Charles Ofria

The paper identifies 'adaptive momentum' as a dynamic where selective sweeps reduce purifying selection, allowing populations to explore fitness valleys and access new fitness peaks.

The paper uses in silico experiments to show that spatial resource heterogeneity creates hotspots where new traits evolve more frequently.

The paper uses digital organisms to show spatial resource heterogeneity increases phenotypic diversity and evolutionary potential.

This study uses digital evolution to show that allowing mutations makes smaller, more numerous reserves better at maintaining and generating diversity compared to larger reserves.