Cooperation guides evolution in a minimal model of biological evolution

Abstract

A challenging simulation of evolutionary dynamics based on a three-state cellular automaton is used as a test of how cooperation can drive the evolution of complex traits. Building on the approach of Wolfram (2025), the fitness of a cellular automaton is determined by the number of updates it endures before returning to an empty configuration. In our population-based model, groups of automata are assessed either by summing individual fitness or by the maximum fitness in the group; this second scheme mimics cooperation by allowing fit rules to support their less fit group mates. We show that cooperation substantially improves the population's ability to evolve longer-lived rules, illustrating a Baldwin Effect for Cooperation: higher diversity across individuals unlock otherwise inaccessible evolutionary paths.