Evolutionary branching of a magic trait
Tadeas Priklopil
U Helsinki
Finland

Abstract

We study the adaptive dynamics of a trait, which is under natural selection and which also serves as a cue for assortative mating (a so-called magic trait). First, we derive some general results on the evolution of a magic trait in monomorphic populations. Second, to demonstrate our results, we use a version of Levene's soft selection model, where natural selection favours different values of a continuous trait within each of two habitats. We study the long-term evolution of genetic polymorphisms under various strengths of assortativeness. If adaptive dynamics leads to a polymorphism with considerably different alleles, then homozygotes don't interbreed, i.e., speciation occurs.

Jornada Matemática SPM/CIM "Mathematical Biology"