Wienand, K, Frey, E and Mobilia, M orcid.org/0000-0002-1424-567X (2017) Evolution of a Fluctuating Population in a Randomly Switching Environment. Physical Review Letters, 119 (15). 158301. ISSN 0031-9007
Abstract
Environment plays a fundamental role in the competition for resources, and hence in the evolution of populations. Here, we study a well-mixed, finite population consisting of two strains competing for the limited resources provided by an environment that randomly switches between states of abundance and scarcity. Assuming that one strain grows slightly faster than the other, we consider two scenarios—one of pure resource competition, and one in which one strain provides a public good—and investigate how environmental randomness (external noise) coupled to demographic (internal) noise determines the population’s fixation properties and size distribution. By analytical means and simulations, we show that these coupled sources of noise can significantly enhance the fixation probability of the slower-growing species. We also show that the population size distribution can be unimodal, bimodal, or multimodal and undergoes noise-induced transitions between these regimes when the rate of switching matches the population’s growth rate.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2017 American Physical Society. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Fluctuations & Noise; Noise; Stochastic processes; Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics; Evolutionary dynamics; Ecological population dynamics; Ecology & evolution; Collective behaviour; Biofilms; Social dynamics |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Mathematics (Leeds) > Applied Mathematics (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 04 Sep 2017 10:19 |
Last Modified: | 29 Jan 2021 16:06 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Physical Society |
Identification Number: | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.158301 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:120697 |