Asymptotic behavior of an age-structured population model and optimal maturation age

A continuous age-structured population model with two population groups, ju veniles and adults, and with a dynamics far the resource, is considered. Th e only density dependence is through a uniform increase of the death rates. A complete description of the asymptotic behavior of the population dynami cs system is obtained showing under natural hypotheses the existence of a n ontrivial ("ecological") equilibrium which attracts any initial nonzero pop ulation with nonzero initial amount of resources. Assuming that the offspri ng production rate is an increasing function of the maturation age, the evo lutionarily stable value of this variable is briefly discussed, (C) 1999 Ac ademic Press.