Mathematical modeling of the mechanism of a reproductive strategies differentiation in natural populations (on the example of arctic fox, Alopex lagopus)

This paper considers the integrated approach to modeling the dynamics of genetic structure and the number of natural population. A set of dynamic models with different types of natural selection is used to describe a possible mechanism for the fixing of a genetic diversity in size of the litter in coastal, continental and farmed populations of arctic fox (Alopex lagopus, Canidae, Carnivora) observed now. The most interesting results have been obtained with the model of population consisting of two stages of development. At that with the frame of this model a dynamics of population genetic structure on genotypes was analyzed to consider different reproductive abilities and fitnesses of pups on the early stage of lifecycle which defined by the single diallelic gene. This model allows to receive a monomorphism for coastal populations of arctic fox, where food resources are practically constant. As well the model allows polymorphism with cyclical fluctuations in the number and frequency of the gene in the continental populations due to regular fluctuating of rodent number, the major component of its food. In farmed populations by selective selection carried out by farmers to increase the reproductive success, this gene is a pleiotropic one (i. e., determining the survival rate of individuals both early and late stages of their life cycle); so an application of appropriate model (with the selection of pleiotropic gene) allows to get an adequate rate of elimination for small litters allele.