Eur. Phys. J. B 10, 181-186 (1999)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050842

Model of populations colonizing a new habitat

¹ Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
² Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Wrocław, pl. M. Borna 9, 50-204 Wrocław, Poland

Corresponding author: ^a apekal@ift.uni.wroc.pl

Received: 11 December 1998
Revised: 17 December 1998
Published online: 15 July 1999

Abstract

We propose a model suitable for investigating the conditions under which a population, adapted to a given environment, may colonize a new neighbouring, spatially separated, habitat. We find out how similar the two regions must be for such a colonization to succeed and what will be the spatial distribution of genetic pools of the two populations after the process. It is found that between the two populations each adapted to the different region, a hybrid zone, characterized by increased heterozygosity, may be formed. The dependence of the shape of the hybrid zone on the external (environmental) parameters is determined. When the differences between the two regions are significant, the populations are separated by a depopulated zone. We show that the conditions in the colonized habitat influence the genetic pool of the population living in the first region. Computer simulations based on the standard Monte Carlo technique are used.