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| Author(s): |
Leonardo Paulo Maia
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Carlos. , gráficos, ilustrações, tabelas. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC/BT) |
| Defense date: | 2004-08-24 |
| Examining board members: |
Jose Fernando Fontanari;
Francisco Castilho Alcaraz;
Nestor Felipe Caticha Alfonso;
Domingos Alves;
Roberto Nicolau Onody
|
| Advisor: | Jose Fernando Fontanari |
| Field of knowledge: | Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics |
| Indexed in: | Banco de Dados Bibliográficos da USP-DEDALUS; Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações - USP |
| Location: | Universidade de São Paulo. Biblioteca do Instituto de Física de São Carlos; Te1612 |
| Abstract | |
This thesis discusses some topics of molecular evolution, extensively using generating function methods to find analytical results whenever possible. In first place, it gives the exact solution for the dynamics of an infinite population of infinitely long sequences (no back mutations) evolving under the action of deleterious mutations on either multiplicative or truncated fitness landscapes. In addition, the behavior of a population subject to successive dilutions of arbitrary intensity, just like some experimental evolution protocols, is found. The mathematical expressions, in principle, may prove useful in characterizing real populations of microor¬ganisms. It was also demonstrated that a generalized multidimensional branching process is a nice tool in numerically studying mutational degeneration effects (specifically a pheno¬menon called Muller\'s ratchet) in populations under a wide variety of exponential growth settings. Finally, the evolutionary history of finite populations was studied by simulations to probe the viability of certain statistic, like some topological measures in genealogical trees, being incorporated in statistical tests to detect the fingerprints of natural selection. (AU) | |