Pattern Formation through Birth and Death - Biological Implications
Richard Metzler
New England Complex Systems Institute and the Department of Physics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Monday September 19, 2005
Time:
Location: 367 Votey
Abstract
I first present
a simple model of one or more populations whose members give birth to new
organisms that settle nearby, and die at a rate to keep the population
constant. This model exhibits coarsening (i.e., growth of clusters) that leads
to a steady state with fractal spatial structures and other nontrivial
properties. With populations of two or more species, one observes phase
separation. The second part explores some of the biological implications of
such a spatial population structure, compared to a well-mixed population.
Spatial proximity leads to inbreeding, which has a strong impact on the fate of
recessive mutations, both beneficial and deleterious; the odds of fixation for
dominant mutations remain constant.
(This seminar is
hosted by Computer Science Student
Association.)