title: Front acceleration by dynamic selection in Fisher population waves.
abstract: We introduce a minimal model of population range expansion in which the phenotypes of individuals present no selective advantage and differ only in their diffusion rate. We show that such neutral phenotypic variability (i.e., that does not modify the growth rate) alone can yield phenotype segregation at the front edge, even in absence of genetic noise, and significantly impact the dynamical properties of the expansion wave. We present an exact asymptotic traveling wave solution and show analytically that phenotype segregation accelerates the front propagation. The results are compatible with field observations such as invasions of cane toads in Australia or bush crickets in Britain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, UMR 7600 CNRS/UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, 75255 Paris Cedex, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bénichou
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calvez
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Voituriez
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D002024:Bufo marinus; D017753:Ecosystem; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006135:Gryllidae; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011336:Probability; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D006113:United Kingdom