I am endlessly fascinated by how animals navigate a toxic world! From naturally-occurring plant defenses to human-created poisons, animals must respond to various toxic assaults or perish. Within this theme, my research interests are very wide-ranging. I currently use butterflies and their hosts as a system to address questions about evolutionary and behavioral responses to plant defensive compounds, heavy metals, and pesticides.
Courses Taught
BIOL 111 Introduction to Organisms
BIOL 210 Evolution
BIOL 324 Ecology
BIOL 337 Ornithology
CORE 170 Decisions in a Data-Driven World
Publications
Featured manuscripts - for full publication list, please see my Google Scholar profile.
Italics indicate undergraduate co-author
- Kobiela, M. & E. Snell-Rood. 2020. Genetic variation influences neonicotinoid tolerance in three butterfly species. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry, 39: 2228-2236.
- Sikkink, K., R. Hostager, M. Kobiela, N. Fremling, K. Johnston, A. Zambre, E. Snell-Rood. 2020. Tolerance of novel toxins through generalized mechanisms: simulating gradual host shifts of butterflies. The American Naturalist, 195: 485-503.
- Mitchell, T., A. Shephard, C. Kalinowski, M. Kobiela, E. Snell-Rood. 2019. Butterflies do not alter oviposition or larval foraging in response to anthropogenic increases in sodium. Animal Behaviour, 154: 121-129.
- Espeset, A., M. Kobiela, K. Sikkink, T. Pan, C. Roy, E. Snell-Rood. 2019. Anthropogenic increases in nutrients alter sexual selection dynamics: a case study in butterflies. Behavioral Ecology, 30: 598-608.
- Kobiela, M. & E. Snell-Rood. 2018. Nickel exposure has complex transgenerational effects in a butterfly. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 58: 1008-1017.
- Snell-Rood, E., M. Kobiela, K. Sikkink, A. Shepard. 2018. Mechanisms of plastic rescue in novel environments. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 49: 331–354.
- Philips, K., M. Kobiela, E. Snell-Rood. 2017. Developmental lead exposure has mixed effects on butterfly cognitive processes. Animal Cognition, 20: 87-96.
- McGlothlin, J., M. Kobiela, [9 co-authors], E. Brodie, III. 2016. Historical contingency in a multigene family facilitates adaptive evolution of toxin resistance. Current Biology, 26: 1616-1621.
- Kobiela, M., D. Cristol, J. Swaddle. 2015. Risk-taking behaviours in zebra finches affected by mercury exposure. Animal Behaviour. 103: 153-160.
Current and past society affiliations:
Society for the Study of Evolution