Andrew Benjamin Smith (born 6 February 1954 in Dunoon, Argyll, Scotland) is a British palaeontologist, known for his research on the palaeontology of echinoderms.
For the summer of 1976 he received, on the recommendation of Euan Clarkson, a Carnegie Award to study echinoid fossil distribution in the Aalenian (Inferior Oolite) of the Cheltenham region of Gloucestershire.
Smith's PhD thesis involved a breakthrough in echinoid functional morphology through his use of the scanning electron microscope combined with histological preparations and some in vivo research.
[9] [10] Smith's research is not strictly limited to echinoderms but also deals with methods of inferring patterns in evolutionary development from the fossil record.
[15] He also carried out comparative studies on evolution and species diversification using molecular biological methods[16][17] and dealt with ancient DNA of fossil insects preserved in amber.
[18][19][20] Andrew B. Smith designed and created a web-based, echinoid-specific approach to systematic zoology and paleontology called "The Echinoid Directory" sponsored by the Natural History Museum, London.