Evolution of neural organization in a hydra-like animat

Abstract

The role of efficient information processing in organizing nervous systems is investigated. For this purpose, we have developed a computational model termed the Hydramat Simulation Environment, so named since it simulates certain structural aspects of fresh water hydra. We compare the evolution of neural organization in architectures that remain static throughout their lifetimes and neural architectures that are perturbed by small random amounts. We find that (a) efficient information processing directly contributes to the structural organization of a model nervous system and (b) lifetime architectural perturbations can facilitate novel architectural features. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.