The use of information theory in evolutionary biology
Abstract
Information is a key concept in evolutionary biology. Information is stored in biological organism's genomes, and used to generate the organism as well as to maintain and control it. Information is also "that which evolves". When a population adapts to a local environment, information about this environment is fixed in a representative genome. However, when an environment changes, information can be lost. At the same time, information is processed by animal brains to survive in complex environments, and the capacity for information processing also evolves. Here I review applications of information theory to the evolution of proteins as well as to the evolution of information processing in simulated agents that adapt to perform a complex task.
- Publication:
-
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Pub Date:
- May 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06422.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1112.3867
- Bibcode:
- 2012NYASA1256...49A
- Keywords:
-
- Quantitative Biology - Populations and Evolution;
- Computer Science - Information Theory;
- Quantitative Biology - Neurons and Cognition
- E-Print:
- 25 pages, 7 figures. To appear in "The Year in Evolutionary Biology", of the Annals of the NY Academy of Sciences