TY - JOUR T1 - Density-dependent selection in evolutionary genetics: a lottery model of Grime’s triangle JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/102087 SP - 102087 AU - J Bertram AU - J Masel Y1 - 2017/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/01/21/102087.abstract N2 - Fitness is typically represented in heavily simplified terms in evolutionary genetics, often using constant selection coefficients. This excludes fundamental ecological factors such as dynamic population size or density-dependence from our most genetically-realistic treatments of evolution, a problem that inspired MacArthur’s influential but problematic r/K theory. Following in the spirit of r/K-selection as a general-purpose theory of density-dependent selection, but grounding ourselves empirically in “primary strategy” trait classification schemes like Grime’s triangle, we develop a new model of density-dependent selection which revolves around territorial contests. To do so, we generalize the classic lottery model of territorial acquisition, which has primarily been used for studying species co-existence questions, to accommodate arbitrary densities. We use this density-dependent lottery model to predict the direction of trait evolution under different environmental conditions and thereby provide a mathematical underpinning for Grime’s verbal scheme. We revisit previous concepts of density-dependent selection, including r and K selection, and argue that our model distinguishes between different aspects of fitness in a more natural and intuitive manner. ER -