An energy-based natural selection model

TL;DR

This paper introduces an energy-based natural selection model where a renewable resource in the environment drives competition, leading to emergent phenomena like speciation, equilibrium, and altruism without explicit programming.

Contribution

It presents a novel model linking energy resource dynamics to natural selection, capturing complex biological phenomena through simple rules.

Findings

Emergence of speciation and punctuated equilibrium

Observation of competitive exclusion

Development of altruistic behavior from selfish rules

Abstract

Genetic information and environmental factors determine the path of an individuals life and therefore, the evolution of its entire species. We have succeeded in proposing and studying a model that captures this idea. In our model, a renewable resource extended throughout the environment provides the energy necessary to sustain life, including movement and reproduction. Since the resource doesn't regrow immediately, it generates competition between individuals and therefore provides a natural selection pressure from which evolution of the genetic traits is observed. As a result of this, several phenomena characteristic of living systems emerge from this model without having to introduce them explicitly. These include speciation and punctuated equilibrium, competitive exclusion, and altruistic behaviour from selfish rules.