Natural selection. V. How to read the fundamental equations of evolutionary change in terms of information theory

The equations of evolutionary change by natural selection are commonly expressed in statistical terms. Fisher's fundamental theorem emphasizes the variance in fitness. Quantitative genetics expresses selection with covariances and regressions. Population genetic equations depend on genetic vari...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of evolutionary biology 2012-12, Vol.25 (12), p.2377-2396
Main Author: Frank, S. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological Evolution
Environmental aspects
Evolutionary biology
evolutionary theory
Fisher information
Genetic diversity
Information Theory
mathematical models
Models, Genetic
Phylogenetics
Population genetics
Selection
Selection, Genetic
Statistics as Topic
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Summary:The equations of evolutionary change by natural selection are commonly expressed in statistical terms. Fisher's fundamental theorem emphasizes the variance in fitness. Quantitative genetics expresses selection with covariances and regressions. Population genetic equations depend on genetic variances. How can we read those statistical expressions with respect to the meaning of natural selection? One possibility is to relate the statistical expressions to the amount of information that populations accumulate by selection. However, the connection between selection and information theory has never been compelling. Here, I show the correct relations between statistical expressions for selection and information theory expressions for selection. Those relations link selection to the fundamental concepts of entropy and information in the theories of physics, statistics and communication. We can now read the equations of selection in terms of their natural meaning. Selection causes populations to accumulate information about the environment.
ISSN:1010-061X
1420-9101
DOI:10.1111/jeb.12010