The mind, the lab, and the field: Three kinds of populations in scientific practice

Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Rasmus Grønfeldt WintherRasmus Nielsen

Abstract

Scientists use models to understand the natural world, and it is important not to conflate model and nature. As an illustration, we distinguish three different kinds of populations in studies of ecology and evolution: theoretical, laboratory, and natural populations, exemplified by the work of R. A. Fisher, Thomas Park, and David Lack, respectively. Biologists are rightly concerned with all three types of populations. We examine the interplay between these different kinds of populations, and their pertinent models, in three examples: the notion of "effective" population size, the work of Thomas Park on Tribolium populations, and model-based clustering algorithms such as Structure. Finally, we discuss ways to move safely between three distinct population types while avoiding confusing models and reality.

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Citations

Mar 25, 2016·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·S Andrew Inkpen
Feb 11, 2015·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Jonathan Michael KaplanJoshua Alexander Banta
Mar 21, 2015·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Ludovica Lorusso, Fabio Bacchini
Mar 15, 2015·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Roberta L Millstein
May 13, 2015·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Quayshawn Spencer
Feb 24, 2015·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Brian M Donovan
Dec 29, 2019·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Yoichi Ishida, Alirio Rosales
Mar 27, 2021·Heredity·Michael D PointerLewis G Spurgin

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