about me

Hi – I am Karyn Anderson. I am a primate behavioural ecologist and evolutionary anthropologist.

I am currently completing my PhD at the University of Toronto. I work in the Teichroeb Lab in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

My research sits at the intersection of evolutionary anthropology and behavioural ecology. I seek to understand how animals maintain their complex social relationships. More specifically, my research integrates perspectives from queer ecology to examine sociosexual behaviour in primates and other mammals. I seek to understand how sexual behaviour functions beyond reproduction – as a social tool that shapes bonding, cooperation, conflict, and group dynamics within complex societies. Using field, lab-based, and comparative approaches, my work examines the evolutionary drivers, life-history patterns, and social consequences of sex.

I am also passionate about science communication. I love to find ways to make science more accessible for everyone.

Other than science, I love all types of fibre arts – crochet, sewing, and (recently) knitting. I love cycling around Toronto, spending time outdoors, and playing with my two amazing cats.