Evolution of evolvability in rapidly adapting populations.

Abstract excerpt

Mutations can alter the short-term fitness of an organism, as well as the rates and benefits of future mutations. While numerous examples of these evolvability modifiers have been observed in rapidly adapting microbial populations, existing theory struggles to predict when they will be favoured by natural selection. Here we develop a mathematical framework for predicting the fates of genetic variants that modify...

Topics

• Selection, Genetic
• Models, Genetic
• Biological Evolution
• Mutation
• Evolution, Molecular
• Genetic Fitness
• Adaptation, Biological