anyone SIMULATING FORAGING?

Gessler, Nicholas (gessler@ANTHRO.SSCNET.UCLA.EDU)
Tue, 3 May 1994 13:24:00 PDT

I've written a simple computer simulation which places a number of foragers
in an environment in which they each can utilize a particular search strategy
to find and consume food. Interestingly, though not surprisingly, their
ability to extract that food (efficiency) varies with its distribution in
space (uniform, random, or patchy). Is there anyone familiar with
quantitative data resulting from either similar software or from analogous
ethnographic situations?

This is part of a larger research project which utilizes evolutionary
algorithmic paradigms in "artificial intelligence" and "artificial life"
towards creating "artificial culture." The present "proof of concept"
simulation shows other interesting emergent properties. Would anyone with
experience or interest in such simulations please contact me directly? I'll
report a summary of responses back to the List in about a week.

Many thanks... Nick Gessler gessler@alife.santafe.edu