Evolutionary theory is the most mathematically sophisticated area of biology. However, formal evolutionary theory is a collection of different models, built under different assumptions and using different kinds of mathematics. This project will unify this diverse field by showing how all mechanistic evolutionary theory can be derived from a few fundamental mathematical principles. By using a mathematical approach that does not require simplifying assumptions about genetics or population size, the researchers will also investigate newly discovered evolutionary mechanisms that are invisible to classical theory.
The result will be a unified mathematical theory of evolution that is applicable to any evolving system, anywhere - including all life on earth, any life that may exist elsewhere in the universe, and nonliving systems that can evolve, such as computer viruses. In addition to providing important tools for biologists, this work will clarify the unity and universality of evolutionary science; an important point given debates about the status of evolution in school curricula. On a purely practical level, preliminary work has shown that the new evolutionary processes that emerge from this work are most pronounced in small populations that are decreasing in size; in other words, those that are on the verge of extinction. This study will thus also make important contributions to our understanding of the genetics of endangered and threatened species.
