Quasispecies on Fitness Landscapes

Abstract

Selection-mutation dynamics is studied as adaptation and neutral drift on abstract fitness landscapes. Various models of fitness landscapes are introduced and analyzed with respect to the stationary mutant distributions adopted by populations upon them. The concept of quasispecies is introduced, and the error threshold phenomenon is analyzed. Complex fitness landscapes with large scatter of fitness values are shown to sustain error thresholds. The phenomenological theory of the quasispecies introduced in 1971 by Eigen is compared to approximation-free numerical computations. The concept of strong quasispecies understood as mutant distributions, which are especially stable against changes in mutations rates, is presented. The role of fitness neutral genotypes in quasispecies is discussed.

Keywords: Autocatalysis; Error threshold; Fitness landscapes; Molecular evolution; Neutrality; Phenomenological approach; Quasispecies; Stochastic dynamics; Strong quasispecies; Virus evolution; Zero mutational backflow.