The Mathematical Survival Of The Fittest

The Moran process proves that even in a fixed population, evolution is governed by pure probability. It tracks how competing traits rise or fall, showing how genetic luck determines which species survives.

Created by Patrick Moran, this model simplifies the chaos of evolution into a game of chance. It shows that in a finite group, a single mutation can eventually take over the entire population through random replication. By stripping away complexity, it reveals the mathematical heartbeat behind natural selection. It is a vital tool for understanding how new traits spread throughout a species.