Back to Departmental Colloquium: Fall 2006
Departmental Colloquium
Date: Thursday, Nov 30, 2006
Time: 4:15PM
Location: JWB 335
David Aldous
University of California, Berkeley
Title |
Coherent models of macroevolution. |
Abstract |
We give a mathematician’s view of evolutionary biology literature concerning stochastic models for phylogenetic trees. We spotlight a model for the tree on n extant species that would be observed if macroevolution were purely random. The model can be extended in two ways – to time series of observed taxa in a fossil record, and to different levels of the taxonomic hierarchy – and provides a logically consistent (``coherent’’) framework for simultaneous study thereof. We illustrate with a variety of theoretical calculations and simulations, and propose a variety of real-data projects suggested by our analysis. (Joint work with Lea Popovic and Maxim Krikun) |
Probability
Mathematical Biology