Mathematical Models of Frequency-Dependent Selection and Assortative Mating

Kristan Schneider
(University of Vienna)

Abstract: In the last couple of years much attention was drawn to the topic of sympatric speciation, i.e., the emergence of reproductively isolated clusters in a randomly encountering population. The theory of speciation in sympatry has been regarded to be controversial because of the lack of convincing biological examples. Therefore, theoretical models underlying the possibility of sympatric speciation are much appreciated.

We develop models frequency-dependent selection and assortative mating in terms of ordinary differential and difference equation, that confirm the possibility of sympatric speciation.