Long-term evolutionary conflict, Sisyphean arms races, and power in Fisher's geometric model.

ABSTRACT: Evolutionary conflict and arms races are important drivers of evolution in nature. During arms races, new abilities in one party select for counterabilities in the second party. This process can repeat and lead to successive fixations of novel mutations, without a long-term increase in fitness. Models of co-evolution rarely address successive fixations, and one of the main models that use successive fixations-Fisher's geometric model-does not address co-evolution. We address this gap by expanding Fisher's geometric model to the evolution of joint phenotypes that are affected by two parties, such as probability of infection of a host by a pathogen. The model confirms important intuitions and offers some new insights. Conflict can lead to long-term Sisyphean arms races, where parties continu

SUBMITTER: Scott TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6802030 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature