Nick, this is perfect. Thank you! BTW - the reason for this request is, my advisor and I were asked to write a chapter on Complex Adaptive Systems, for a cognitive science textbook. In it, I talk briefly about GA, and put this story about the chickens in because I thought it was a neat example.
I'll add the references now. Much appreciated. -t On Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 12:28 PM, Nicholas Thompson < [email protected]> wrote: > Ted, > > Ok. So, if I am correct, this was an actual EXPERIMENT done by two > researchers at Indiana University, I think. As I "tell" the "story", it > was the practice to use individual selection to identify the most productive > chickens, but the egg production method involved crates of nine chickens. > The individual selection method inadvertently selected for the most > aggressive chickens, so that once you threw them together in crates of nine, > it would be like asking nine prom queens to work together in a tug of war. > The chickens had to be debeaked or they would kill each other. So, the > researchers started selection for the best producing CRATES of chickens. > Aggression went down, mortality went down, crate production went up, and > debeaking became unnecessary. > > The experiment is described in Sober and Wilson's UNTO OTHERS or Wilson's > EVOLUTION FOR EVERYBODY, which are safely tucked away in my book case 2000 > miles away in Santa Fe. Fortunately, it is also described in > > Dave Wilson's blog > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sloan-wilson/truth-and-reconciliation_b_266316.html > > Here is the original reference: > > GROUP SELECTION FOR ADAPTATION TO MULTIPLE-HEN CAGES : SELECTION PROGRAM > AND DIRECT RESPONSES > Auteur(s) / Author(s) > MUIR W. > M.<http://www.refdoc.fr/?traduire=en&FormRechercher=submit&FormRechercher_Txt_Recherche_name_attr=auteursNom:%20%28MUIR%29>; > Revue / Journal Title > Poultry > science<http://www.refdoc.fr/?traduire=en&FormRechercher=submit&FormRechercher_Txt_Recherche_name_attr=listeTitreSerie:%20%28Poultry%20science%29> > *ISSN* > 0032-5791<http://www.refdoc.fr/?traduire=en&FormRechercher=submit&FormRechercher_Txt_Recherche_name_attr=identifiantsDoc:%20%280032-5791%29> > *CODEN* POSCAL > Source / Source > 1996, vol. 75, no4, pp. 447-458 [12 page(s) (article)] > > If you Google "group selection in chickens," you will find lots of other > interesting stuff. > > > Let me know if this helps and what you think. > > N > > Nicholas S. Thompson > Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology, > Clark University ([email protected]) > http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/ > http://www.cusf.org [City University of Santa Fe] > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Ted Carmichael <[email protected]> > *To: *The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group<[email protected]> > *Sent:* 7/9/2010 5:34:29 AM > *Subject:* [FRIAM] Real-world genetic algorithm example... help! > > Dear all, > > I'm trying to find reference to a story I read some time ago (a few years, > perhaps?), and I'm hoping that either: a) I heard it from someone on this > list, or b) someone on this list heard it, too. > > Anyway, it was a really cool example of a real-world genetic algorithm, > having to do with chickens. Traditionally, the best egg-producing chickens > were allowed to produce the offspring for future generations. However, > these new chickens rarely lived up to their potential. It was thought that > maybe there were unknown things going on in the *clusters *of chickens, > which represent the actual environment that these chickens are kept in. And > that the high producers, when gathered together in these groups, somehow > failed to produce as many eggs as expected. > > So researchers decided to apply the fitness function to *groups *of > chickens, rather than individuals. This would perhaps account for social > traits that are generally unknown, but may affect how many eggs were laid. > In fact, the researchers didn't care what those traits are, only that - > whatever they may be - they are preserved in future generations in a way > that increased production. > > And the experiment worked. Groups of chickens that produced the most eggs > were preserved, and subsequent generations were much more productive than > with the traditional methods. > > Anyway, that's the story. If anyone can provide a link, I would be very > grateful. (As I recall, it wasn't a technical paper, but rather a story in > a more accessible venue. Perhaps the NY Times article, or something > similar?) > > Thanks! > > -Ted > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
