Boolean networks may be viewed as idealizations of biological genetic networks, where each node is represented by an on-off switch which is a function of the binary output from some other nodes. We evolve connectivity in a single Boolean network, and demonstrate how the sole requirement of sequential matching of attractors may open for an evolution that exhibits punctuated equilibrium.

Categories: physics.bio-ph adap-org cond-mat.dis-nn cond-mat.stat-mech nlin.AO q-bio.MN

Neutral Mutations and Punctuated Equilibrium in Evolving Genetic Networks