Journal
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
Volume 236, Issue 4, Pages 392-396Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2005.03.021
Keywords
group beneficial traits; natural selection; metapopulation
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Inspired by the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, we have developed a model that examines the evolution of producers (who secrete a substance that breaks down antibiotics) and non-producers. In a previous study, we found that frequency-dependent selection could favor an intermediate frequency of producers in a single, large population. Here we develop a metapopulation model that examines the evolution of producers and non-producers. Our results indicate that in a metapopulation with many groups, each of size N, the equilibrial frequency of producers decreases with group size. Even when N is high (e.g. 150 individuals/group), however, a significant frequency of producers is,still predicted. We also found that the equilibrial frequency of producers increases as the minimum numbers of producers necessary to provide protection to non-producers increases. Lastly, increasing the benefit/cost ratio (b/c) for producers increases their equilibrial frequency. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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