Tournament Ratchet and Metastability in Moran Model

This paper investigates the dynamics of Muller's ratchet, a model of asexual evolution, focusing on a variant with tournament selection. The authors analyze the 'clicktime' process (the rate at which the fittest class is lost) and prove its convergence to a Poisson process under specific conditions. The core of the work involves a detailed analysis of the metastable behavior of a two-type Moran model, providing insights into the population dynamics and the conditions that lead to slow clicking.