Discrete time model of sexual systems

Heliyon. 2023 Jul 7;9(7):e17913. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17913. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Small factors are the biggest contributors to the biggest changes in an ecosystem which may lead to its demise. Simple things such as tweaking the humidity or tampering with the temperature can be the downfall of the habitants and the ecosystem itself. These changes can be observed right now with the consistent temperature increase on Earth along with the slew of issues that come with global warming. A small change in a few degrees in temperature can perish an entire food supply and the habitat of many already endangered beings forcing them to either adapt or die. Within such an ecosystem the main reason it withstands the test of time boils down to one simple thing; reproduction. This creates the natural question of asking oneself: How does an ecosystem replenish itself and is able to resist collapsing? To even begin considering this thought, one must realise that the size of the population is the key to gaining a deeper understanding as two constituents that are important from evolutionary theory are survival and reproduction. The case of asexual reproducers, it is not difficult to see any alterations that can be introduced to increase reproductivity. Meanwhile, for sexual reproducers, the evolution to increase reproductivity can be observed by looking into the generational data of the species. A certain group of time-based dynamic systems that are connected to a sexual system are the point of contention. The suggested model is a dynamic representation of a hermaphrodite population which is described through quadratic stochastic operators. The key findings offer fresh insights into the future of hermaphrodite populations, that is perhaps a probable solution to prevent the decline of endangered or at-risk species. This demonstrates a fresh perspective on reproduction, which is explored through a purely mathematical approach.

Keywords: Modelling; Quadratic stochastic operator; Sexual systems.