Dr Kyle Armstrong

• Biography/ Background

  I am Research Zoologist with a broad interest in small terrestrial vertebrates, and a speciality focus on bats. My primary drive is to generate knowledge through studies of taxonomy, evolution and ecology that ultimately contribute to better conservation policy for threatened-listed and as-yet unnamed species, their pristine habitats and their remnant refuges. Working collaboratively with private industry has always been productive-with the guiding principle always that knowledge generation helps industry exceed its legislated environmental responsibilities involving threatened species, and to the ultimate net benefit of the species. Active areas of research include:

  • molecular systematics and taxonomy of bats in Australia and Papua New Guinea;
    
  • population genetics of speciating, range-limited and conservation-significant bat species;
  • changes in skull shape associated with bat speciation;
    
  • the role of differences in echolocation call design in bat speciation;
    
  • methods development for the semi-automated processing and identification of bat and frog calls in terabyte-sized acoustic datasets;
    
  • designing artifical roosts with optimal microclimates for bats;
    
  • ecology of various bat species, most of them threatened-listed.

  Most projects are multidisciplinary, and embrace new technologies including genomic approaches to population genetics and molecular systematics (RADseq, exon capture and associated bioinformatic pipelines), geometric morphometrics from micro-CT and laser scans, full-spectrum ultrasonic recordings and computational fluid dynamics (in collabration with the Department of Mechanical Engineering). Recent major funded projects include:

  • Resolving the taxonomic status of ecologically keystone and threatened bats in New Guinea (Hermon Slade Foundation grant 2015-2018)
  • Resolving the taxonomic status of Australia's threatened bat species (ABRS Postdoctoral Fellowship 2011 - 2014)
    
  • Numerous collaborative taxonomic projects as part of the CERF-funded taxonomic Research and Information Network (TRIN), based in the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (2008-2010)
    
  • The historical biogeography and phylogeoraphy of an incipient horseshoe bat across the Japanese archipelago (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers 2004-2006)
    

   

   

• Publications

  29. Llamas B, Brotherton P, Mitchell KJ, Templeton J, Tomson VA, Metcalf JL, Armstrong KN, Richards SM, Camens AB, Lee MSY and Cooper A (2015). Late Pleistocene Australian marsupial DNA clarifies the affinities of extinct megafaunal kangaroos and wallabies. Molecular Biology and Evolution 32: 574–584. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msu338

  28. Hill, DA. Armstrong, KN and Barden, PA (2015). Preliminary assessment suggests that acoustic lures can increase capture rates of Australian echolocating bats. Australian Mammalogy 37: 104–106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AM14019

  27. Foley NM, Thong VD, Soisook P, Goodman SM, Armstrong KN, Jacobs D, Peuchmaille SJ and Teeling EC. (2015). How and why overcome the impediments to resolution: lessons from rhinolophid and hipposiderid bats. Molecular Biology and Evolution 32: 313–333. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msu329

  26. Mitchell KJ, Pratt RC, Watson LN, Gibb GC, Kasper M, Edson J, Armstrong KN, Meyer M, Hofreiter M, Austin J, Donnellan SC, Lee MSY, Phillips MJ and Cooper A (2014). Molecular phylogeny, biogeography, and habitat preference evolution of marsupials. Molecular Biology and Evolution 31: 2322–2330.  doi: 10.1093/molbev/msu176

  25. Armstrong, KN (2011). The current status of bats in Western Australia. Pp. 257–269. In: The Biology and Conservation of Australasian Bats, (eds B Law, P Eby, D Lunney and L Lumsden). Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, NSW, Australia.

  24. Armstrong, KN and Kerry, L (2011). Modelling the prey detection performance of Rhinonicteris aurantia (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in different atmospheric conditions discounts the notional role of relative humidity in adaptive evolution. Journal of Theoretical Biology 278: 44–54. 

  23. Webala, PW, Craig, MD, Law, BS, Armstrong, KN, Wayne, AF and Bradley, JS (2011). Bat habitat use in logged jarrah eucalypt forests of south-western Australia. Journal of Applied Ecology 48: 398–406.

  22. Armstrong, KN (2010). Assessing the short-term effect of minerals exploration drilling on colonies of bats of conservation significance: a case study near Marble Bar, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 93: 165–174. 

  21. Rawlence, NJ, Wood, JR, Armstrong, KN and Cooper, A (2009). DNA from ancient feathers as an evolutionary resource and their potential for phenotypic reconstructions of extinct avian taxa. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. 276: 3395–3402. DOI

  20. Fukui, D, Hirakawa, H, Kawai, K and Armstrong, K (2009). Recent records of bats from south-western Hokkaido. Bulletin of the Asian Bat Research Institute 8: 9–27.

  19. Yoshino, H, Armstrong, KN and Tamura, H (2009). Cave-dwelling bat surveys on Kume-jima, Tokashiki-jima and Iheya-jima Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. Bulletin of the Asian Bat Research Institute 8: 28–32. [in Japanese with English abstract]

  18. Yoshino, H, Armstrong, KN, Izawa, M, Yokoyama, J and Kawata, M (2008). Genetic and acoustic population structuring in the Okinawa Least Horseshoe Bat: are inter-colony acoustic differences maintained by vertical maternal transmission? Molecular Ecology 17: 4978–4991. 

