Antonio M. M. Rodrigues

Areas of Expertise

• Adaptation and environmental variation
• Behavioral ecology
• Evolution of cooperation and altruism
• Kin selection and game theory
• Demography
• Life history evolution
• Multilevel selection and intergroup cooperation
• Social evolution theory
• Host-symbiont interactions

Professional Summary

Dr. Rodrigues’ research group focuses on advancing our understanding of adaptive evolution through the development and application of theoretical models and quantitative methods. This research aims to identify fundamental ecological and evolutionary principles that operate across diverse biological systems, from microbes to mammals. Dr. Rodrigues develops both general theoretical frameworks to elucidate key selective pressures and tailored models to investigate specific biological phenomena. A key aspect of his work is the integration of biological insights with interdisciplinary quantitative methods to predict the short-term ecological and long-term evolutionary dynamics of populations. Dr. Rodrigues’ research program seeks to understand how evolutionary processes operate across multiple levels of biological organization. The ultimate goal is to leverage insights into ecology, evolution, and animal behavior to inform conservation strategies and enhance our comprehension of biodiversity. Some central themes of his current research include the evolution of cooperative breeding, intergroup conflict and cooperation, host-symbiont interactions, demography and population dynamics, and the interplay between environmental variation and life history evolution.