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A numerical simulation of the one-locus, multiple-allele fertility model
Genetics
|May 1, 1986
Summary
Numerical simulations of the one-locus fertility model reveal that mean fitness often decreases before equilibrium. Random fertility models maintain fewer stable points than viability models, impacting allele diversity.
Area of Science:
- Population Genetics
- Mathematical Biology
- Evolutionary Dynamics
Background:
- Understanding genetic equilibrium is crucial for evolutionary studies.
- Fertility, as a pairwise diploid property, influences population dynamics.
- Previous models often focused on viability selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine equilibrium behavior in a one-locus fertility model.
- To analyze the impact of fertility matrices on allele frequencies and heterozygosity.
- To compare fertility models with existing one-locus viability models.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulations of a one-locus fertility model.
- Analysis of fertility matrices with two to six alleles.
- Collection of 19 equilibrium statistics, including heterozygosity and mean fitness.
Main Results:
- Over half of random fertility matrix trajectories showed decreased mean fitness en route to equilibrium.
- Mean number of alleles at equilibrium increased slightly with matrix dimension.
- Random fertility models exhibited fewer stable equilibria than random viability models.
Conclusions:
- Fertility selection can lead to decreased mean fitness during the approach to equilibrium.
- The complexity of fertility matrices has a limited effect on the number of alleles maintained.
- Pleiotropic models (fertility and viability) show intermediate equilibrium statistics.