A computer simulation of the emergence of new traits in a population
A computer simulation exploring how evolutionary pressures lead to new traits in human-like agents within hunter-gatherer environments, analyzing factors that drive adaptations over thousands of generations.
We have developed a computer simulation to examine the variables that lead to the emergence of new traits or characteristics in a population exposed to evolutionary pressures. The agents are endowed with traits that characterize humans, including a drive to maximize fitness (aka reproductive success). The agents are left to evolve in hunter-gatherer-like environments, characterized by various elements (positive, like food availability, or negative, such as resource scarcity). The simulation looks at the environmental factors that contribute, over time (e.g., thousands of generations) to the emergence of new traits and adaptations. The simulation can serve as a predictive model of various human behaviors.
