Travelling wave solutions for the spread of farmers into a region occupied by hunter-gatherers (Q1817526)

We present a reaction-diffusion model for the spread of farmers into a region occupied by hunter-gatherers that attempts to correct for the deficiencies of previous models or analyses. The model deals explicitly with the dynamics of initial farmers, converted farmers, and hunter-gatherers, but assumes that intermarriage does not occur. Based on numerical work and travelling wave analysis, we deduce the conditions under which wavefronts of initial or converted farmers are generated that advance at constant speed. The travelling wave analysis is mostly heuristic, but serves to generate hypotheses on the speed, waveform, etc., which can be tested by numerical simulation. By keeping track separately of the three populations, we are able to make inferences about the possible genetic consequences of the spread of farming. In view of \textit{A. J. Ammerman} and \textit{L. L. Cavalli-Sforza's} arguments [Man 6, 674-688 (1971); C. Renfrew (ed.), The explanation of culture change, 343-357 (1973); ``The neolithic transition and the genetics of populations in Europe.'' (1984)] of particular interest is whether gene frequency clines may be formed in the wake of the wavefront of farmers.