2011/12/24 by Beata Sznajder, Maurice W. Sabelis, Martijn Egas · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Social Sciences · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Psychology · #Evolution and Genetic Dynamics #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Argument (complex analysis) #Adaptive learning #Adaptive evolution #Function (biology) #Evolutionary theory #Animal learning #Evolutionary biology #Computer science #Biology #Artificial intelligence #Cognitive psychology #Psychology #Epistemology #Genetics #Philosophy
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11692-011-9155-2
openalex publication_date 2011/12/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
We review models of the Baldwin effect, i.e., the hypothesis that adaptive learning (i.e., learning to improve fitness) accelerates genetic evolution of the phenotype. Numerous theoretical studies scrutinized the hypothesis that a non-evolving ability of adaptive learning accelerates evolution of genetically determined behavior. However, their results are conflicting in that some studies predict an accelerating effect of learning on evolution, whereas others show a decelerating effect. We begin by describing the arguments underlying the hypothesis on the Baldwin effect and identify the core argument: adaptive learning influences the rate of evolution because it changes relative fitness of phenotypes. Then we analyze the theoretical studies of the Baldwin effect with respect to their model of adaptive learning and discuss how their contrasting results can be explained from differences in (1) the ways in which the effect of adaptive learning on the phenotype is modeled, (2) the assumptions underlying the function used to quantify fitness and (3) the time scale at which the evolutionary rate is measured. We finish by reviewing the specific assumptions used by the theoretical studies of the Baldwin effect and discuss the evolutionary implications for cases where these assumptions do not hold.