title: Modeling evolutionary games in populations with demographic structure.
abstract: Classic life history models are often based on optimization algorithms, focusing on the adaptation of survival and reproduction to the environment, while neglecting frequency dependent interactions in the population. Evolutionary game theory, on the other hand, studies frequency dependent strategy interactions, but usually omits life history and the demographic structure of the population. Here we show how an integration of both aspects can substantially alter the underlying evolutionary dynamics. We study the replicator dynamics of strategy interactions in life stage structured populations. Individuals have two basic strategic behaviours, interacting in pairwise games. A player may condition behaviour on the life stage of its own, or that of the opponent, or the matching of life stages between both players. A strategy is thus defined as the set of rules that determines a player׳s life stage dependent behaviours. We show that the diversity of life stage structures and life stage dependent strategies can promote each other, and the stable frequency of basic strategic behaviours can deviate from game equilibrium in populations with life stage structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306 Plön, Germany. Electronic address: li@evolbio.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Xiang-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Research Group on Modeling the Evolution of Aging, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad Zuse Str. 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giaimo
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Research Group on Modeling the Evolution of Aging, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad Zuse Str. 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany; University of Southern Denmark, Biology Department, Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baudisch
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306 Plön, Germany. Electronic address: traulsen@evolbio.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traulsen
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D003710:Demography; D006801:Humans
keywords: Ageing; Evolutionary game theory; Life history; Replicator dynamics