title: Simulated evolution and artificial selection.
abstract: A highly simplified evolving system was investigated by computer simulation. The genetic complement of each simulated organism in the population was represented by a single chromosome that consisted of a string of symbols. Individual fitness was measured as the number of symbols that corresponded to a specified rule. Reproduction was simulated with a non-breeding algorithm and two variants of a breeding algorithm, and was subject to random point mutations. In each generation, selection was effected by replacing the less fit members of the population with offspring of the more fit. The size of the population and the fraction replaced, though under experimental control, were constant for each simulation run. It was found that even such a simplified system is able to mimic a variety of properties observed in natural systems. In addition, the effect of the simulation parameters on the course of fitness increase provides a basis for using a genetic algorithm as an optimization technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D011336:Probability; D012641:Selection, Genetic