Handicapped individua in evolutionary processes

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Usually, when considering an evolutionary development, the fittest individua and their succesfull mutations recive most attention. The less fit ones, existing due to selection-mutation equilibria, are regarded, as an inevitable waste. It appears that these handicaped individua play an important role in evolution, as they make escapes from evolutionary traps possible. It is concluded that crucial improvements come from mutations of mutants. The implications seem to account to some extent for the observed speed and mode of evolution. An appropriate stochastic model is introduced, numerical experiments reported and results discussed.