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Evolution
For natural selection to take place, there must be a parent whose offspring shares some or all of the parent’s traits relevant to survival, and the environment must be structured in such a manner that not all offspring will survive long enough to reproduce. In this situation, those with traits that help them to survive the least are more likely to be the ones that die, and those with traits that are likely to aid in their survival are more likely to live. Consequently, the “negative” traits become rarer in the overall populations as those who possess them fail to pass them on, and positive traits become more widespread as the population is increasingly made up of those who trace their descent back to the originators of these beneficial traits. Evolution occurs when mutation, that is the creation of new traits through imperfect replication, is thrown into the mix.
In our program, which simulates the process of evolution through natural selection, circles are given a range of traits that determine their size, color, speed, senses, diet and behavior. Those which reach a specific threshold for success in obtaining food will reproduce while those who are unsuccessful and fall too far below this threshold will starve and die. These traits are passed on by the reproducing circles to their offspring with occasional slight, random variations. Those circles which happen across an especially beneficial combination of traits obtain food or avoid threats more easily, and will reproduce far more rapidly, leading to these traits quickly dominating the population as other sets of traits are edged out into extinction.
Every circle has a value assigned to them that represents that circle’s “energy” level. Energy is increased by eating and decreased by moving and simply living with the energy consumed each second by basic metabolic function determined by the size of the circle. Each circle has a heritable trait that represents their maximum energy capacity. Circles reproduce when they reach half their maximum energy capacity, which splits the energy they have at that time between the two resultant circles. If a circle’s energy level drops to zero, the circle dies. The maximum energy capacity can mutate either higher or lower, resulting in decreased or increased reproduction rates as well as a negatively correlated ability to survive prolonged periods of food scarcity before death. The sources of food accessible by each circle are determined by a heritable trait that determines whether the circles can eat the plant-life, other circles, or both (including how efficiently they utilize the energy from each).
The circles have a sight value that determines the distance beyond their radius at which they can detect plants and other circles. The attribute which the circles detect is color. Every circle is assigned three pigment values (RGB) which mutate independently allowing for a full range of possible colors. They also have four detection ranges. Each range consists of a set of RGB values that represent the lower bound, and another set that represents the upper bound of the circle’s detection range. Each of these values also mutates independently. When a circle or plant falls within another circle’s detection range, and its coloring falls within the circle’s color recognition range, the corresponding instinctual reaction is triggered. There are three base reactions: ignore, chase and flee. On top of these, there is also a reactive speed change, so circles may remain at the same speed, accelerate, slow down or even freeze. All of these reactions are based on heritable traits which mutate independently. Evolution on processing.
For natural selection to take place, there must be a parent whose offspring shares some or all of the parent’s traits relevant to survival, and the environment must be structured in such a manner that not all offspring will survive long enough to reproduce. In this situation, those with traits that help them to survive the least are more likely to be the ones that die, and those with traits that are likely to aid in their survival are more likely to live. Consequently, the “negative” traits become rarer in the overall populations as those who possess them fail to pass them on, and positive traits become more widespread as the population is increasingly made up of those who trace their descent back to the originators of these beneficial traits. Evolution occurs when mutation, that is the creation of new traits through imperfect replication, is thrown into the mix.
In our program, which simulates the process of evolution through natural selection, circles are given a range of traits that determine their size, color, speed, senses, diet and behavior. Those which reach a specific threshold for success in obtaining food will reproduce while those who are unsuccessful and fall too far below this threshold will starve and die. These traits are passed on by the reproducing circles to their offspring with occasional slight, random variations. Those circles which happen across an especially beneficial combination of traits obtain food or avoid threats more easily, and will reproduce far more rapidly, leading to these traits quickly dominating the population as other sets of traits are edged out into extinction.
Every circle has a value assigned to them that represents that circle’s “energy” level. Energy is increased by eating and decreased by moving and simply living with the energy consumed each second by basic metabolic function determined by the size of the circle. Each circle has a heritable trait that represents their maximum energy capacity. Circles reproduce when they reach half their maximum energy capacity, which splits the energy they have at that time between the two resultant circles. If a circle’s energy level drops to zero, the circle dies. The maximum energy capacity can mutate either higher or lower, resulting in decreased or increased reproduction rates as well as a negatively correlated ability to survive prolonged periods of food scarcity before death. The sources of food accessible by each circle are determined by a heritable trait that determines whether the circles can eat the plant-life, other circles, or both (including how efficiently they utilize the energy from each).
The circles have a sight value that determines the distance beyond their radius at which they can detect plants and other circles. The attribute which the circles detect is color. Every circle is assigned three pigment values (RGB) which mutate independently allowing for a full range of possible colors. They also have four detection ranges. Each range consists of a set of RGB values that represent the lower bound, and another set that represents the upper bound of the circle’s detection range. Each of these values also mutates independently. When a circle or plant falls within another circle’s detection range, and its coloring falls within the circle’s color recognition range, the corresponding instinctual reaction is triggered. There are three base reactions: ignore, chase and flee. On top of these, there is also a reactive speed change, so circles may remain at the same speed, accelerate, slow down or even freeze. All of these reactions are based on heritable traits which mutate independently. Evolution on processing.