The evolution of complex traits, such as social organization and sexual mode, and the role of both genes and environment on these traits. The effect of gene expression in diploid and haploid life stages / genders on rates of evolution. The dynamics and resolution of social conflicts within animal societies.

MC Harrison, RL Hammond & EB Mallon (2015) Reproductive workers show queen-like gene expression in an intermediately eusocial insect, the buff-tailed bumble bee Bombus terrestris Molecular Ecology 24: 3043-3063; doi: 10.1111/mec.13215 TC Mathers, RL Hammond, RA Jenner, B Hanfling, J.Atkins & A Gomez (2015) Transition in sexual system and sex chromosome evolution in the tadpole shrimp Triops cancriformis. Heredity 115, 37–46; doi:10.1038/hdy.2015.10 http://www.nature.com/hdy/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/hdy201510a.html TC Mathers, RL Hammond, RA Jenner, B Hanfling & A Gomez (2013) Multiple global radiations of tadpole shrimps challenge the concept of 'livingfossils' PeerJ 1:e62, http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.62 TC Mathers, RL Hammond, RA Jenner, T Zierold, B Hanfling & A Gomez (2013) High lability of sexual system over 250 million years of evolution in morphologically conservative tadpole shrimps. BMC Evolutionary Biology 13:30. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/13/30 DJ Coston*, RJ Gill* & RL Hammond (2011) No evidence of volatile chemicals regulating reproduction in a multiple queen ant. Naturwissenschaften. doi 10.1007/s00114-011-0801-4 (*joint first authors) RJ Gill & RL Hammond (2011) Workers determine queen inheritance of reproduction in a functionally monogynous ant population. Animal Behaviour. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.04.006