  17. Tokita, M, Kiyoshi, T and Armstrong, KN (2008). Evolution of craniofacial novelty in parrots through developmental modularity and heterochrony. Evolution and Development 9: 590–601. DOI

  16. Armstrong, KN and Coles, RB (2007). Echolocation call frequency differences between geographic isolates of Rhinonicteris aurantia (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae): implications of nasal chamber size. Journal of Mammalogy 88: 94–104. 

  15. Kawai, K, Fukui, D, Matsumura, S, Akasaka, T, Mukoyama, M, Armstrong, K, Sasaki, N, Hill, DA and Yasumuro, A (2007). Bat fauna in Tsushima, Nagasaki, Japan. Honyurui Kagaku (Mammalian Science) 47: 239–253. [in Japanese]

  14. Lynas, J, Storey, AW, Armstrong, K, Prince J and Knott. B (2006). Invasion by the exotic crayfish, Cherax destructor Clark (Parastacidae) into habitats of local crayfish near Perth, Western Australia. Freshwater Crayfish 15: 176–188.

  13. Armstrong, KN (2006). Phylogeographic structure in Rhinonicteris aurantia (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae): implications for conservation. Acta Chiropterologica 8: 63–81. 

  12. Armstrong, KN (2006). Resolving the correct nomenclature of the orange leaf-nosed bat Rhinonicteris aurantia (Gray, 1845) (Hipposideridae). Australian Mammalogy 28: 125–130.

  11. Armstrong, KN, Brown, R and Armstrong, P (2005). The status of bat roosts in caves in the south west of Western Australia, with a focus on Quininup Lake Cave. Western Australian Naturalists 25: 41–56.

  10. Armstrong, KN, Storey, AW and Davies, PM (2005). Effects of catchment clearing and sedimentation on macroinvertebrate communities of cobble habitat in freshwater streams of south Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 88:1–11.

  9. Armstrong, KN (2005). A description and discussion of the penile morphology of Rhinonicteris aurantius (Gray, 1845) (Microchiroptera: Hipposideridae). Australian Mammalogy 27: 161–167.

  8. Armstrong, KN (2002). Morphometric divergence among populations of Rhinonicteris aurantius (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in northern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 50:649–669.

  7. Armstrong, KN (2001). The roost habitat and distribution of the orange leaf-nosed bat, Rhinonicteris aurantius, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Wildlife Research 28:95–104.

  6. Anstee, SD and Armstrong, KN (2001). The effect of familiarity and mound condition in translocations of the Western Pebble-mound Mouse Pseudomys chapmani in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Wildlife Research 28: 135–140.

  5. Armstrong, KN and Anstee, SD (2001). An unusual pelage colour of the Common sheathtail bat Taphozous georgianus Thomas, 1915 from the Pilbara of Western Australia. Western Australian Naturalists 23: 51–54.

  4. Armstrong, KN and Anstee, SD (2000). The ghost bat in the Pilbara: 100 years on. Australian Mammalogy 22: 93–101.

  3. Armstrong, KN and Nichols, OG (2000). Long-term trends in avifaunal recolonisation of rehabilitated bauxite minesites in the northern jarrah forest of south-western Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 126: 213–225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(99)00087-0

  2. Armstrong, KN (2000). Roost microclimates of the bat Rhinonicteris aurantius in a limestone cave in Geikie Gorge, Western Australia. Australian Mammalogy 22: 69–70.

  1. Dunlop, SA, Roberts, JD, Armstrong, KN, Edwards, SJ, Reynolds, SJ, Thom, MD and Beazley, LD (1997). Impaired vision for binocular tasks after unilateral optic nerve regeneration in the frog Litoria moorei. Behavioural Brain Research 84: 195–201.

   

   

   

  REFEREED Book Contributions & COMMONWEALTH Govt publications

   

  Sano, A and Armstrong, KN (2015). Rhinolophus cornutus Temminck, 1835. pp. 61–62; Rhinolophus pumilus Andersen, 1905. pp. 63–64; Rhinolophus perditus Andersen, 1918. pp. 65–66, In: The wild mammals of Japan, Second Edition (eds. S.D. Ohdachi, Y. Ishibashi, M.A. Iwasa, D. Fukui and T. Saito). Shoukadoh Book Sellers and the Mammalogical Society of Japan, Sapporo Japan.

  Armstrong KN, Novera J and Aplin KP (2015). Acoustic survey of the echolocating bats of Manus Island and Mussau Island, Papua New Guinea. pp. 69–85 In: (N. Whitmore ed.) A Rapid Biodiversity Survey of Papua New Guinea’s Manus and Mussau Islands. Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea Program. Goroka, Papua New Guinea.

  Aplin KP, Novera J and Armstrong KN (2015). Mammals of Manus and Mussau islands. pp. 50–68 In: (N. Whitmore ed.) A Rapid Biodiversity Survey of Papua New Guinea’s Manus and Mussau Islands. Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea Program. Goroka, Papua New Guinea.

