THE INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS
AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Lancashire and North-west Branch 

Annual General Meeting and invited lecture

Modelling Evolution Using Adaptive Dynamics: The Emergence of New Species and of Chaotic Dynamics

Professor Roger G. Bowers
(University of Liverpool)

Adaptive dynamics is a recently developed mathematical theory that explicitly links population dynamics to long-term evolution driven by mutation and natural selection. Of particular interest are evolutionary singularities – attractors and repellors but also branching points which may give insight into the appearance of new species. Genetic details are not emphasised.

An outline of the theory will be given. This will be illustrated with an application based on the logistic map. The importance of the underlying population dynamics – equilibrium, cycles, chaos – for evolutionary outcomes will be demonstrated. The occurrence of branching points (perhaps suggesting speciation) will be investigated and the vexed question of whether chaotic population dynamics evolves from simpler situations will be addressed.

5.45pm   Light Refreshments
6.00pm   Annual General Meeting
6.30pm   Invited Lecture

Room E34, John Dalton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University,
Oxford Road, Manchester

Admission is free: non-members are welcome at the lecture