Mathematical Biology Seminar
Lotte de Vries, University of Amsterdam
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
3:05pm on Zoom
Title: Life-history evolution under conflict (and cooperation)
Abstract: Although it is well known that neither individual fitness nor population level fitness
are optimised when there is conflict within a population, models in evolutionary demography have
nevertheless relied on this assumption by using either the population growth rate or life-time
reproductive output as a fitness proxy. Understanding the consequences of deviations from
optimality for life-history evolution is a crucial next step for demography and life-history
theory. In this seminar, I will present a framework that combines basic Mendelian genetics with
matrix population models for stage-classified demography. By modelling genes and the life
cycle explicitly the model can be used to study life history evolution in the presence of genetic
conflicts. I will discuss two applications: intralocus sexual conflict and genetic conflict over
optimal life history strategy between breeders and helpers in social colonies.
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