Résumé
This report examines the evolutionary dynamics of population expansion. A simulation model is used to analyse the impact of various ecological and demographic parameters on the evolutionary traits and genetic structure of the simulated populations. The model tests two dispersal modes: island and stepping-stone models. The evolutionary dynamics of variable and heritable traits such as intrinsic growth rate and dispersal size threshold are analysed. The results show that island models favour rapid expansion, while stepping-stone models consolidate populations that have already been colonised. The genetic results show a decrease in intra-population diversity accompanied by an increase in inter-population differentiation towards the front. Quantitative traits vary spatially, with size thresholds increasing and growth rates decreasing towards the front, indicating selective pressure or genetic drift.This document is based on the translation of the Master 2 report of Laura Vallée (Vallée 2024). It aims to serve as a working document for the development of an eco-evolutionary model of population expansion, to predict evolutionary change along the expansion range of a long-lived animal population.