An optimizing principle of natural selection in evolutionary population genetics

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Population genetics
• Theoretical biology

Background:

• Fisher's Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection is a cornerstone of evolutionary theory.
• Recent interpretations suggest the theorem is an exact result concerning partial fitness increase.
• A key question in evolutionary genetics is whether genetic evolution follows an optimality principle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate Fisher's Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection as an exact result.
• To identify an optimality principle governing genetic evolution.
• To connect natural selection with optimization criteria in gene frequency changes.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of evolutionary population genetics models.
• Mathematical interpretation of Fisher's Fundamental Theorem.
• Comparison of natural selection gene frequency changes with alternative scenarios.

Main Results:

• The paper supports the interpretation of Fisher's Fundamental Theorem as an exact result for partial fitness increase.
• A novel optimality principle is identified in genetic evolution.
• Natural selection minimizes a generalized distance measure between parental and offspring gene frequencies for a fixed increase in mean fitness.

Conclusions:

• Fisher's Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection holds as an exact principle under specific interpretations.
• Genetic evolution exhibits an optimization behavior, minimizing distance for a given fitness gain.
• This finding provides a new perspective on the mechanisms driving evolutionary change.