Resource availability and the evolution of cooperation in a 3D agent-based simulation

ABSTRACTThere is evidence of a relationship between the dynamics of resource availability and the evolution of cooperative behaviour in complex networks. Previous studies have used mathematical models, agent-based models, and studies of hunter-gatherer societies to investigate the causal mechanisms behind this relationship. Here, we present a novel, agent-based software system, built using Unity 3D, which we employ to investigate the adaptation of food sharing networks to fluctuating resource availability. As a benefit of using Unity, our system possesses an easily customisable, visually compelling interface where evolution can be observed in real-time. Across four types of populations, under three environmental conditions, we performed a quantitative analysis of the evolving structure of social interactions. A biologically-inspired gene-sequencing function translates an arbitrarily extendable genome into phenotypic behaviour. Our results contribute to the understanding of how resource availability affects the evolutionary path taken by artificial societies. It emerges that environmental conditions have a greater impact on social evolution compared to the initial genetic configurations of each society. In particular, we find that scenarios of periodically fluctuating resources lead to the evolution of stable, tightly organised societies, which form small, local, mutualistic food-sharing networks.