Joanna Masel

University of Arizona

Eco-evolutionary “fitness” in 3 dimensions: absolute growth, absolute efficiency, and relative competitiveness

[When and where]

Competitions can occur on an absolute scale, to be faster or more efficient, or they can occur on a relative scale, to “beat” one’s competitor in a zero-sum game. Ecological models have focused on absolute competitions, in which optima exist. Classic evolutionary models such as the Wright-Fisher model, as well as more recent models of travelling waves, have focused on purely relative competitions, in which fitness continues to increase indefinitely, without actually progressing anywhere. To describe both at the same time, I first correct a long-standing subscript error on K, which has until now prevented r/K -selection theory from being exploited to its full potential in describing the occupation of territory. To this revised r/K model, I then add a third dimension of fitness that is unitless and normalized.

masel@email.arizona.edu

Invited talk Mini-symposium 6

Updated May 13, 2015, by Minus