Andy Gardner
Evolution | Theory | Social Evolution | Population Genetics | Behavioural Ecology | Kin Selection | Multilevel Selection | Inclusive Fitness | Sex Ratio | Altruism | Professor of Biology at University of St Andrews, Scotland.
- New paper: "Choosy dispersal promotes the evolution of altruism", with Emilija Barteškaitė (#OpenAccess) doi.org/10.1098/rsbl... The 'Power of Two Random Choices' principle of load balancing may explain the evolution of altruism in viscous populations @royalsocietypublishing.org #OA
- Reposted by Andy Gardner@kztwyman.bsky.social & @andygardner.bsky.social mathematically connect the dynamics of natural selection to optimisation to provide formal justification for viewing obligately eusocial colonies as adaptive individuals in their own right—that is, superorganism: doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
- Reposted by Andy GardnerHappy to share that our paper ‘a formal theory of group-level adaptation for obligate eusociality’ (with @andygardner.bsky.social) is now out in @jevbio.bsky.social advances. doi.org/10.1093/jeb/... #OpenAccess #Eusociality #GroupAdaptation #FormalDarwinism
- Reposted by Andy GardnerEvery year #ESEB distinguishes a young evolutionary biologist with the John Maynard Smith Prize! Nominations for the 2026 prize are due by January 15th! Find out more here: eseb.org/prizes-fundi...
- New paper: "A formal theory of group-level adaptation for obligate eusociality", with Kalyani Twyman (@kztwyman.bsky.social) #OpenAccess academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-... #Image #GoogleGemini @jevbio.bsky.social #OA
- Reposted by Andy GardnerMany of us are using LLMs in coding and scientific writing. They are very helpful tools, but we need to be thoughtful as we integrate them into our work flows to preserve accountability, voice and trust. academic.oup.com/evlett/advan.... An editorial at @evolletters.bsky.social for discussion:
- Finally on my way to #ESEB2025, a day late, following flight cancellation... Disappointed to miss 1st day of talks, but happy that S03.01 "Advances in technology..." is in @ju-morimoto.bsky.social's safe hands. Starting 10.30am, Meeting Room 129+130, with invited talk by @kokkonut.bsky.social.
- Two other members of the research group have successfully made it to @eseb2025.bsky.social ahead of me. Look out for @kztwyman.bsky.social, whose poster "A formal theory of group-level adaptation for obligate eusociality" (P01.068) is in this evening's session.
- And Chedhawat Chokechaipaisarn, whose poster "The consequences of constrained sex allocation under local mate competition" (P02.036) is in Tuesday's session. This is based on his recent paper in Journal of Evolutionary Biology: doi.org/10.1093/jeb/... @jevbio.bsky.social @eseb2025.bsky.social
- Join us for Part 2 of the "Advances" symposium today, from 11am in Room 129+130. #ESEB2025
- New paper: "The consequences of constrained sex allocation in diploids and haplodiploids under local mate competition", with Chedhawat Chokechaipaisarn: doi.org/10.1093/jeb/... @jevbio.bsky.social
- Reposted by Andy GardnerNow all typeset and pretty! A little summary:
- Very excited to share that our paper, ‘The clonality window: relatedness and the group covariance effect in the evolution of division of labour’, is out now in @journal-evo.bsky.social advances. With @andygardner.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/evol... #OpenAccess #Evolution #Multicellularity
- Reposted by Andy GardnerIt's finally out! This paper took quite a while but I'm so excited to share now! For anyone who studies sex chromosomes, take note: we found a rare "slower X"! (dN/dS_X < dN/dS_Autos) 👀
- New paper: "Faster adaptation but slower divergence of X chromosomes under paternal genome elimination" (Open Access) w/ Robert Baird, @imprintedgene.bsky.social, Jan Ševčík, Katy Monteith, @laurarossevo.bsky.social & @ajmongue.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41... @natcomms.nature.com
