title: A Paradoxical Evolutionary Mechanism in Stochastically Switching Environments.
abstract: Organisms with environmental sensors that guide survival are considered more likely to be favored by natural selection if they possess more accurate sensors. In this paper, we develop a theoretical model which shows that under certain conditions of environmental stochasticity, selection actually favors sensors of lower accuracy. An analogy between this counter-intuitive phenomenon and the well-known Parrondo's paradox is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Engineering Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Drive, Singapore 138683, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kang Hao
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.affiliation: Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
authors.forename: Zong Xuan
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Anhui Ma'anshan, 243002, China.
authors.forename: Neng-Gang
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004777:Environment; D005716:Game Theory; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012641:Selection, Genetic