Journal article
Probability of Fixation in a Heterogeneous Environment
Genetics (Austin), Vol.171(3), pp.1407-1417
11/2005
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/110412
PMCID: PMC1456843
PMID: 16118199
Abstract
We investigate the probability of fixation of a new mutation arising in a metapopulation that ranges over a heterogeneous selective environment. Using simulations, we test the performance of several approximations of this probability, including a new analytical approximation based on separation of the timescales of selection and migration. We extend all approximations to multideme metapopulations with arbitrary population structure. Our simulations show that no single approximation produces accurate predictions of fixation probabilities for all cases of potential interest. At the limits of low and high migration, previously published approximations are found to be highly accurate. The new separation-of-timescales approach provides the best approximations for intermediate rates of migration among habitats, provided selection is not too intense. For nonzero migration and relatively strong selection, all approximations perform poorly. However, the probability of fixation is bounded above and below by the approximations based on low and high migration limits. Surprisingly, in our simulations with symmetric migration, heterogeneous selection in a metapopulation never decreased—and sometimes substantially increased—the probability of fixation of a new allele compared to metapopulations experiencing homogeneous selection with the same mean selection intensity.
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Details
- Title
- Probability of Fixation in a Heterogeneous Environment
- Creators
- Michael C Whitlock - Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada andRichard Gomulkiewicz - Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada and
- Publication Details
- Genetics (Austin), Vol.171(3), pp.1407-1417
- Academic Unit
- Biological Sciences, School of
- Publisher
- Copyright © 2005 by the Genetics Society of America
- Identifiers
- 99900547029101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article