Urmila Malvadka
Tuesday, April 19, 2005 at 3:30pm in Olin 320
Evolutionary modeling–using models to make predictions about how a species or a particular trait of a species will change in time–has evolved in the last 50 years. Classic models use a game theoretic perspective, in which species interactions are an ongoing gamebetween two types of features (usually individuals, traits or behaviors). These models predict the outcome of evolution and can be applied to biological, social, or economic systems. Adaptive dynamics includes the interplay between organisms and their environment and models the process of evolution. After this brief foray into evolutionary models, I will illustrate these techniques with zooplankton daily migrations and show how these models can help highlight important driving factors of zooplankton behavior.
Refreshments will be served.
Urmila Malvadka is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at St. Olaf College.