Asymptotic genealogies for a class of generalized Wright–Fisher models

Abstract

A class of Cannings models is studied, with population size N having a mixed multinomial offspring distribution with random success probabilities ${W_{1}},\dots ,{W_{N}}$ induced by independent and identically distributed positive random variables ${X_{1}},{X_{2}},\dots $ via ${W_{i}}:={X_{i}}/{S_{N}}$, $i\in \{1,\dots ,N\}$, where ${S_{N}}:={X_{1}}+\cdots +{X_{N}}$. The ancestral lineages are hence based on a sampling with replacement strategy from a random partition of the unit interval into N subintervals of lengths ${W_{1}},\dots ,{W_{N}}$. Convergence results for the genealogy of these Cannings models are provided under assumptions that the tail distribution of ${X_{1}}$ is regularly varying. In the limit several coalescent processes with multiple and simultaneous multiple collisions occur. The results extend those obtained by Huillet [J. Math. Biol. 68 (2014), 727–761] for the case when ${X_{1}}$ is Pareto distributed and complement those obtained by Schweinsberg [Stoch. Process. Appl. 106 (2003), 107–139] for models where sampling is performed without replacement from a supercritical branching process.

Keywords

• Cannings model
• exchangeable coalescent
• regularly varying function
• simultaneous multiple collisions
• weak convergence
• 60J90