Evolutionary branching is analysed in a stochastic, individual-based
population model under mutation and selection. In such models, the common
assumption is that individual reproduction and life career are characterised by
values of a trait, and also by population sizes, and that mutations lead to
small changes in trait value. Then, traditionally, the evolutionary dynamics is
studied in the limit of vanishing mutational step sizes. In the present
approach, small but non-negligible mutational steps are considered. By means of
theoretical analysis in the limit of infinitely large populations, as well as
computer simulations, we demonstrate how discrete mutational steps affect the
patterns of evolutionary branching. We also argue that the average time to the
first branching depends in a sensitive way on both mutational step size and
population size.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures. Revised versio
