Evolvability and Speed of Evolutionary Algorithms in Light of Recent Developments in Biology

Figure 4

Example of a modular representation. Complexes C1 = $\{$A, B, C, D$\}$ and C2 = $\{$E, F, G$\}$ serve to functions F1 and F2. Each character complex has a primary function, F1 for C1 and F2 for C2. Only weak influences exist of C1 on F2 and vice versa. The genetic representation is modular because the pleiotropic effects of the genes M1 = $\{$G1, G2, G3$\}$ have primarily pleiotropic effects on the characters in C1 and M2 = $\{$G4, G5, G6$\}$ on the characters in complex C2. There are more pleiotropic effects on the characters within each complex than between them. (Adapted from Wagner and Altenberg [45].)