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andygardner.bsky.social
Andy Gardner
@andygardner.bsky.social
980 followers 740 following 23 posts
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.
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Reposted by Andy Gardner
andygardner.bsky.social
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
Figure 1 | Choosy dispersal efficiently balances the load of individuals across patches, dramatically reducing kin-competition and thereby promoting the evolution of altruism. (a) The potential for altruism as a function of dispersal rate where each disperser is assigned to a randomly chosen group (‘one option’, grey) versus where each disperser is assigned to the smaller of two randomly chosen groups (‘two options’, black). Analytical results are shown as curves and simulation results are shown as discs. Giving dispersers a choice over their destination promotes the evolution of altruism in viscous populations. (b) The distribution of individuals across patches following a bout of dispersal, where each disperser is assigned to a randomly chosen group (‘one option’, grey) versus where each disperser is assigned to the smaller of two randomly chosen groups (‘two options’, black), obtained by individual-based simulation. Allowing dispersers the choice of two groups dramatically balances the load of individuals across groups. (c) The relatedness of groupmates as a function of dispersal rate and the ability of dispersers to choose their destination; dispersal reduces relatedness according to the analytical expression r = 1/(n-(n-1)(1-d)2), and there is no effect of disperser choosiness on relatedness. (d) The scale of competition—i.e. the proportion of resource competition that occurs locally versus globally—as a function of dispersal rate and the ability for dispersers to choose their destination, as inferred from individual-based simulation data. Individuals are assigned either to randomly chosen groups (one option) or to the smaller of two randomly chosen groups (two options), with intermediate levels of choice being implemented by having a proportion of individuals being given one option and the remainder being given two options. Except for low rates of dispersal and little choice over destination, the scale of competition is rendered negligible.
December 17, 2025 at 9:15 AM
andygardner.bsky.social
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
Figure 1 | Choosy dispersal efficiently balances the load of individuals across patches, dramatically reducing kin-competition and thereby promoting the evolution of altruism. (a) The potential for altruism as a function of dispersal rate where each disperser is assigned to a randomly chosen group (‘one option’, grey) versus where each disperser is assigned to the smaller of two randomly chosen groups (‘two options’, black). Analytical results are shown as curves and simulation results are shown as discs. Giving dispersers a choice over their destination promotes the evolution of altruism in viscous populations. (b) The distribution of individuals across patches following a bout of dispersal, where each disperser is assigned to a randomly chosen group (‘one option’, grey) versus where each disperser is assigned to the smaller of two randomly chosen groups (‘two options’, black), obtained by individual-based simulation. Allowing dispersers the choice of two groups dramatically balances the load of individuals across groups. (c) The relatedness of groupmates as a function of dispersal rate and the ability of dispersers to choose their destination; dispersal reduces relatedness according to the analytical expression r = 1/(n-(n-1)(1-d)2), and there is no effect of disperser choosiness on relatedness. (d) The scale of competition—i.e. the proportion of resource competition that occurs locally versus globally—as a function of dispersal rate and the ability for dispersers to choose their destination, as inferred from individual-based simulation data. Individuals are assigned either to randomly chosen groups (one option) or to the smaller of two randomly chosen groups (two options), with intermediate levels of choice being implemented by having a proportion of individuals being given one option and the remainder being given two options. Except for low rates of dispersal and little choice over destination, the scale of competition is rendered negligible.
December 17, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
jevbio.bsky.social
@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/...
December 16, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
kztwyman.bsky.social
Happy 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
November 18, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
eseb.bsky.social
Every 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...
November 11, 2025 at 10:50 AM
andygardner.bsky.social
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
AI image generated using Google's Gemini.
November 18, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
judithmank.bsky.social
Many 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:
Editorial: Accountability, voice, and trust - responsible use of GenAI in scientific publishing
Over the last few years, the development and rapid advancement of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatG
academic.oup.com
August 22, 2025 at 12:52 PM
andygardner.bsky.social
Join us for Part 2 of the "Advances" symposium today, from 11am in Room 129+130. #ESEB2025
August 19, 2025 at 8:01 AM
andygardner.bsky.social
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
Photo of Chedhawat Chokechaipaisarn
August 18, 2025 at 7:47 AM
andygardner.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.
Photo of Kalyani Twyman.
August 18, 2025 at 7:42 AM
andygardner.bsky.social
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.
Programme for Part I of the Symposium "Advances in technology, mathematical and statistical models and their application in evolutionary ecology: the dawn of a new era", including talks by Hanna Kokko, Szymon Drobniak, Aurelien Tellier, Yuxin Ning and Md Ruhul Armin.
August 18, 2025 at 7:36 AM
andygardner.bsky.social
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
Figure 1. Unbeatable sex allocation strategy of unconstrained females (r*) as a function of proportion of constrained females (p) under local mate competition with two foundresses colonising the patch. Shown are the result for Godfray’s (1990) erroneous diploidy solution (dashed grey line), our corrected diploidy solution (solid grey line), and our haplodiploidy solution (solid black line). Overlaid are results from individual-based simulations (discs).
July 9, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
kztwyman.bsky.social
Now all typeset and pretty! A little summary:
June 26, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
ajmongue.bsky.social
It'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) 👀
June 11, 2025 at 6:24 PM
andygardner.bsky.social
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
Faster adaptation but slower divergence of X chromosomes under paternal genome elimination - Nature Communications
X chromosomes evolve faster than autosomes, but confounding factors make this a difficult phenomenon to study. Utilising the unusual sex determination system of Sciaridae flies, this study finds a slo...
www.nature.com
June 11, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
kztwyman.bsky.social
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
The clonality window: relatedness and the group covariance effect in the evolution of division of labour
Abstract. Cellular division of labour is closely associated with the emergence of organismality in the evolution of obligate multicellularity. Michod has s
doi.org
May 8, 2025 at 1:27 PM
andygardner.bsky.social
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
AI-generated image using the paper's title and abstract as input.
May 7, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
royalsocietypublishing.org
Sex-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
May 4, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
tomwscott.bsky.social
New 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...
Kin-discriminating partner choice promotes the evolution of helping
Abstract. Kin selection theory predicts that individuals should evolve to help relatives, either by helping indiscriminately in a population where they do
doi.org
April 11, 2025 at 11:34 AM
andygardner.bsky.social
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
February 17, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
bingdongevo.bsky.social
My paper is out! "Kin competition drives the evolution of earlier metamorphosis" (#OpenAccess), with @andygardner.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70806
Kin Competition Drives the Evolution of Earlier Metamorphosis
We develop a mathematical model to investigate how kin selection shapes the optimal timing of metamorphosis. We consider the full range of larval competition intensities and the full range of related...
doi.org
January 15, 2025 at 10:36 AM
andygardner.bsky.social
New paper: "Kin competition drives the evolution of earlier metamorphosis", with @bingdongevo.bsky.social.

doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
January 15, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
kztwyman.bsky.social
Hello - 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.!
November 29, 2024 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by Andy Gardner
salazarafra.bsky.social
Join us for our satellite event on selfish genetic elements!
November 8, 2024 at 1:48 PM
andygardner.bsky.social
Chedhawat (Tim) has given an online seminar about this sex-ratio work, here:

cassyni.com/events/K7vsZ...
A slide from Tim's talk, featuring a schematic showing how haplodiploid inheritance works, with mothers contributing genes to sons and daughters, and fathers contributing genes only to daughters.
November 7, 2024 at 2:38 PM