Phase transitions in sexual populations subject to stabilizing selection

Area of Science:

• Theoretical Population Genetics
• Statistical Physics
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Early theoretical population genetics models explored population evolution.
• Understanding the differences between sexual and asexual reproduction is crucial in evolutionary biology.
• Phase transitions are well-studied phenomena in statistical physics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a simple model of evolving sexual populations.
• To identify and characterize a previously unobserved phase transition.
• To compare the evolutionary dynamics of sexual versus asexual populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a simple model of an evolving sexual population.
• Applied techniques from statistical physics to analyze the system.
• Introduced population correlation as an order parameter and used maximum entropy inference.

Main Results:

• Observed an unexpected phase transition between ordered and disordered states in sexual populations.
• This phase transition was absent in asexual populations evolving without recombination.
• Successfully calculated details of the phase transition using statistical physics methods.

Conclusions:

• Sexual reproduction, even in simple models, can lead to complex emergent behaviors like phase transitions.
• The findings underscore fundamental differences in evolutionary dynamics between sexual and asexual reproduction.
• Population correlation serves as a valid order parameter for studying these evolutionary phase transitions.