Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) explores how evolutionary processes shape the development of organisms, focusing on the interplay between genes, development, and phenotypic diversity. Current research utilizes computational models, such as neural cellular automata and message-passing neural networks, to simulate developmental processes and investigate how evolutionary pressures influence the growth and structure of neural networks and other complex biological systems. This work aims to understand the fundamental principles governing biological development and evolution, offering insights into the robustness and adaptability of biological systems and informing the design of more robust and evolvable artificial systems. The resulting knowledge has implications for fields ranging from artificial intelligence and robotics to medicine and synthetic biology.