Evolution of Populations in Fluctuating Environments
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: Applied Mathematics
Abstract
Understanding the origin of species diversity and the evolution of cooperation is a major scientific riddle that resonates with numerous societal concerns, like the rise of antimicrobial resistance or the loss of biodiversity, and is even relevant to epidemiology. Population dynamics traditionally ignores fluctuations and considers static and homogeneous environments. However, fluctuations arising from randomly occurring birth / death events (demographic noise) and the change of environmental conditions (environmental variability), together with the spatial dispersal of species, play a crucial role
in understanding how the size and composition of a population jointly evolve in time, i.e. its eco-evolutionary dynamics.
In this project, we will focus on the ubiquitous situation where the dynamics of fluctuating populations is shaped by the coupling of demographic noise and environmental variability. This is particularly relevant to microbial communities, where demographic noise and environmental variability are vital to understand the evolution of antimicrobial resistance, and poses many mathematical challenges. The broad objectives of this research will be to devise a suite of theoretical tools to describe the eco-evolutionary dynamics subject to coupled demographic noise and environmental variability; to study how these influence collective behaviours (e.g. production of public goods), the coexistence and diversity of species, as well as their ability to organise into spatial patterns. This PhD is related to the EPSRC-NSF project "DMS-EPSRC Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Fluctuating Populations" (EPSRC grant EP/V014439/1), and will comprise both computer simulations and analytical components. Elements of this work will possibly be carried out in collaboration with a group of theoretical physicists at Virginia Tech. (USA), and we expect that the experimental relevance of the theoretical modelling will be informed by interactions with the group of a project partner based at Imperial College, London.
in understanding how the size and composition of a population jointly evolve in time, i.e. its eco-evolutionary dynamics.
In this project, we will focus on the ubiquitous situation where the dynamics of fluctuating populations is shaped by the coupling of demographic noise and environmental variability. This is particularly relevant to microbial communities, where demographic noise and environmental variability are vital to understand the evolution of antimicrobial resistance, and poses many mathematical challenges. The broad objectives of this research will be to devise a suite of theoretical tools to describe the eco-evolutionary dynamics subject to coupled demographic noise and environmental variability; to study how these influence collective behaviours (e.g. production of public goods), the coexistence and diversity of species, as well as their ability to organise into spatial patterns. This PhD is related to the EPSRC-NSF project "DMS-EPSRC Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Fluctuating Populations" (EPSRC grant EP/V014439/1), and will comprise both computer simulations and analytical components. Elements of this work will possibly be carried out in collaboration with a group of theoretical physicists at Virginia Tech. (USA), and we expect that the experimental relevance of the theoretical modelling will be informed by interactions with the group of a project partner based at Imperial College, London.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/T517860/1 | 01/10/2020 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2596551 | Studentship | EP/T517860/1 | 01/10/2021 | 31/03/2025 | Matthew Asker |