Anomalous scaling in an age-dependent branching model

Abstract

We introduce a one-parametric family of tree growth models, in which branching probabilities decrease with branch age $\tau$ as $\tau^{-\alpha}$. Depending on the exponent $\alpha$, the scaling of tree depth with tree size $n$ displays a transition between the logarithmic scaling of random trees and an algebraic growth. At the transition ($\alpha=1$) tree depth grows as $(\log n)^2$. This anomalous scaling is in good agreement with the trend observed in evolution of biological species, thus providing a theoretical support for age-dependent speciation and associating it to the occurrence of a critical point.