Sonomorphs: An Application of Genetic Algorithms to the Growth and Development of Musical Organisms

Oxford zoologist, Richard Dawkins1 has described his journeys through a genetic cyberspace where he models the evolution of organisms he calls "biomorphs." Each biomorph is a small graphic image drawn by a recursive subdivision algorithm that is driven by a numeric vector. Dawkins likens this vector to a genetic code. In each new generation, biomorphs are bred by causing small random mutations in the vector. A set of "daughters" is born from which he selects a single parent for the next generation based on subjective visual criteria (see Figure 1). Clicking the mouse on one of the daughters makes it the mother of the next generation. Clicking on the mother biomorph (in the center of Figure 1) breeds fourteen new sisters.