TABLE 1.

Effect of the initial fitness on the process of fitness evolution through plaque-to-plaque transfers

W0	Slopea (T1-T50)	Meanb (T200-T1,000)	Transfer no. at which stationary state starts
2	−0.009	1.1	∼200
3	−0.017	1.1	∼200
4	−0.021	1.1	∼200
8	−0.026	1.1	∼200
10	−0.020	1.1	∼200

^aSlope of the regression line estimated when the logarithm of the fitness is represented as a function of the transfer number (transfers 1 to 50).

^bMean is the value of the average fitness at the stationary state (transfers 200 to 1,000). The fitness values have been averaged over 200 independent trials. The parameter values used in the simulations are r = 5, p = 0.01 W (p is proportional to the fitness of the genomes), and q = 0.001. The standard deviation of fitness values (an indicator of the amplitude of the fluctuations) was the same (0.02) for all the values of W₀ assayed.