  Armstrong, KN, Aplin KP and Lamaris JS (2015). Chapter 10. Bats. pp. 166–180 In: A rapid biodiversity assessment of Papua New Guinea's Hindenburg Wall region (eds. S.J. Richards and N. Whitmore). Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea Program. Goroka, Papua New Guinea.

  Armstrong, KN and Aplin KP (2014). Chapter 7. A survey of bats (Chiroptera) in the Baiyer River Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. pp. 111–133 In: (S.J. Richards ed.) A rapid biodiversity assessment of the Baiyer River region, Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. A report to the Mul Baiyer Lumusa District Administration, Papua New Guinea.

  Van Dyck, S, Gynther, I and Baker, A (eds.) (2013). Field companion to the Mammals of Australia. New Holland, London. [Richards, GC, Hand, S, Armstrong, KN and Hall, LS, p. 125, Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas; Armstrong, KN, pp. 130, Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat Rhinonicteris aurantia (unnamed Pilbara form); Jolly, S, Armstrong, KN, and Reardon, TB, p. 133, Common Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous georgianus; Milne, D, Armstrong, KN and McKenzie, NL, p. 137, Mangrove Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus cobourgianus; Armstrong, KN and Kitchener, D, p. 159, Yellow-lipped Cave Bat Vespadelus douglasorum; Reardon, TB, Milne, DJ, Kutt, AS and Armstrong, KN, p. 159, Finlayson’s cave bat Vespadelus finlaysoni]

  Armstrong, K (2012) Orange Leaf-nosed Bat. In: Queensland’s Threatened Animals. (eds LK Curtis, AJ Dennis, KR McDonald, PK Kyne and SJS Debus) pp. 394–395. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

  Armstrong, KN and Aplin, KP (2011). Bats of the Muller Range, Papua New Guinea. Chapter 19, pp. 222–234 In: Rapid Biological Assessments of the Nakanai Mountains and the upper Strickland Basin: surveying the biodiversity of Papua New Guinea’s sublime karst environments. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 60. Conservation International, Arlington USA. DOI PDF

  Donnellan SC, Armstrong KN and Potter S (2011). The diet of the centipede Scolopendra on Christmas Island. Unpublished report to the Department of the Environment, Water and Heritage, Canberra, Australia. 

  Helgen KM, Armstrong KN, Guzinski J, How RA and Donnellan SC (2011). Taxonomic status of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle, Pipistrellus murrayi Andrews, 1900, as assessed by morphometric and molecular phylogenetic investigations of Indo- Australian Pipistrellus. Unpublished report to the Department of the Environment, Water and Heritage, Canberra, Australia. 

  Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2010). Survey standards for Australia’s threatened bats. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Australian Museum Business Services, June 2003.  [authored by TB Reardon 2003, peer-reviewed and extensively updated April 2009 by KN Armstrong]

  Sano, A and Armstrong, KN (2009). Rhinolophus cornutus Temminck, 1835. pp. 60–61; Rhinolophus pumilus Andersen, 1905. pp. 62–63; Rhinolophus perditus Andersen, 1918. pp. 64–65, In: The wild mammals of Japan. (eds. S.D. Ohdachi, Y. Ishibashi, M.A. Iwasa and T. Saito). Shoukadoh Book Sellers and the Mammalogical Society of Japan, Sapporo Japan.

  Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008) Orange leaf-nosed bat Rhinonicteris aurantia (Pilbara form); Semon’s leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros semoni; Greater large-eared horseshoe bat Rhinolophus philippinensis. In: Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT), Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. URL: http://www.environment.gov.au/sprat

  Van Dyck, S and Strahan, R (eds.) (2008). Mammals of Australia 3^rd edition, Australian Museum, Sydney. [Armstrong, KN, Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat Rhinonicteris aurantia. pp. 470–471; Armstrong, KN and Kitchener, D, Yellow-lipped Cave Bat Vespadelus douglasorum. pp. 564–565; Richards, GC, Hand, S, Armstrong, KN and Hall, LS, Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas. pp. 449–450; Jolly, S, Armstrong, KN, and Reardon, TB, Common Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous georgianus. pp. 478–479; Milne, D, Armstrong, KN and McKenzie, NL, Western Little Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus sp. pp. 488–489; Reardon, TB, Milne, DJ, Kutt, AS and Armstrong, KN, Finlayson’s cave bat Vespadelus finlaysoni. pp. 565–567].

  McKenzie, N, Armstrong, K and Kendrick, P (1999). Pilbara leaf-nosed bat. In: The Action Plan for Australian Bats (eds. A Duncan, GB Baker and N Montgomery). Environment Australia (Australian Commonwealth Government), Canberra. 36–38.

• Professional Associations

  2013 – present:              IUCN Bat Specialist Group member

  2012 – present:             President, Australasian Bat Society, Inc. (second consecutive term)
  

  2002 – 2007:                 Newsletter Editor, Australasian Bat Society, Inc.

  1999 – 2002:                 Council member, Royal Society of Western Australia

   

Entry last updated: Friday, 15 Sep 2023

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