Figure 3. MVG-evolved organisms adapt faster than fixed-goal organisms when goals change.

(A) Adaptation following a goal switch (logic circuit model). The x-axis denotes generations, where zero is the point where the goal changes to a new goal (a previously seen goal in the case of MVG). Maximal normalized fitness in the population at each time point (mean±SE) is shown. Initial populations are FG-populations evolved toward G1 and MVG-populations taken from the end of the last G1-epoch. The new goals were G2 = (x EQ y) OR (w XOR z) and G3 = (x XOR y) OR (w EQ z). Data are from 30 simulations for each scenario. (B) Maximal normalized fitness (mean±SE) for past goal G≠G1 in the genetic neighborhood of evolved logic circuits. (C) Same as in (B) but for evolved RNA genomes. The genetic neighborhood is defined as the set of all genomes different in one position from the wild type genomes.