The Evolving Moran Genealogy

Abstract We study the evolution of the population genealogy in the classic neutral Moran Model of finite size n ∈ N and in discrete time. The stochastic transformations that shape a Moran population can be realized directly on its genealogy and give rise to a process on a state space consisting of n -sized binary increasing trees. We derive a number of properties of this process, and show that they are in agreement with existing results on the infinite-population limit of the Moran Model. Most importantly, this process admits time reversal, which makes it possible to simplify the mechanisms determining state changes, and allows for a thorough investigation of the Most Recent Common Ancestorprocess.