Genetic diversity in semelparous and iteroparous Penna model with population reduction for T < R

Abstract

We use the 32-bit string Penna Model of biological aging as a framework for investigating the influence of varying population reduction intensity on the population size and in the conservation of the genetic diversity of both semelparous and iteroparous reproducing species in a population. We limit the implementation to cases where there is a delay in reproduction and the population's tolerance to deleterious mutations are lowered (T < R). The genetic diversity of both semelparous and iteroparous cases after reaching a peak decreases towards a nonzero value. However, the decrease for iteroparous is much slower. The presence of selection ensures a T–1 limit of active bad genes on bits on or before R, resulting to a nonzero diversity even for large times t.