The Dynamics of Sex Ratio Evolution: From the Gene Perspective to Multilevel Selection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel dynamical game theoretic model of sex ratio evolution emphasizing gene-level and multilevel selection, revealing complex dynamics driven by interactions between gene frequencies and sex ratios.

Contribution

It develops a new analytical framework with change of coordinates, deriving an unbiased strategic model from genetic principles, and uncovers the influence of sex ratio dynamics on gene fitness.

Findings

Gene fitness depends on sex ratio in carrier subpopulations.

The model reveals a 'double level selection' mechanism.

Analytical derivation of the unbiased strategic model from genetics.

Abstract

The new dynamical game theoretic model of sex ratio evolution emphasizes the role of males as passive carriers of sex ratio genes. This shows inconsistency between population genetic models of sex ratio evolution and classical strategic models. In this work a novel technique of change of coordinates will be applied to the new model. This will reveal new aspects of the modelled phenomenon which cannot be shown or proven in the original formulation. The underlying goal is to describe the dynamics of selection of particular genes in the entire population, instead of in the same sex subpopulation, as in the previous paper and earlier population genetics approaches. This allows for analytical derivation of the unbiased strategic model from the model with rigorous non-simplified genetics. In effect, an alternative system of replicator equations is derived. It contains two subsystems: the first describes changes in gene frequencies (this is an alternative unbiased formalization of the Fisher-Dusing argument), whereas the second describes changes in the sex ratios in subpopulations of carriers of genes for each strategy. An intriguing analytical result of this work is that fitness of a gene depends on the current sex ratio in the subpopulation of its carriers, not on the encoded individual strategy. Thus, the argument of the gene fitness function is not constant but is determined by the trajectory of the sex ratio among carriers of that gene. This aspect of the modelled phenomenon cannot be revealed by the static analysis. Dynamics of the sex ratio among gene carriers is driven by a dynamic "tug of war" between female carriers expressing the encoded strategic trait value and random partners of male carriers expressing the average population strategy (a primary sex ratio). This mechanism can be called "double level selection". Therefore, gene interest perspective leads to multi-level selection.