Avida-ED is a free, browser-based app that you can use to do evolution experiments on your own computer! Avida uses "digital organisms," which are computer scripts that copy themselves (replication) with changes to the computer code (mutation), and the faster-copying scripts fill up designated computer memory faster (survival of the fittest). It's natural selection - on your computer! You can ask lots of interesting questions about natural selection using Avida-ED.
0:00 How do you study the evolution of complex traits?
0:32 Introduction to using computer programs to study evolution
1:19 Natural Selection occurs when 3 things are true
1:37 Natural Selection can occur for computer scripts
2:51 What is a "complex feature" for a computer script?
3:18 How Avida works
4:15 Boolean functions are "complex features" in Avida
5:52 How to determine the Boolean functions that are rewarded in Avida-ED
6:35 Results from a real scientific paper that used Avida
7:14 Avida-ED is a freely available tool based on Avida
Avida-ED application: avida-ed.msu.edu/avida-ed-app...
More info about Avida-ED here: avida-ed.msu.edu/
Educators! Multiple laboratory exercises are available for implementation in your classroom. These are under the Creative Commons license so you can adapt to your classroom needs! avida-ed.msu.edu/curriculum/
Students! As you watch the video, answer these questions, which will help prepare you to understand what is going on in Avida-ED when you use the program:
1. What are the 3 characteristics of things that undergo natural selection?
2. What is an Avidian?
3. For each of the characteristics you listed in #1 above, describe how Avidians exhibit that characteristic.
4. Consider an Avidian that can perform a Boolean function, like “AND.” How did the operations in that Avidian end up in just the right order to perform AND?
5. When “ANDose” is turned on in Avida-ED, what is the “reward” (selective advantage) for Avidians that can perform the Boolean function AND? In other words, why are those Avidians more likely to survive and reproduce than other Avidians?
6. True/False: When Avidians evolve the most complex Boolean function (EQU), all of the mutations that occur along the way are beneficial. Explain your reasoning.
The article I discuss in this video is here:
R. E. Lenski, C. Ofria, R. T. Pennock, C. Adami, The evolutionary origin of complex features. Nature 423, 139-144 (2003). doi.org/10.1038/nature01568
Images used in this video:
Diagram of eye evolution by Matticus78 - CC BY-SA 3.0
Palentologist at work at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument by National Park Service - Public Domain
Computer memory 4GB RAM by Evan-Amos - Public Domain
Movie of cells dividing by Donovan C, Schauss A, Kramer R, Bramkamp M (2013). "Chromosome Segregation Impacts on Cell Growth and Division Site Selection in Corynebacterium glutamicum". PLOS ONE. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0055078 CC-BY 2.5
This video is copyright Jayme Dyer, published under the Creative Commons CC-BY SA 4.0 license.
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