Fitness Inference in Presence of Migrations between Coupled Evolving Populations

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Main Authors: Huang, Yu-Han, Dumont, Bastien, Zeng, Hong-Li, Barton, John, Aurell, Erik
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Huang, Yu-Han
Dumont, Bastien
Zeng, Hong-Li
Barton, John
Aurell, Erik
author_facet Huang, Yu-Han
Dumont, Bastien
Zeng, Hong-Li
Barton, John
Aurell, Erik
contents The phase of Quasi-Linkage Equilibrium (QLE) in evolutionary populations is analogous to the thermal equilibrium state in statistical mechanics, a concept pioneered by Kimura in 1965 for two-locus two-allele models. QLE describes a stationary state maintained by the interplay of selection, mutation, recombination and genetic drift. Here we extend QLE theory to populations connected by migration, a fundamental evolutionary force that couples the evolutionary dynamics of interacting subpopulations. Specifically, we examine two populations interacting via symmetric or asymmetric migration while evolving under multi-locus selection. Using whole-genome time-series data generated through FFPopSim, we demonstrate that the QLE phase persists under conditions of sufficiently low migration rates. In this regime, we derive analytical inference relations that allow for the accurate and quantitative estimation of both additive fitness and epistatic interactions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_22665
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fitness Inference in Presence of Migrations between Coupled Evolving Populations
Huang, Yu-Han
Dumont, Bastien
Zeng, Hong-Li
Barton, John
Aurell, Erik
Populations and Evolution
The phase of Quasi-Linkage Equilibrium (QLE) in evolutionary populations is analogous to the thermal equilibrium state in statistical mechanics, a concept pioneered by Kimura in 1965 for two-locus two-allele models. QLE describes a stationary state maintained by the interplay of selection, mutation, recombination and genetic drift. Here we extend QLE theory to populations connected by migration, a fundamental evolutionary force that couples the evolutionary dynamics of interacting subpopulations. Specifically, we examine two populations interacting via symmetric or asymmetric migration while evolving under multi-locus selection. Using whole-genome time-series data generated through FFPopSim, we demonstrate that the QLE phase persists under conditions of sufficiently low migration rates. In this regime, we derive analytical inference relations that allow for the accurate and quantitative estimation of both additive fitness and epistatic interactions.
title Fitness Inference in Presence of Migrations between Coupled Evolving Populations
topic Populations and Evolution
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.22665