Data from: REvoSim: organism-level simulation of macro and microevolution

Macroevolutionary processes dictate the generation and loss of
biodiversity. Understanding them is a key challenge when interrogating the
earth-life system in deep time. Model-based approaches can reveal
important macroevolutionary patterns, and generate hypotheses on the
underlying processes. Here we present and document a novel model called
REvoSim (Rapid Evolutionary Simulator) coupled with a software
implementation of this model. The latter is available here as both source
code (C++/Qt, GNU General Public License), and as distributables for a
variety of operating systems. REvoSim is an individual-based model with a
strong focus on computational efficiency. It can simulate populations of
105–107 digital organisms over geological timescales on a typical desktop
computer, and incorporates spatial and temporal environmental variation,
recombinant reproduction, mutation and dispersal. Whilst microevolutionary
processes drive the model, macroevolutionary phenomena such as speciation
and extinction emerge. We present results and analysis of the model
focussing on validation, and note a number potential applications. REvoSim
can serve as a multipurpose platform for studying both macro- and
microevolution, and bridges this divide. It will be continually developed
by the authors to expand its capabilities and hence its utility.