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The MinuteLabs Evolution Simulator

Inspired by Primer’s “Simulating Natural Selection” video, Jasper decided to build an interactive version you can play with in a web browser! So far, it has all of the rules in Justin’s original creation but Jasper is going to add some new features soon that allow for more complex simulations and behaviours. Hope you like it!

Play with the Evolution Simulator here: https://labs.minutelabs.io/evolution-simulator/

Introductory video for the Evolution Simulator: https://youtu.be/6nMo8T3T0L4

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PS: Thanks to everyone who helped beta-test!

Note: MinuteLabs has its own patreon page. If you find the apps valuable, consider supporting awesome interactive science apps directly over at https://www.patreon.com/minutelabsio

The MinuteLabs Evolution Simulator

Comments

Thank you for the suggestions, I'll add them to the list! -Jasper

MinuteEarth

Nice suggestion! I'll add it to the list for the future. -Jasper

MinuteEarth

Hey guys, this tool is really amazing, thanks for creating and sharing. I have a few points/wishes to simplify the evaluation of generations, because on the map, it is difficult to determine the traits of indivuals and get an inside, if bigger blobs tend to have a higher sense range or if smaller blobs tend to be faster: - a tool to show charts of the structure of a single generation. So if I want to further analyse a generation it gives different tables with the traits like size or speed in ranges like 0 to 1, 1 to 2 an so on. - if this is can be implemented, a tool for combination of traits would be great too. E.g. choose time and speed and it gives the numbers of blobs for speed=0-20 and size 0-1, 1-2,... speed=20-40 and so on.

pmdu

A couple of comments on the model itself: 1. For efficiency reasons, I suggest that you add some sort of basal metabolism slider to limit the number of timesteps a blob can spend. Reason being, when you simulate a low energy but rich nutrient environment (energy < 80, relative to map size and food > 400?)... the long time behaviour favours giant cows and triceratops that move along at arbitrarily low speeds. This drags out the calculationa by a lot. Energy expenditure = basal metabolism + sense + size^3*speed^2. 2. Turns out, the square shape of the arena matters a lot. The biodiversity in my previous comment was only metastable becuase mice can physically evade predators by occupying hiddens corner where they are temporaily safe from predation.

Poker Chen

Admittedly, the largest lions sit just outside the rabbit warrens each evening, and devour them as they come out in search of food. ...the interesting part is the division of really slow and energy efficient herbivores that go further into the field to search for food, and faster ones that tries to come home as soon as possible to avoid predation.

Poker Chen

Hint: To evolve multiple niches, give a LOT of food and set energy low so that it'll actually run. An example setting: 1000 Food, 50 Energy. After ~50 generations or so at default mutation rates, you'll see a population both predator-prey dynamics, as well as fast and slow herbivores. Note: I would like to see the clustering of these populations.

Poker Chen


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