Fig. 2.

Fitness in the NK model. Metapopulations of bit strings of length N = 15 evolved where migration was restricted to occur between neighboring demes or migration was unrestricted (occurring between any two demes). Average fitness in the metapopulation is shown over time on a smooth landscape (A; K = 0) or a rugged landscapes (B; K = 8). (C) Average fitness at time point 1,000 is shown as a function of the ruggedness parameter, K. Note the values at K = 0 and K = 8 correspond to the values at time point 1,000 in A and B, respectively. In all plots, points represent the mean of 50 replicates, shading gives the SEM, and asterisks indicate significant differences.