Evolution of Strategies
Cultural transmission in ant colonies
Two Levels of Evolution
Ant colonies evolve strategies at two levels: slow genetic evolution over generations and rapid cultural evolution through pheromone learning.
Colonies are the unit of selection - colony-level traits evolve faster than individual-level traits.
Gene-Culture Coevolution
Genetic predispositions interact with learned behaviors. Some behaviors are hardwired; others are culturally transmitted through the environment.
This creates rapid adaptation within genetic constraints.
Heritable Genomes
In our implementation, successful strategies are encoded in agent genomes that can be inherited and modified.
Selection pressure favors effective genomes. Ineffective genomes die out.
Key Concepts
"Evolution acts on colonies, not just on individual ants. Colony-level selection can drive the evolution of behaviors that no individual ant 'wants'."
Summary
Ant colonies evolve strategies at two levels: slow genetic evolution over generations and rapid cultural evolution through pheromone learning. Colonies are the unit of selection - colony-level traits evolve faster than individual-level traits.
Lessons from Ants at Work