Mathematicians Offer Elegant Solution to Evolutionary Conundrum

[JBeukema]

Evolutionary biologists have long recognized that the emergence of rare traits within a population can spur diversity. For example, being one of a few under-sized predators in a population dominated by larger-sized predators can offer advantages--access to an abundance of small prey--and increase the likelihood of that trait prospering in the population.
"But existing mathematical models that incorporate these 'rare type' advantages tend to have some serious shortcomings," says Michael Doebeli, a researcher at UBC's Biodiversity Research Centre and professor with the departments of Mathematics and Zoology. "They rely on single traits--like body size--and predict that the advantage offered by that trait has to be very significant in order to maintain large amounts of diversity."
So Doebeli and research associate Iaroslav Ispolatov applied a new model to the riddle, which they outline in the journal Science

Mathematicians offer elegant solution to evolutionary conundrum

 

[Dr.Traveler]

I'll try to look up that article and run it by the Mathematical biologist down the hall. That's a very interesting topic, though its one that is just outside my own research area.