This study facilitates the understanding of evolutionary transitions in individuality (ETIs) through a novel artificial life framework, named VitaNova, that intricately merges self-organization and natural selection to simulate the emergence of complex, reproductive groups. By dynamically modelling individual agents within an environment that challenges them with predators and spatial constraints, VitaNova elucidates the mechanisms by which simple agents evolve into cohesive units exhibiting collective reproduction. The findings underscore the synergy between self-organized behaviours and adaptive evolutionary strategies as fundamental drivers of ETIs. This approach not only contributes to a deeper understanding of higher-order biological individuality but also sets a new precedent in the empirical investigation of ETIs, challenging and extending current theoretical frameworks.

翻译：本研究通过一种名为VitaNova的新型人工生命框架，深化了对个体性演化转变的理解。该框架将自组织与自然选择机制精巧融合，以模拟复杂繁殖群体的涌现过程。通过在充满捕食者与空间约束的挑战性环境中对个体智能体进行动态建模，VitaNova揭示了简单智能体如何演化成具有集体繁殖能力的凝聚单元。研究结果强调，自组织行为与适应性演化策略之间的协同作用是驱动个体性演化转变的根本动力。该方法不仅深化了对高阶生物个体性的理解，更为个体性演化转变的实证研究设立了新范式，对现有理论框架提出了挑战并实现了拓展。