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Information Theory, Developmental Psychology, and the Baldwin Effect.
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States.
Frontiers in Neurorobotics
|September 21, 2018
Summary
This study models the Baldwin Effect, showing how developmental learning and phenotype reshaping accelerate evolution. This approach provides a significant speed-up compared to traditional population genetics models.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Developmental psychology
- Population genetics
Background:
- The extended evolutionary synthesis emphasizes development's role in inheritance and variation.
- James Mark Baldwin's "Baldwin Effect" explored developmental influences on evolution.
- Previous interpretations of the Baldwin Effect lacked rigorous foundations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel population genetics model of the Baldwin Effect.
- To investigate the impact of developmental learning, inspired by motor babbling, on evolution.
- To demonstrate how information-theoretic phenotype reshaping accelerates evolutionary processes.
Main Methods:
- Developed a population genetics model incorporating a learning process.
- Modeled phenotype reshaping through abstraction to fitness landscape classes.
- Analyzed the impact of this reshaping on evolutionary speed and fitness landscapes.
Main Results:
- The proposed model demonstrates a significant speed-up for the Baldwin Effect compared to standard population genetics.
- Phenotype reshaping effectively levels fitness valleys, creating plateaus and increasing evolutionary accessibility.
- Introduced an information-theoretic foundation for the Baldwin Effect.
Conclusions:
- Developmental learning and phenotype reshaping demonstrably accelerate evolution.
- The novel model provides a rigorous framework for the Baldwin Effect.
- This work offers new insights into the interplay between development and genetic inheritance in evolution.
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