Abstract
Mathematics has played a key role in validating the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. Perhaps most importantly it shows that the variation needed for evolution by natural selection is conserved under the Mendelian evolutionary system. It then quantifies the rate at which favorable new genetic types are incorporated into a population by natural selection. Analyses at the whole genome level (the current active area of genetical research) are possible only by the use of mathematics, particularly the use of matrix theory. Finally, it is only by a mathematical analysis, using stochastic process theory, that the effects of random changes in gene frequencies, unavoidable because of the finite size of any population, can be assessed.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2000). Primary 92D25; Secondary 60J70.
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Ewens, W.J. (2011). What Changes Has Mathematics Made to the Darwinian Theory?. In: Chalub, F., Rodrigues, J. (eds) The Mathematics of Darwin’s Legacy. Mathematics and Biosciences in Interaction. Springer, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-0122-5_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-0122-5_2
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