Eigen's Error Threshold and Mutational Meltdown in a Quasispecies Model

F. Bagnoli, M. Bezzi

Published 1998-07-30, updated 1999-04-21Version 3

We introduce a toy model for interacting populations connected by mutations and limited by a shared resource. We study the presence of Eigen's error threshold and mutational meltdown. The phase diagram of the system shows that the extinction of the whole population due to mutational meltdown can occur well before an eventual error threshold transition.