Monday, October 7, 2002 Stephen C. Stearns
Edward P. Bass Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Chair, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Yale University"Life History Evolution and the Spreading of Risk"
Abstract: Life history evolution is that branch of evolutionary biology that proposes
and analyses answers to such questions as, Why are organisms small or large? Why
do they mature early or late? Why do they have few or many offspring? Why do they
have a short or a long life? Why must they grow old and die? There are several
analytical frameworks in which such questions can be approached. The classical
framework is optimization. It will be illustrated with attempts to explain observed
ages and sizes at maturity as the result of evolutionary optimization of fitness under
constraints. Another analytical framework is that of bet-hedging, or spreading of risk.
It will be illustrated with attempts to explain the distribution of eggs among nests -
think of eggs in baskets - using evolutionary game theory and adaptive dynamics.
Attention will be drawn to the formal similarity of evolutionary and financial spreading
of risk, and homage will be paid to Daniel Bernoulli's 1738 paper on the latter.
Seminar to be held in Room 107, 24 Hillhouse Avenue at 4:15 pm