  Population dynamics, sometimes referred to as “replicator dynamics”, offers a tractable way to model the evolution of populations over time under the kinds of selective pressures that can be characterized by static optimization models. This is often necessary, since the dynamics of such populations are often difficult to predict purely on the basis of static considerations of payoff differences. The so-called “replicator dynamics” were named by Taylor and Jonker (1978) and generalized by Schuster and Sigmund (1983) and Hofbauer and Sigmund (1988). They trace their source back to the seminal work of R.A. Fisher in the 1920s and 30s. The generalization covers evolutionary models used in population genetics, evolutionary game theory, ecology, and the study of prebiotic evolution. The models can be implemented either mathematically or computationally, and can model either stepwise (discrete) or continuous evolutionary change. 