I have a broad interest in evolution and, particularly, co-evolution. Most living things are impacted by each other in one big ecosystem. Prolonged interactions between things like animals and plants can lead to remarkable things: a flower that's shaped just for one moth that has just the right length tongue; or orchids that convince a male wasp they're a female -- just so they can be pollinated.
This interest has lead me to become engaged in theoretical mathematical modelling. Note, this is nothing like statistical modelling! These models don't really involve using collected data and making projections from that, rather it incorporates what we know (or can guess) about an animal, plant or a system and making simulations with "individuals" and following them through theoretical, evolutionary time.
Using these theoretical models (I'm new to this, so it means reading calculus for dummies and slowly learning Matlab) we can try to get an idea of how things evolved over time, and maybe test the model's outcomes using systems in nature.
If you want to know a bit more, I highly recommend Hanna Kokko's book, "Modelling for Field Biologists and Other Interesting People".
This interest has lead me to become engaged in theoretical mathematical modelling. Note, this is nothing like statistical modelling! These models don't really involve using collected data and making projections from that, rather it incorporates what we know (or can guess) about an animal, plant or a system and making simulations with "individuals" and following them through theoretical, evolutionary time.
Using these theoretical models (I'm new to this, so it means reading calculus for dummies and slowly learning Matlab) we can try to get an idea of how things evolved over time, and maybe test the model's outcomes using systems in nature.
If you want to know a bit more, I highly recommend Hanna Kokko's book, "Modelling for Field Biologists and Other Interesting People".
Image credit: Ruben Heleno
