Mutations

During the reproduction process the offspring's code is occasionally changed – mutated. In Avida one can control both the kinds and rates of mutations.

• Point mutations: an instruction is changed to another instruction by a “cosmic ray”.
• Copy mutations: Occasionally an instruction is mis-copied during reproduction.
• Indels – Insertion and deletion mutations. Indels increase or decrease genome length.
• Divide mutations: Mutations that occur when the offspring is being separated from its parent.

Mutation types and probabilities are specified in the GENESIS file. See the program documentation on your memory stick.