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Dynamics of Single‐Species Population Growth: Stability or Chaos?
Author(s) -
Mueller Laurence D.,
Ayala Francisco J.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1937278
Subject(s) - stability (learning theory) , selection (genetic algorithm) , evolutionary biology , population , ecology , biology , group selection , density dependence , statistical physics , computer science , demography , physics , artificial intelligence , machine learning , sociology
We have examined stability at the carrying capacity for 25 genetically different populations of Drosophila melanogaster. In spite of their genetic heterogeneity, 20 of the populations yield stable equilibria and none have eigenvalues significantly greater than one. Computer simulations demonstrate how selection at the individual level may account for population stability (and, hence, that group selection is not necessary for the evolution of stability). Recent theoretical studies on density—dependent selection in random environments provide predictions consistent with our empirical findings.