Evolution of evolution

A couple of years ago I learned that Guillaume Beslon and Paulien Hogeweg were collaborating under the umbrella of the EvoEvo project (link). Naturally, that caught my attention. Now the project is finished and I have selected some juicy bits. Enjoy the long version or skip to the take-home messages. The central idea of EvoEvo … [Read more…]

What do we learn from evolutionary simulations?

Digital experiments of how the process of evolution works—also known as in silico (experimental) evolution or simply evolutionary simulations—have been explored and studied since the early days of computing. Nowadays, while using the computer to simulate evolution is a well-accepted approach, not everyone is clear about what it teaches us. As I use such simulations … [Read more…]

The real challenge for biology

Some notes: There are some great videos on swarming behaviour of animals. Here are just two quick examples: a starling murmuration and a school of tuna. Segmentation stripes are formed in the first hours of a fly’s development. They are the molecular markers that give rise to the actual body segments of a fly. More … [Read more…]