Periodic Reporting for period 3 - AdaptiveResponse (The evolution of adaptive response mechanisms)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-12-01 bis 2023-05-31
Development of new methods:
[M1] To study the interplay of ecology and evolution, we developed a new method for modelling the evolution of animal movement. This method produces realistic movement patterns; it is versatile and computationally efficient.
[M2] To study the evolution of learning, we developed a new modelling approach. Here, learning is mediated by an evolving neural network. Learning differs considerably from machine learning, as it takes place in a decentralized ‘per neuron’ manner.
[M3] We developed a new modelling framework for the transmission of cultural information via social learning. In contrast to traditional ‘cultural evolution’ models, cultural traits are not copied (like genes); instead cultural information is reconstructed in the neural networks of socially learning individuals.
Progress and main results:
[WP1] Evolvability. A main theme of our project is to determine the scope and limitations of ‘evolvability’, the capacity to adapt to environmental challenges. Studies on this include (a) evolutionary robustness of phenotypic plasticity; (b) evolution of mutation rates; (c) evolution of mutational switches; (d) non-genetic inheritance. Two leading journals invited us to write reviews on our novel insight that ‘evolvability’ is intimately related to ‘phenotypic plasticity’. Articles on (a) and (d) were published in 2020 and 2021; (b) resulted in an award-winning MSc thesis; various ms are in preparation.
[WP2] Evolution of learning. We studied (a) evolution of associative learning; (b) evolution of trial-and-error learning; (c) joint evolution of emotions and learning; (d) social learning and cultural evolution. In (a), we demonstrated that evolving neural networks can be highly efficient in solving associative learning tasks (ms under review). The other studies are still in progress, but pilots resulting in 5 MSc theses show that our approach works. Various ms are in preparation.
[WP3A] Interplay of ecology and evolution. Our new method for studying movement was used in various studies: (a) complex pattern formation in predator-prey coevolution; (b) animal personalities and the spatial distribution of foragers; (c) movement in a landscape of fear; (d) the joint evolution of movement and competition strategies; (e) movement and social network structure. These resulted in 3 MSc theses, 1 accepted ms and 2 ms under review, and various ms in preparation. Major findings are: evolution is much faster than previously thought; in a competitive setting, evolution fosters the emergence of individual variation.
[WP3B] Responsiveness in social evolution. By definition, social behaviour is interactive, and one would expect that responsiveness is key element. Yet, most evolutionary models neglect responsiveness. In several studies we have shown that including responsive strategies makes a huge difference for the evolutionary outcome: (a) evolution of group-living in primates; (b) evolution of parental care; (c) joint evolution of sex ratios and parental investment; (d) effects on sexual selection on evolvability. All studies are well-advanced and producing new insights; until now, they led to one publication (2020), 2 ms under review, and various ms in prep.
We organized 4 workshops:
[WS1] Eco-evolutionary implications of non-genetic inheritance (2019). Resulted in an opinion paper, published in a leading journal (2020).
[WS2] Foundations of cultural evolution (2019). Resulted in a theme issue of an interdisciplinary journal (2021).
[WS3] Evolutionary principles in industrial engineering (2019). Exchange of ideas with engineers working on machines for rubber production, resulting in >20% energy gain in rubber mixing procedures (2021).
[WS4] Evolutionary design principles of gene regulatory networks (2020).
* A new class of neural network models for the evolution of learning, allowing to study realistic scenarios for the evolutionary emergence of learning.
* A new approach to cultural evolution, allowing to study the transmission of cultural information without assuming cultural replication.
* A mechanistic approach to plasticity and evolvability, showing that both concepts are closely intertwined and producing novel insights such as the ability of evolution to generalize over environments.
* The finding that mechanistic adaptive response models universally lead to the emergence of individual differences, leading to a new theory for the evolution of ‘animal personalities’.
* The finding that the widely applied ‘selection gradient’ method fails when populations exhibit individual differences (what they typically do in mechanistic models).
* New insights into the evolution of parental care and into sex ratio evolution.