- New paper: "Faster adaptation but slower divergence of X chromosomes under paternal genome elimination" (Open Access) w/ Robert Baird, @imprintedgene.bsky.social, Jan Ševčík, Katy Monteith, @laurarossevo.bsky.social & @ajmongue.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41... @natcomms.nature.com
- Reposted by Andy GardnerVery excited to share that our paper, ‘The clonality window: relatedness and the group covariance effect in the evolution of division of labour’, is out now in @journal-evo.bsky.social advances. With @andygardner.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/evol... #OpenAccess #Evolution #Multicellularity
- New paper: “The clonality window: relatedness and the group covariance effect in the evolution of division of labour”, with @kztwyman.bsky.social #OpenAccess doi.org/10.1093/evol... @journal-evo.bsky.social #Image: #ChatGPT #Evolution #OA
- Reposted by Andy GardnerSex-ratio optima for haplodiploid parents converge in viscous populations when dispersal is density-dependent. Read 'Density-dependent dispersal reduces conflict over the sex ratio': royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... #BiologyLetters #evolution
- Reposted by Andy GardnerNew paper with @andygardner.bsky.social and @geoffwild.bsky.social in which we ask whether the ability to recognise relatives causes individuals to be more or less cooperative overall. doi.org/10.1093/evol...
- New paper: "Kin-discriminating partner choice promotes the evolution of helping" with Tom Scott (@tomwscott.bsky.social) & Geoff Wild (@geoffwild.bsky.social) #OpenAccess doi.org/10.1093/evol... @journal-evo.bsky.social #Image: #ChatGPT #Evolution #OA
- Reposted by Andy GardnerMy paper is out! "Kin competition drives the evolution of earlier metamorphosis" (#OpenAccess), with @andygardner.bsky.social doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70806
- New paper: "Kin competition drives the evolution of earlier metamorphosis", with @bingdongevo.bsky.social. doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
- Reposted by Andy GardnerHello - how nice to be off twitter! I'm a PhD student at the University of St Andrews studying evolutionary theory (my research profile: tinyurl.com/kztwyman). Would love to connect with anyone working in evolution, theory, social behaviour etc.!
- Reposted by Andy GardnerJoin us for our satellite event on selfish genetic elements!
- New paper: "Density-dependent dispersal reduces conflict over the sex ratio" (OpenAccess), w/ Chedhawat Chokechaipaisarn. doi.org/10.1098/rsbl... Sex-ratio optima for haplodiploid parents converge in viscous populations when dispersal is density-dependent.
- Chedhawat (Tim) has given an online seminar about this sex-ratio work, here: cassyni.com/events/K7vsZ...
- One of my undergraduate students, Callum Ferrando, has just published a comic in Journal of Evolutionary Biology. You can find "Taylor's famous result" here: doi.org/10.1093/jeb/... @jevbio.bsky.social @uniofstandrews.bsky.social
- New paper: "Kin selection as a modulator of human handedness: sex-specific, parental & parent-of-origin effects" (#OpenAccess), with Bing Dong & Silvia Paracchini (@silparacchini.bsky.social): doi.org/10.1017/ehs.... #OA #Image commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cu...
- New paper: "Transmission of social status drives cooperation and offspring philopatry", with Antonio Rodrigues (Open Access) doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
- New paper: "Sexual antagonism in sequential hermaphrodites", w/ Thomas Hitchcock (@imprintedgene.bsky.social) *Open Access* doi.org/10.1098/rspb... Image: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Am...
- Reposted by Andy GardnerOur new paper on sexual antagonism in sequential hermaphrodites has now been published! royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
- Reposted by Andy GardnerHi all, The annual (57th) Population Genetics group conference will be hosted in St Andrews this year (8-10th of Jan 24) General info, plenary speakers, registration and abstract submission can be found here: www.populationgeneticsgroup.org.uk We hope to see you there in the new year! :)