Multidimensional adaptive dynamics and the evolution of phenotype determination
| Projekttyp: | Forschungsprojekt |
| Programm: | Mathematik und... |
| Call: | Mathematik und … Call 2007 |
| Beginn: | 01.01.2008 |
| Dauer: | 4,00 Jahre |
| Fördersumme: | 399.700 € |
| Keywords: | adaptive dynamics, dynamical systems, evolutionary development, phenotype determination, polymorphism, population genetics, quantitative genetics |
Claus Rüffler
University of Vienna
Faculty of Mathematics
| Projektpartner: | Joachim Hermisson (University of Vienna, Faculty of Mathematics/Biomathematics Group and Center for Molecular Biology) Günter Wagner (Yale University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) |
There is a long tradition to analyze the process of Darwinian evolution with
mathematical models. The issue that is addressed in this project by means of a
mathematical modeling approach concerns mechanisms that generate phenotypic
diversity within a species in response to diversifying selection. Several such
mechanisms are known; some produce diversity already at the genetic level, others act
only on the phenotype. These mechanisms play an important role in maintaining the
biological diversity that we see in nature. Currently, however, we only have a poor
understanding of how ecological factors, on the one hand, and the genetic and
developmental constraints, on the other hand, favor or disfavor different such
mechanisms on an evolutionary time scale. In this project we will address this question
in an interdisciplinary team of bio-mathematicians, theoretical biologists and
developmental biologists.
