EpiAL - an epigenetic approach for an Artificial Life Model

Authors

Abstract

Neo-Darwinist concepts have always been questioned and, nowadays, one of the sources of debate is epigenetic theory. Epigenetics study the relation between phenotypes and their environment, and the way this relation can regulate the genetic expression, while producing traits that can be inherited by offspring. This work presents an Artificial Life model designed with epigenetic concepts of regulation and inheritance. A platform was developed, in order to study the evolutionary significance of the epigenetic phenomena, both at individual and population levels. Differences were observed in the evolutionary behavior of populations, regarding the epigenetic variants. Agents without epigenetic structures display difficulties thriving in dynamic environments, while epigenetic based agents are able to achieve regulation. It is also possible to observe the persistence of acquired traits during evolution, despite the absence of the signal that induces those same traits.

Subject

Artificial Life

Conference

International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence, January 2010