%0 Journal Article
%T Range Expansion of Heterogeneous Populations
%A Matthias Reiter
%A Steffen Rulands
%A Erwin Frey
%J Quantitative Biology
%D 2014
%I arXiv
%R 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.148103
%X Risk spreading in bacterial populations is generally regarded as a strategy to maximize survival. Here, we study its role during range expansion of a genetically diverse population where growth and motility are two alternative traits. We find that during the initial expansion phase fast growing cells do have a selective advantage. By contrast, asymptotically, generalists balancing motility and reproduction are evolutionarily most successful. These findings are rationalized by a set of coupled Fisher equations complemented by stochastic simulations.
%U http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.6333v3