Gene frequency changes and a per-generation time-scale for continuous-time populations with arbitrary size variations

Area of Science:

• Population Genetics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Mathematical Biology

Background:

• Calculating allele frequency change over time is crucial for understanding natural selection's effects in Mendelian populations.
• Current continuous-time theories for allele frequency change under natural selection have limitations regarding population size dynamics and generational concepts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the limitations of the existing continuous-time theory of allele frequency change.
• To propose a new, more comprehensive self-contained theory for allele frequency change in Mendelian populations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the accepted continuous-time theory of allele frequency change.
• Development of a new theoretical framework for allele frequency dynamics.

Main Results:

• The current theory is incomplete, particularly concerning population size variations and the concept of generations.
• A novel self-contained theory is proposed to overcome these limitations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed theory offers a more robust framework for studying allele frequency dynamics under natural selection.
• This advancement is vital for accurate modeling of evolutionary processes in large, monoecious diploid populations.