Evolutionary Demography Society Meeting 2016

Description

Variation among individuals in survival and reproduction is central to evolution. It arises from two sources: heterogeneity and individual stochasticity. Heterogeneity refers to genuine differences among individuals in their properties. Individual stochasticity refers to apparent differences that result from probabilistic demographic processes. Their implications are dramatically different. Genetic heterogeneity is subject to selection; this notion is formalized by Crow’s index of the opportunity for selection. Non-genetic heterogeneity may play an important role in demographic dynamics. Individual stochasticity is a property of any life cycle and its probabilities of survival, transition, and reproduction. It is impossible to interpret observed variation without calculating how much variation is implied by individual stochasticity. That calculation is now possible, and this workshop will show how to do it. Methods will be presented for longevity and lifetime reproductive output. The methods are applicable to both age- and stage-classified populations, and to both human and non-human organisms. Participants should be familiar with the basics of age- and stage-classified matrix population models. Participants will need a computer with Matlab or R (and, for R, the packages necessary for matrix manipulation).

Period	5. Oct 2016
Event type	Conference
Location	Charlottesville VA, United States