diff --git a/maintainers/maintainer-list.nix b/maintainers/maintainer-list.nix
index 16d039e7d2f..14e1e751afb 100644
--- a/maintainers/maintainer-list.nix
+++ b/maintainers/maintainer-list.nix
@@ -813,6 +813,12 @@
       fingerprint = "B422 CFB1 C9EF 73F7 E1E2 698D F53E 3233 42F7 A6D3A";
     }];
   };
+  alxsimon = {
+    email = "alexis.simon@normalesup.org";
+    github = "alxsimon";
+    githubId = 9567176;
+    name = "Alexis Simon";
+  };
   alyaeanyx = {
     email = "alyaeanyx@mailbox.org";
     github = "alyaeanyx";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/demes/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/demes/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..986bb7f9ac9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/demes/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchPypi
+, setuptools-scm
+, ruamel-yaml
+, attrs
+, pythonOlder
+, pytestCheckHook
+, pytest-xdist
+, numpy
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "demes";
+  version = "0.2.3";
+  format = "pyproject";
+  disabled = pythonOlder "3.7";
+
+  src = fetchPypi {
+    inherit pname version;
+    hash = "sha256-nmE7ZbR126J3vKdR3h83qJ/V602Fa6J3M6IJnIqCNhc=";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    setuptools-scm
+  ];
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    ruamel-yaml
+    attrs
+  ];
+
+  postPatch = ''
+    # remove coverage arguments to pytest
+    sed -i '/--cov/d' setup.cfg
+  '';
+
+  nativeCheckInputs = [
+    pytestCheckHook
+    pytest-xdist
+    numpy
+  ];
+
+  disabledTestPaths = [
+    "tests/test_spec.py"
+  ];
+
+  pythonImportsCheck = [
+    "demes"
+  ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "Tools for describing and manipulating demographic models";
+    homepage = "https://github.com/popsim-consortium/demes-python";
+    license = licenses.isc;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ alxsimon ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/demesdraw/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/demesdraw/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..42e9fdc4c5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/demesdraw/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+{ lib
+, stdenv
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchPypi
+, setuptools-scm
+, demes
+, matplotlib
+, numpy
+, scipy
+, pythonOlder
+, pytestCheckHook
+, pytest-xdist
+, mpmath
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "demesdraw";
+  version = "0.4.0";
+  format = "pyproject";
+  disabled = pythonOlder "3.7";
+
+  src = fetchPypi {
+    inherit pname version;
+    hash = "sha256-n7dz+kYf2yyr66TBx452W6z4qT6bT81u0J4aMAYuGCc=";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    setuptools-scm
+  ];
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    demes
+    matplotlib
+    numpy
+    scipy
+  ];
+
+  postPatch = ''
+    # remove coverage arguments to pytest
+    sed -i '/--cov/d' setup.cfg
+  '';
+
+  # This variable is needed to suppress the "Trace/BPT trap: 5" error in Darwin's checkPhase.
+  # Not sure of the details, but we can avoid it by changing the matplotlib backend during testing.
+  env.MPLBACKEND = lib.optionalString stdenv.isDarwin "Agg";
+
+  nativeCheckInputs = [
+    pytestCheckHook
+    pytest-xdist
+    mpmath
+  ];
+
+  pythonImportsCheck = [
+    "demesdraw"
+  ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "Drawing functions for Demes demographic models";
+    homepage = "https://github.com/grahamgower/demesdraw";
+    license = licenses.isc;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ alxsimon ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/msprime/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/msprime/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d33adc13080
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/msprime/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchPypi
+, setuptools-scm
+, pythonOlder
+, gsl
+, numpy
+, newick
+, tskit
+, demes
+, pytest
+, pytest-xdist
+, scipy
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "msprime";
+  version = "1.2.0";
+  format = "pyproject";
+  disabled = pythonOlder "3.8";
+
+  src = fetchPypi {
+    inherit pname version;
+    hash = "sha256-YAJa2f0w2CenKubnYLbP8HodDhabLB2hAkyw/CPkp6o=";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    setuptools-scm
+    gsl
+  ];
+
+  buildInputs = [
+    gsl
+  ];
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    numpy
+    newick
+    tskit
+    demes
+  ];
+
+  nativeCheckInputs = [
+    pytest
+    pytest-xdist
+    scipy
+  ];
+
+  checkPhase = ''
+    runHook preCheck
+
+    # avoid adding the current directory to sys.path
+    # https://docs.pytest.org/en/7.1.x/explanation/pythonpath.html#invoking-pytest-versus-python-m-pytest
+    # need pythonPackages.stdpopsim
+    # need pythonPackages.bintrees
+    # need pythonPachages.python_jsonschema_objects
+    # ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'lwt_interface.dict_encoding_testlib'
+    # fails for python311
+    # fails for python311
+    pytest -v --import-mode append \
+      --ignore=tests/test_demography.py \
+      --ignore=tests/test_algorithms.py \
+      --ignore=tests/test_provenance.py \
+      --ignore=tests/test_dict_encoding.py \
+      --deselect=tests/test_ancestry.py::TestSimulator::test_debug_logging \
+      --deselect=tests/test_ancestry.py::TestSimulator::test_debug_logging_dtwf
+
+    runHook postCheck
+  '';
+
+  pythonImportsCheck = [
+    "msprime"
+  ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "Simulate genealogical trees and genomic sequence data using population genetic models";
+    homepage = "https://github.com/tskit-dev/msprime";
+    license = licenses.gpl3Plus;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ alxsimon ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/newick/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/newick/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..317a9c582b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/newick/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchFromGitHub
+, setuptools-scm
+, pythonOlder
+, pytestCheckHook
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "newick";
+  version = "1.9.0";
+  format = "pyproject";
+  disabled = pythonOlder "3.7";
+
+  src = fetchFromGitHub {
+    owner = "dlce-eva";
+    repo = "python-newick";
+    rev = "v${version}";
+    hash = "sha256-TxyR6RYvy2oIcDNZnHrExtPYGspyWOtZqNy488OmWwk=";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    setuptools-scm
+  ];
+
+  postPatch = ''
+    # remove coverage arguments to pytest
+    sed -i '/--cov/d' setup.cfg
+  '';
+
+  nativeCheckInputs = [
+    pytestCheckHook
+  ];
+
+  pythonImportsCheck = [
+    "newick"
+  ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "A python package to read and write the Newick format";
+    homepage = "https://github.com/dlce-eva/python-newick";
+    license = licenses.asl20;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ alxsimon ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyslim/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyslim/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fcb53da4a4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyslim/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchPypi
+, setuptools-scm
+, pythonOlder
+, msprime
+, numpy
+, tskit
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "pyslim";
+  version = "1.0.3";
+  format = "pyproject";
+  disabled = pythonOlder "3.7";
+
+  src = fetchPypi {
+    inherit pname version;
+    hash = "sha256-BRfv5AcdRpnvk7zGeYYWweh+foFEOSZjz3pTjX8KOnA=";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    setuptools-scm
+  ];
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    msprime
+    tskit
+    numpy
+  ];
+
+  # Requires non-packaged software SLiM
+  doCheck = false;
+
+  pythonImportsCheck = [
+    "pyslim"
+  ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "Tools for dealing with tree sequences coming to and from SLiM";
+    homepage = "https://github.com/tskit-dev/pyslim";
+    license = licenses.mit;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ alxsimon ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/tskit/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/tskit/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bb5139b425b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/tskit/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchPypi
+, setuptools-scm
+, pythonOlder
+, numpy
+, jsonschema
+, svgwrite
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "tskit";
+  version = "0.5.5";
+  format = "pyproject";
+  disabled = pythonOlder "3.7";
+
+  src = fetchPypi {
+    inherit pname version;
+    hash = "sha256-phhBTAHAPlBnmzSiLmPYDMg1Mui85NZacni3WuYAc6c=";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    setuptools-scm
+  ];
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    numpy
+    jsonschema
+    svgwrite
+  ];
+
+  # Pypi does not include test folder and too complex to compile from GitHub source
+  # will ask upstream to include tests in pypi
+  doCheck = false;
+
+  pythonImportsCheck = [
+    "tskit"
+  ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "The tree sequence toolkit";
+    homepage = "https://github.com/tskit-dev/tskit";
+    license = licenses.mit;
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ alxsimon ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index 6c25c8ef703..40e90c95567 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -2517,6 +2517,10 @@ self: super: with self; {
 
