Most Undirected Random Graphs Are Amplifiers of Selection for Birth-Death Dynamics, but Suppressors of Selection for Death-Birth Dynamics

Laura Hindersin and Arne Traulsen

PLOS Computational Biology, 2015, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: We analyze evolutionary dynamics on graphs, where the nodes represent individuals of a population. The links of a node describe which other individuals can be displaced by the offspring of the individual on that node. Amplifiers of selection are graphs for which the fixation probability is increased for advantageous mutants and decreased for disadvantageous mutants. A few examples of such amplifiers have been developed, but so far it is unclear how many such structures exist and how to construct them. Here, we show that almost any undirected random graph is an amplifier of selection for Birth-death updating, where an individual is selected to reproduce with probability proportional to its fitness and one of its neighbors is replaced by that offspring at random. If we instead focus on death-Birth updating, in which a random individual is removed and its neighbors compete for the empty spot, then the same ensemble of graphs consists of almost only suppressors of selection for which the fixation probability is decreased for advantageous mutants and increased for disadvantageous mutants. Thus, the impact of population structure on evolutionary dynamics is a subtle issue that will depend on seemingly minor details of the underlying evolutionary process.Author Summary: Evolutionary dynamics describes the spread of individuals with different features within a population. This spreading process can be strongly influenced by the population structure—if a highly successful individual can only displace a few neighbors, it may take more time to spread than an individual that can displace all other individuals from the population. In particular, a population structure can also amplify the evolutionary success of a type. We show that almost all random population structures lead to such an amplification. However, if we change a presumably minor detail of the evolutionary model, almost all random population structures have the opposite effect and suppress the evolutionary success of a type. Thus, it is crucial to consider the underlying assumptions of such models when discussing their possible implications for real biological systems.

Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pcbi00:1004437

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004437

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