Digital 'organisms' replicate real mating preferences

Aug. 31, 2012 - PRLog -- Michigan State University researchers have created "promiscuous" computer programs in a virtual world called Avida, to model how real world biological mate attraction plays out.

Using a novel software environment called Avida, researchers in MSU's BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action are able to program digital organisms known as "Avidians" to compete and reproduce, producing mutations and evolving just like living things. When the researchers programmed the Avidians with the ability to grow sexual displays and to choose mates randomly, they usually went for the showiest mates, just as the researchers predicted. But why?

“One school of thought argues that the main benefit of choosing an attractive partner is that your offspring also will be sexy,” said Ian Dworkin, assistant professor of zoology, who co-authored a study published in the current issue of Evolution with Charles Ofria, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Chris Chandler, MSU postdoctoral researcher. “In the other camp are those who argue that these sexual ornaments are a sign of good health, and so choosing a showy mate ensures that you’ll get good genes to pass on to your offspring.”

Traditionally, biologists thought that ornamental displays clue in potential mates about an individual’s virility because the structures are costly, biologically speaking; only an animal in really good health could bear the burden they impose. So the researchers altered Avidians’ genetic code to allow them to grow exaggerated displays practically for free.

They expected this change to diminish the evolutionary benefits of preferring showy mates, since even the wimpiest of Avidians could now grow enormous digital tail feathers.

“I was surprised when we didn’t find that at all,” Chandler said. “Even when we eliminated the costs of these displays, they still evolved to be an indicator of a male’s genetic quality.”

MSU’s BEACON Center is funded by the National Science Foundation.

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