dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaSpecies lifetime distribution for simple models of ecologies
| Authors | S. Pigolotti, A. Flammini, M. Marsili, A. Maritan |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0511002 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0511002 |
| DOI | 10.1073/pnas.0502648102 |
| Journal | PNAS (2005) 102: pp. 15747-15751 |
Abstract
Interpretation of empirical results based on a taxa's lifetime distribution shows apparently conflicting results. Species' lifetime is reported to be exponentially distributed, whereas higher order taxa, such as families or genera, follow a broader distribution, compatible with power law decay. We show that both these evidences are consistent with a simple evolutionary model that does not require specific assumptions on species interaction. The model provides a zero-order description of the dynamics of ecological communities and its species lifetime distribution can be computed exactly. Different behaviors are found: an initial $t^{-3/2}$ power law, emerging from a random walk type of dynamics, which crosses over to a steeper $t^{-2}$ branching process-like regime and finally is cutoff by an exponential decay which becomes weaker and weaker as the total population increases. Sampling effects can also be taken into account and shown to be relevant: if species in the fossil record were sampled according to the Fisher log-series distribution, lifetime should be distributed according to a $t^{-1}$ power law. Such variability of behaviors in a simple model, combined with the scarcity of data available, cast serious doubts on the possibility to validate theories of evolution on the basis of species lifetime data.
{
"annotation_id": "30978cce-fcac-4c7f-a23d-487c8655a15d",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:31.414000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:31.414000Z",
"file_hash": "14d6ba3dba381b878fad097670d787697c13a6a2fd95bb0ac815c180fd2d42c1",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "Interpretation of empirical results based on a taxa\u0027s lifetime distribution\nshows apparently conflicting results. Species\u0027 lifetime is reported to be\nexponentially distributed, whereas higher order taxa, such as families or\ngenera, follow a broader distribution, compatible with power law decay. We show\nthat both these evidences are consistent with a simple evolutionary model that\ndoes not require specific assumptions on species interaction. The model\nprovides a zero-order description of the dynamics of ecological communities and\nits species lifetime distribution can be computed exactly. Different behaviors\nare found: an initial $t^{-3/2}$ power law, emerging from a random walk type of\ndynamics, which crosses over to a steeper $t^{-2}$ branching process-like\nregime and finally is cutoff by an exponential decay which becomes weaker and\nweaker as the total population increases. Sampling effects can also be taken\ninto account and shown to be relevant: if species in the fossil record were\nsampled according to the Fisher log-series distribution, lifetime should be\ndistributed according to a $t^{-1}$ power law. Such variability of behaviors in\na simple model, combined with the scarcity of data available, cast serious\ndoubts on the possibility to validate theories of evolution on the basis of\nspecies lifetime data.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0511002",
"authors": [
"S. Pigolotti",
"A. Flammini",
"M. Marsili",
"A. Maritan"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.PE"
],
"doi": "10.1073/pnas.0502648102",
"journal_ref": "PNAS (2005) 102: pp. 15747-15751",
"title": "Species lifetime distribution for simple models of ecologies",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0511002"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "464b933a-914a-4a20-8a9f-9ccb1febb361",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}