 2(1), dvv014. doi: 10.1093/eep/dvv014

2015

Chapter in Book - Research

Brockmann, H. J., Johnson, S. L., Smith, M. D., & Sasson, D. (2015). Mating tactics of the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). In R. H. Carmichael, M. L. Botton, P. K. S. Shin & S. G. Cheung (Eds.), Changing global perspectives on horseshoe crab biology, conservation and management. (pp. 321-351). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-19542-1_19

Journal - Research Article

Sasson, D. A., Johnson, S. L., & Brockmann, H. J. (2015). Reproductive tactics and mating contexts affect sperm traits in horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus). Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology, 69(11), 1769-1778. doi: 10.1007/s00265-015-1989-7

Yund, P. O., Collins, C., & Johnson, S. L. (2015). Evidence of a Native Northwest Atlantic COI haplotype clade in the cryptogenic colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Biological Bulletin, 228(3), 201-216.

Vasquez, M. C., Johnson, S. L., Brockmann, H. J., & Julian, D. (2015). Nest site selection minimizes environmental stressor exposure in the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus (L.). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 463, 105-114. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2014.10.028

Johnson, S. L., Dunleavy, J., Gemmell, N. J., & Nakagawa, S. (2015). Consistent age-dependent declines in human semen quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Research Reviews, 19, 22-33. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2014.10.007

2014

Journal - Research Article

Johnson, S. L., Villarroel, M., Rosengrave, P., Carne, A., Kleffmann, T., Lokman, P. M., & Gemmell, N. J. (2014). Proteomic analysis of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) ovarian fluid. PLoS ONE, 9(8), e104155. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104155

2013

Journal - Research Article

Johnson, S. L., & Brockmann, H. J. (2013). Parental effects on early development: Testing for indirect benefits of polyandry. Behavioral Ecology, 24(5), 1218-1228. doi: 10.1093/beheco/art056

2012

Journal - Research Article

Johnson, S. L., & Brockmann, H. J. (2012). Alternative reproductive tactics in female horseshoe crabs. Behavioral Ecology, 23(5), 999-1008. doi: 10.1093/beheco/ars063

Sasson, D. A., Johnson, S. L., & Brockmann, H. J. (2012). The role of age on sperm traits in the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus. Animal Behaviour, 84(4), 975-981. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.023

Johnson, S. L., & Gemmell, N. J. (2012). Are old males still good males and can females tell the difference?: Do hidden advantages of mating with old males off-set costs related to fertility, or are we missing something else? BioEssays, 34(7), 609-619. doi: 10.1002/bies.201100157

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Johnson, S. (2012). Cryptic female choice in salmon: Does sperm motility require a female’s touch? Proceedings of the Centre for Reproduction and Genomics 4th Annual Research Colloquium. (pp. 8). Retrieved from http://www.otago.ac.nz/crg/news/colloquium/

2011

Journal - Research Article

Brockmann, H. J., & Johnson, S. L. (2011). A long-term study of spawning activity in a Florida Gulf coast population of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus). Estuaries & Coasts, 34(5), 1049-1067. doi: 10.1007/s12237-011-9419-1

2010

Journal - Research Article

Johnson, S. L., & Brockmann, H. J. (2010). Costs of multiple mates: An experimental study in horseshoe crabs. Animal Behaviour, 80(5), 773-782. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.07.019

2009

Journal - Research Article

Johnson, S. L., & Yund, P. O. (2009). Effects of fertilization distance on male gain curves in a free-spawning marine invertebrate: A combined empirical and theoretical approach. Evolution, 63(12), 3114-3123. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00784.x

2008

Journal - Research Article

Johnson, S. L., & Yund, P. O. (2008). Mulitple paternity and subsequent fusion-rejection interactions in a kin-structured population. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 364, 129-134. doi: 10.3354/meps07500

2007

Journal - Research Article

Yund, P. O., Murdock, K., & Johnson, S. L. (2007). Spatial distribution of ascidian sperm: Two -dimensional patterns and short vs. time-integrated assays. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 341, 103-109.

Johnson, S. L., & Yund, P. O. (2007). Variation in multiple paternity in natural populations of a free-spawning marine invertebrate. Molecular Ecology, 16(15), 3253-3262. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03366.x

Awarded Doctoral Degree

Johnson, S. L. (2007). Mating system dynamics in a free-spawning colonial ascidian (PhD). University of Maine, Orono, ME.