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From: whipp@roborough.gpsemi.com (David Whipp)
Subject: Lamarckian Evolution
Message-ID: <D1ty93.9xJ@lincoln.gpsemi.com>
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Organization: GEC Plessey Semiconductors
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 12:48:38 GMT
Lines: 52

The Lamarckian view of evolution is that the experience of an
individual may be passed to the next generation when it reproduces
(i.e. in the genes).  Although largely discredited in wet-life
evolution, there is no reason why it can't be attempted in a-life.

There are many ways in which Lamarckism can be introduced into
evolution including:

. Behaviour determines the priority of different environmental features
  in the fitness equation (The Baldwin effect)

. Specific features of behaviour used when individuals choose their
  mates will determine which gene combinations are used.

. Hormonal regulation of genes within an individual could also effect a
  developing embryo (while still in mother)

. Direct control of new genes - eg an neural network could be trained
  during an individual's life, and the initial weights of the offspring
  could be dermined by the values of the parent's weights when child is
  formed.

The earlier members of this list could be termed 'indirect larmarckian'
and the latter could be 'direct lamarckian'.

I was wondering how much work has been done with such concepts. If
lamarckian mechanisms are benificial to a species then one might
expect to find similar mechanisms in nature.

Steven Levy's book (current my main alife source) mentions David Ackley's
"AL" which he used to investigate the Baldwin effect. the effect was
benificial (and is found in nature). one problem found (in his sims) was
the so called "shilding effect" - inherited behavior cased an individual
to always run away from a danger, and later generations stopped
recognising the danger as such (because it never encoutered it).

Questions (per mechanism):

What is the mechanism?
Is the mechanism benificial in alife species?
- If not, why not?
- If so, is a similar mechanism visible in nature (why/why not)?

Hoping to see a discussion.

Dave.

-- 
                    David P. Whipp.            <whipp@roborough.gpsemi.com>
Not speaking for:   -------------------------------------------------------
 G.E.C. Plessey     Due to transcription and transmission errors, the views
 Semiconductors     expressed here may not reflect even  my  own  opinions!
