Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) may describe evolvable frontiers in natural populations

Abstract

The evolution of organismal populations is not typically thought of in terms of classical mechanics. However, many of the conceptual models used to approximate evolutionary trajectories have implicit parallels to dynamic physical systems. The parallels between currently-used evolutionary models and a type of model related to Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) will be explored. The limits of evolvability in a population can be treated in a way analogous to fronts, waves, and other aggregate formations observed in fluid dynamics. Various measures and architectural features will be introduced. Relevant scenarios include so-called evolvable boundaries and related scenarios involving evolutionary neutrality, such as migrations, demographic bottlenecks, and island biogeography. The LCS-like model introduced here could eventually be applied to a wide range of problems that normally utilize forms of evolutionary modeling.