Speciation (genetic algorithm)
Encyclopedia
Speciation
is a process that occurs naturally in evolution
and is modeled explicitly in some genetic algorithms.
Speciation in nature occurs when two similar reproducing beings evolve to become too dissimilar to share genetic information effectively or correctly. In the case of living organisms, they are incapable of mating to produce offspring
. Interesting special cases of different species being able to breed exist, such as a horse
and a donkey
mating to produce a mule
. However in this case the Mule is usually infertile, and so the genetic isolation of the two parent species is maintained.
In implementations of genetic search algorithms, the event of speciation is defined by some mathematical function that describes the similarity between two candidate solutions (usually described as individuals) in the population. If the result of the similarity is too low, the crossover
operator
is disallowed between those individuals.
Speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise. The biologist Orator F. Cook seems to have been the first to coin the term 'speciation' for the splitting of lineages or 'cladogenesis,' as opposed to 'anagenesis' or 'phyletic evolution' occurring within lineages...
is a process that occurs naturally in evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and is modeled explicitly in some genetic algorithms.
Speciation in nature occurs when two similar reproducing beings evolve to become too dissimilar to share genetic information effectively or correctly. In the case of living organisms, they are incapable of mating to produce offspring
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
. Interesting special cases of different species being able to breed exist, such as a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
and a donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
mating to produce a mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
. However in this case the Mule is usually infertile, and so the genetic isolation of the two parent species is maintained.
In implementations of genetic search algorithms, the event of speciation is defined by some mathematical function that describes the similarity between two candidate solutions (usually described as individuals) in the population. If the result of the similarity is too low, the crossover
Chromosomal crossover
Chromosomal crossover is an exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes. It is one of the final phases of genetic recombination, which occurs during prophase I of meiosis in a process called synapsis. Synapsis begins before the synaptonemal complex develops, and is not completed...
operator
Operation (mathematics)
The general operation as explained on this page should not be confused with the more specific operators on vector spaces. For a notion in elementary mathematics, see arithmetic operation....
is disallowed between those individuals.