Elasticities of population growth and their significance to evolutionary biology

The elasticity of population growth to a demographic parameter quantifies the proportional sensitivity of population growth to such parameter. In this talk, I will illustrate some cases where elasticities of population growth to demographic parameters acquire a special importance to evolutionary biology. In particular, I will discuss the relevance of these elasticities in studying the evolution of aging, their role in the computation of the generation time and their relationship to some trade-offs organisms may face as they optimise their fitness.