How the Leopard Got Its Spots

Yujie Ding

April 22, 2019

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Overview

1 Coat Patterns of Animals

Leopard

2 Model

3 Theorem
Proof

4 Simulation

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Coat Patterns of Animals

Figure: Leopard, Giraffe, Zebra

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Coat Patterns of Animals

Figure: Leopard

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Model

Reaction-Diffusion Equations
∂u ∂v
= γf (u, v ) + ∇2 u, = γg (u, v ) + d∇2 v (1)
∂t ∂t
u: Activator, v : Inhibitor
d: Ratio of diffusion coefficient
must be such that d > 1 for diffusion-driven instability to be possible
γ: Scale factor
measure of domain size

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Model

Boundary Conditions (no flax)

(n · ∇)u = 0, (n · ∇)v = 0 r on ∂B (2)

Reaction Kinectics
f (u, v ) = a − u − h(u, v ), g (u, v ) = α(b − v ) − h(u, v )
ρuv (3)
h(u, v ) =
1 + u + Ku 2

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Theorem

Theorem
If a two-dimensional region marked by spots is made sufficiently thin, the
spots will eventually change to stripes.

Figure: Patterns on Tails

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Proof

Steady-State (u0 , v0 )

f (u, v ) = 0, g (u, v ) = 0 (4)

Spatial patterns begin to grow when the uniform steady state

becomes unstable
d=6 1
d >1

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Proof

Linearization of (1) at (u0 , v0 )

wt = γAw + D∇2 w , (5)

Look for solution w (r , t) in the form

X
w (r , t) = ck e λt Wk (r , t) (6)
k

Eigenvalue Problem

|λI − γA + Dk 2 | = 0. (7)

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Proof
For the steady state to be unstable in space we require Reλ(k 2 ) > 0
for some k 6= 0.
dc = 1

Figure: Dispersion Relation

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Rectangle Domain

Rectangle domain defined by 0 < x < p, 0 < y < q

Solution of the linear problem involves exponentially growing modes
about the uniform steady state

nπx mπy n2 m2
Cn,m exp[λ(k 2 )t] cos cos , where k 2 = π 2 ( 2 + 2 ) (8)
p q p q
Range of unstable modes

n2 m2
 
γL = k12 2
<k =π + 2 < k22 = γM, (9)
p2 q

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Proof

Figure: Spatial Patterns of Different Unstable Modes

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Tapering Cylinder Domain

Tapering Cylinder of length s with 0 ≤ z ≤ s and with circumferential

variable q
Solution of the linear problem involves exponentially growing modes
about the uniform steady state

mπz n2 m2 π 2
Cn,m exp[λ(k 2 )t] cos(nθ) cos , where k 2 = 2 + 2 (10)
s r s
Range of unstable modes

n2 m2 π 2
γL = k12 < k 2 = + 2 < k22 = γM, (11)
r2 s

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Proof

r ∼ s (fat end of the tail): Spots

n2 m2 π 2
k2 = + 2 (12)
r2 s
r << s (thin end of the tail): Strips

n=0
m2 π 2
k2 = (13)
s2

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Proof

Figure: Patterns on Tapering Cylinder

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Simulation in 1D

0 index 100 0 index 100 0 index 100

0 0 0

time time time

99 99 99

0 15 0 15 0 15

(a) γ = 9 (b) γ = 15 (c) γ = 25

Figure: 1-Dimensional Patterns

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References

Murray, James D.
Springer
Mathematical Biology II.

Murray, James D.
Scientific American
How the leopard gets its spots, p. 80.

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 The End

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