Toy models for macroevolutionary patterns and trends.

Abstract excerpt

Many models have been used to simplify and operationalize the subtle but complex mechanisms of biological evolution. Toy models are gross simplifications that nevertheless attempt to retain major essential features of evolution, bridging the gap between empirical reality and formal theoretical understanding. In this paper, we examine thirteen models which describe evolution that also qualify as such toy models,...

Topics

• Adaptation, Physiological
• Animals
• Biological Evolution
• Ecosystem
• Environment
• Genotype
• Humans
• Models, Biological
• Phenotype
• Species Specificity
• Time Factors