Evolution of digital organisms at high mutation rates leads to survival of the flattest
Evolution of digital organisms at high mutation rates leads to survival of the flattest
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DOI：
10.1038/35085569
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发表时间：
2001-07-19
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
Adami, C
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Wilke, CO;Wang, JL;Adami, C
达尔文的进化倾向于高复制率的基因型，这一过程被称为“适者生存”。然而，了解每个个体基因型的复制率可能不足以预测最终的幸存者，即使在无性种群中也是如此。根据准物种理论，选择倾向于通过突变相互联系的基因型云，其平均复制率最高（1-5）。在这里，我们用自我复制、变异和进化的数字生物证实了这一预测（6-9）。在相同的选择环境中，40对群体来自40个不同的祖先，除了每对中有一对经历了4倍的突变率。在12个案例中，以较低突变率进化的优势基因型的复制速率比对应基因型快1.5倍。我们让这些完全不同的基因对在不同的突变率范围内竞争。在每种情况下，随着突变率的增加，竞争的结果转向了具有较低复制率的基因型。这些基因型虽然占据了较低的适应度峰值，但它们位于适应度表面的平坦区域，因此在突变方面更健壮。
Darwinian evolution favours genotypes with high replication rates, a process called 'survival of the fittest'. However, knowing the replication rate of each individual genotype may not suffice to predict the eventual survivor, even in an asexual population. According to quasi-species theory, selection favours the cloud of genotypes, interconnected by mutation, whose average replication rate is highest(1-5). Here we confirm this prediction using digital organisms that self-replicate, mutate and evolve(6-9). Forty pairs of populations were derived from 40 different ancestors in identical selective environments, except that one of each pair experienced a 4-fold higher mutation rate. In 12 cases, the dominant genotype that evolved at the lower mutation rate achieved a replication rate >1.5-fold faster than its counterpart. We allowed each of these disparate pairs to compete across a range of mutation rates. In each case, as mutation rate was increased, the outcome of competition switched to favour the genotype with the lower replication rate. These genotypes, although they occupied lower fitness peaks, were located in flatter regions of the fitness surface and were therefore more robust with respect to mutations.