Adaptation in Stochastic Environments

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-VII

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2. Introduction: Historical Remarks

   • Jin Yoshimura, Colin W. Clark

   Pages 1-7

3. Fitness in Random Environments

   • Dan Cohen

   Pages 8-25

4. Density Dependent Life History Evolution in Fluctuating Environments

   • Éva Kisdi, Géza Meszéna

   Pages 26-62

5. Life History Evolution and Population Dynamics in Variable Environments: Some Insights from Stochastic Demography

   • Steven Hecht Orzack

   Pages 63-104

6. Plasticity in Fluctuating Environments

   • Jesús Alberto León

   Pages 105-121

7. Optimization and ESS Analysis for Populations in Stochastic Environments

   • Colin W. Clark, Jin Yoshimura

   Pages 122-131

8. Are Variable Environments Stochastic? A Review of Methods to Quantify Environmental Predictability

   • Steven R. Beissinger, James P. Gibbs

   Pages 132-146

9. Modeling Selection on Conditional Strategies in Stochastic Environments

   • Wade N. Hazel, Richard Smock

   Pages 147-154

10. Coexistence in Stochastic Environments through a Life History Trade Off in Drosophila

    • Jan G. Sevenster, Jacques J. M. van Alphen

    Pages 155-172

11. The Equilibrium Distribution of Optimal Search and Sampling Effort of Foraging Animals in Patchy Environments

    • Dan Cohen

    Pages 173-191

12. Back Matter

    Pages 192-193

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The classical theory of natural selection, as developed by Fisher, Haldane, and 'Wright, and their followers, is in a sense a statistical theory. By and large the classical theory assumes that the underlying environment in which evolution transpires is both constant and stable - the theory is in this sense deterministic. In reality, on the other hand, nature is almost always changing and unstable. We do not yet possess a complete theory of natural selection in stochastic environ­ ments. Perhaps it has been thought that such a theory is unimportant, or that it would be too difficult. Our own view is that the time is now ripe for the development of a probabilistic theory of natural selection. The present volume is an attempt to provide an elementary introduction to this probabilistic theory. Each author was asked to con­ tribute a simple, basic introduction to his or her specialty, including lively discussions and speculation. We hope that the book contributes further to the understanding of the roles of "Chance and Necessity" (Monod 1971) as integrated components of adaptation in nature.

• Fitness
• adaptation
• animals
• demography
• dynamics
• ecology
• environment
• evolution
• genetics
• mathematical ecology
• natural selection
• population dynamics
• stochastic environments

• Dept. of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, USA

  Jin Yoshimura

• Institute of Applied Mathematics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

  Colib W. Clark

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