The Evolutionay Process of Randomly Growing Mutated Digital Structures as a Model of Evolution of the First Living Organisms

The p a p e r p r e s e n t s t h e r e s u l t s o f r e s e a r c h c o n c e r n i n g t h e s t a b i l i t y o f a n e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o c e s s f o r r andomly g r o w i n g d i g i t a l s t r u c t u r e s . The comp u t e r model f o r t h e m u t a t e d geno t ype c a s e i s c o n s i d e r e d . The geno type ( i n t h e models t h e s e t o f r u l e s f o r g r o w t h ) changes i n a random e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y u n o r i e n t e d way , whereas t h e e n v i r o n ment assumed as random, f i n i t e and r e p e t i t i v e i n a c y c l i c way i s d i s t u r b e d . Prom t h e e x p e r i m e n t s i t f o l l o w s t h a t s t a b i l i t y c o u l d b e a c h i e v e d i n a h e u r i s t i c way a f t e r m u t a t i o n o f t h e g e n o t y p e and d i s t u r b a n c e s i n t h e e n v i r o n m e n t w i t h o u t t h e b u i l t i n i n f o r m a t i o n c o n c e r n i n g s t a b i l i t y . The m o d e l , r e s u l t s o b t a i n e d f r o m t h e computer and a n i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e s e r e s u l t s a r e p r e s e n t e d . I n t r o d u c t i o n F o r t h e case w i t h o u t spontaneous mu t a t i o n s i t was shown i n a p r e v i o u s p a p e r ( 1 ) t h a t w i t h t h e assump t i on o f random e n v i r o n m e n t c h a n g i n g i n a c y c l i c way , t h e d i g i t a l s t r u c t u r e s , w h i c h c o u l d b e a model o f v e r y s i m p l e o r g a n i sms can g r o w , d i v i d e and a c h i e v e a s t a b i l e "shape" ( p h e n o t y p e ) i n s p i t e o f t h e f a c t t h a t t h e b u i l t i n i n f o r m s x ) These computer e x p e r i m e n t s were s u p p o r t e d b y a g r a n t f r o m t h e f o r d F o u n d . t i o n ( g e n o t y p e ) does n o t d e t e r m i n e t h e pheno t ype i n d e t a i l , b u t o n l y g i v e s " f r a m e " i n f o r m a t i o n abou t t h e p h e n o t y p e . F u l l I n f o r m a t i o n t o g u a r a n t e e t h e s t a b i l i t y i s a c h i e v a b l e f r o m t h e c y c l i c e n v i r o n m e n t . I n r e a l l i f e , however , i t i s n o t s u f f i c i e n t t o a c h i e v e s t a b i l i t y . S t a b i l i t y must b e m a i n t a i n e d i n t h e p r e s ence o f t h e m u t a t i o n s . Under t h e s e c o n d i t i o n s t h e o rgan Isms must s u r v i v e and d i v i d e . The c h a i n o f s u r v i v a l s and d i v i s i o n s g i v e s t h e e v o l u t i o n a r y s e quence ( i n each g e n e r a t i o n o n l y one o r g a n i s m i s t a k e n i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n ) . T h i s sequence c o u l d i n each g e n e r a t i o n b e ended b y t h e u n s u c c e s s f u l g r o w t h and d e a t h o f t h e c u r r e n t e lement o f sequence . Tha t case i s c a l l e d t h e " d e g e n e r a t i o n * 1 o f t h e sequence . Sometimes however t h e e v o l u t i o n a r y sequence and t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a r e i n dynamic b a l a n c e , and t h e n d e g e n e r a t i o n does n o t happen . The b a l a n c e ( i f i t e x i s t s ) c o u l d b e b r o k e n b y : 1 . d i s t u r b a n c e o f t h e env i r onmen t ( t h e case d i s c u s s e d i n ( 1 ) ) 2 . m u t a t i o n , w h i c h changes t h e genot y p e ( t h e case d i s c u s s e d i n t h i s p a p e r ) . The second case i s i m p o r t a n t , as t h e changab le geno t ype means d e v e l o p m e n t , i n c r e a s e o f c o m p l e x i t y , and e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o g r e s s .