Evolutionary tuning of a pulse mormyrid electromotor model to generate stereotyped sequences of electrical pulse intervals

Abstract

Adjusting parameters of a neural network model to reproduce complete sets of biologically plausible behaviors is a complex task, even in a well-described neural system. We show here a method for evolving a model of the mormyrid electromotor command chain to reproduce highly realistic temporal firing patterns as described by neuroethological studies in this system. Our method uses genetic algorithms for tuning unknown parameters in the synapses of the network. The developed fitting function simulates each evolved model under different network inputs and compare its output with the target patterns from the living animal. The obtained synaptic configuration can reveal new information about the functioning of electromotor systems.