Population Dynamics Meets Evolutionary Dynamics in a 3D Physically Simulated World

Evolutionary and ecological dynamics have usually been thought to influence each other asymmetrically. Evolutionary changes are usually a consequence of the environment while they occur over timescales that are too long to affect the dynamics of population size in the short term (Schoener, 2011). Therefore, most ecological models ignore evolutionary changes in the conspecific or other species, assuming a separation of timescales between population dynamics and evolutionary dynamics (Hastings, 1997). However, this assumption is challenged by recent studies on “rapid evolution” in nature occurring on time scales comparable to those typical of population dynamics. With progress of related studies, many researchers have come to conclude that when rapid evolution occurs during the course of an ecological process, it can significantly change ecological predictions (Fussmann et al., 2007). We believe that the Artificial Life approach based on 3D physically simulated environments will provide valuable insights into the relationship and the interaction between population and evolutionary dynamics. Population dynamics can be straightforwardly introduced into these types of models. Population dynamics depends on the fitness of individuals if the fitness represents the offspring number of them in the models, although almost all previous models of virtual creatures have a fixed number of individuals. Given enough computational power, we can observe and analyze the interaction between population dynamics and evolutionary dynamics in 3D virtual creature environments. What we want to emphasize here is that virtually embodied creatures can evolve unexpected traits of morphology and behavior as a result of the interactions with conspecifics or other species in a physically simulated world.