Personal profile
Research overview
I work on Darwinian adaptation. Natural selection explains the appearance of design in the living world, but at what level is this design expected to manifest – gene, individual, society – and what is its function? Social evolution provides a window on this problem, by pitting the interests of genes, individuals and societies against each other. I develop general theory on the topics of inclusive fitness and multilevel selection, and also tailor general theory to the biology of particular species to facilitate empirical testing. I work on a wide range of biological systems, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, crustaceans, insects, fish and humans. Visit my webpage at https://gardner.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/ for more information.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Research output
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A formal theory of group-level adaptation for obligate eusociality
Twyman, K. Z. & Gardner, A., 17 Nov 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Evolutionary Biology. Advance access, p. 1-9 9 p., voaf141.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Choosy dispersal promotes the evolution of altruism
Gardner, A. & Barteškaitė, E., 17 Dec 2025, In: Biology Letters. 21, 12, p. 1-5 5 p., 20250589 .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Faster adaptation but slower divergence of X chromosomes under paternal genome elimination
Baird, R. B., Hitchcock, T. J., Ševčik, J., Monteith, K. M., Gardner, A., Ross, L. & Mongue, A. J., 11 Jun 2025, In: Nature Communications. 16, p. 1-12 12 p., 5288.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Kin competition drives the evolution of earlier metamorphosis
Dong, B. & Gardner, A., Jan 2025, In: Ecology and Evolution. 15, 1, 6 p., e70806.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Kin-discriminating partner choice promotes the evolution of helping
Scott, T., Wild, G. & Gardner, A., 1 Jun 2025, In: Evolution. 79, 6, p. 962–972 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
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Population viscosity promotes altruism under density-dependent dispersal (Simulation data)
Kanwal, J. K. (Creator) & Gardner, A. (Supervisor), University of St Andrews, 8 Dec 2021
DOI: 10.17630/3d1808ce-e5ab-4d79-8ef5-bf30e26265e7
Dataset
File -
Data from: Resource heterogeneity and the evolution of public-goods cooperation
Stilwell, P. (Creator), O'Brien, S. (Creator), Hesse, E. (Creator), Lowe, C. (Creator), Gardner, A. (Creator) & Buckling, A. (Creator), Dryad, 2020
Dataset
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Computer code for "Inference of ecological and social drivers of human brain-size evolution"
Gonzalez Forero, M. (Creator) & Gardner, A. (Creator), Zenodo, 2 Feb 2018
Dataset: Software
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Data from: Monogamy promotes altruistic sterility in insect societies
Davies, N. (Creator) & Gardner, A. (Creator), Dryad, 18 Apr 2018
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.gt8b5
Dataset
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Kin discrimination and demography modulate patterns of sexual conflict (code)
Gardner, A. (Creator), GitHub, 2020
https://github.com/GSFaria-wasp/Sexual-conflict.git
Dataset: Software
Projects
- 5 Finished
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SOCIOCOMPLEXITY - New Paradigms: H2020 ERC Consolidator Grant 2017
Gardner, A. (PI)
1/05/18 → 31/10/24
Project: Standard
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Social Brain: H2020 MSCA Fellowship 2015 (Mauricio Gonzalez Forero)
Gardner, A. (PI)
European Commission Joint Research Centre
1/10/16 → 14/10/18
Project: Fellowship
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Extended Evolutionary Synthesis: Putting the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis to the Test
Gardner, A. (PI)
1/09/16 → 31/05/19
Project: Standard
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NERC Fellowship: Understanding major transitions in individuality
Gardner, A. (PI)
Natural Environment Research Council
31/03/14 → 30/04/22
Project: Standard
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Andy Gardner awaiting trf LM105: University Research Fellowship
Gardner, A. (PI)
1/08/13 → 30/09/14
Project: Fellowship
Activities
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AI for animal movement ecology workshop
Gardner, A. (Participant)
11 Feb 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a workshop, seminar, course
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Load-balancing dispersal promotes the evolution of altruism
Gardner, A. (Speaker)
9 Jan 2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Presentation
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59th Population Genetics Group Meeting (Lille)
Gardner, A. (Participant)
7 Jan 2026 → 9 Jan 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a conference
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Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Journal)
Gardner, A. (Member of editorial board)
2026Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of research journal
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Evolution Letters (Journal)
Gardner, A. (Member of editorial board)
2026Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of research journal
Prizes
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Christopher Barnard Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Investigator
Gardner, A. (Recipient), 2010
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Life Membership of Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Gardner, A. (Recipient), 2025
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Royal Society of Edinburgh Young Academy of Scotland Fellowship
Gardner, A. (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Election to learned society
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Press/Media
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Research: War skews men's altruism toward other men, away from women
24/02/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Relating to Research
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Appliance of science to politics can only benefit the sharing of knowledge
10/05/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other
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MSPs to link with young academics in RSE pairing scheme
8/05/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other
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Scientists solve mystery of how insects self-reproduce
8/03/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Relating to Research