Sewall Wright and Gustave Malécot on Isolation by Distance

Abstract

Sewall Wright and Gustave Malécot developed important theories of isolation by distance. Wright's theory was statistical and Malécot's probabilistic. Because of this mathematical difference, they were not clear about the relationship between their theories. In this paper, I make two points to clarify this relationship. First, I argue that Wright's theory concerns what I callecological isolation by distance, whereas Malécot's concerns what I callgenetic isolation by distance. Second, I suggest that if Wright's theory is interpreted appropriately, a previously unnoticed connection between the two theories emerges.

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