   deluge-client = callPackage ../development/python-modules/deluge-client { };
 
+  demes = callPackage ../development/python-modules/demes { };
+
+  demesdraw = callPackage ../development/python-modules/demesdraw { };
+
   demetriek = callPackage ../development/python-modules/demetriek { };
 
   demjson3 = callPackage ../development/python-modules/demjson3 { };
@@ -6586,6 +6590,8 @@ self: super: with self; {
 
   msoffcrypto-tool = callPackage ../development/python-modules/msoffcrypto-tool { };
 
+  msprime = callPackage ../development/python-modules/msprime { };
+
   mss = callPackage ../development/python-modules/mss { };
 
   msrestazure = callPackage ../development/python-modules/msrestazure { };
@@ -6830,6 +6836,8 @@ self: super: with self; {
 
   newversion = callPackage ../development/python-modules/newversion { };
 
+  newick = callPackage ../development/python-modules/newick { };
+
   nexia = callPackage ../development/python-modules/nexia { };
 
   nextcloudmonitor = callPackage ../development/python-modules/nextcloudmonitor { };
@@ -9540,6 +9548,8 @@ self: super: with self; {
 
   pysingleton = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pysingleton { };
 
+  pyslim = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pyslim { };
+
   pyslurm = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pyslurm {
     inherit (pkgs) slurm;
   };
@@ -12609,6 +12619,8 @@ self: super: with self; {
 
   trytond = callPackage ../development/python-modules/trytond { };
 
+  tskit = callPackage ../development/python-modules/tskit { };
+
   ttach = callPackage ../development/python-modules/ttach { };
 
   ttls = callPackage ../development/python-modules/ttls { };