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Robin Gras
I am Professor at the School of Computer Science of the University of Windsor and acting CSO at Mvyl Technology and Mvyl Associates (San Francisco). I am also cross-appointed by the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor.
I study the evolutionary process and the emergence of species in a simulated ecosystem. I have conceived an individual-based evolving predator-prey ecosystem simulation called EcoSim. The agents evaluate their environment (e.g., distance to predator/prey, distance to potential breeding partner, distance to food, energy level), their internal states (e.g., fear, hunger, curiosity) and choose among several possible actions such as evasion, eating or breeding. The behavioral model of each individual is unique and is the outcome of the evolution process. One major and unique contribution of this simulation is that it combines a behavioral, an evolutionary and a speciation mechanism. This is the only simulation modeling the fact that individual behaviors affect evolution and speciation. This approach allows interesting studies on theoretical ecology and artificial life in collaboration with biologists. For example, this approach is used to study the species abundance distribution, patterns and rates of speciation, the evolution of sexual and asexual populations, the interaction and diffusion of an invasive species or a disease in an existing ecosystem, etc.
Several videos of the simulation are available here. A very long run of the simulation is analyzed weekly here: https://sites.google.com/site/ecosimgroup/research/ecosystem-simulation/long-run.
Phone: +1 519 253 3000 ext. 2994
Address: University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4
I study the evolutionary process and the emergence of species in a simulated ecosystem. I have conceived an individual-based evolving predator-prey ecosystem simulation called EcoSim. The agents evaluate their environment (e.g., distance to predator/prey, distance to potential breeding partner, distance to food, energy level), their internal states (e.g., fear, hunger, curiosity) and choose among several possible actions such as evasion, eating or breeding. The behavioral model of each individual is unique and is the outcome of the evolution process. One major and unique contribution of this simulation is that it combines a behavioral, an evolutionary and a speciation mechanism. This is the only simulation modeling the fact that individual behaviors affect evolution and speciation. This approach allows interesting studies on theoretical ecology and artificial life in collaboration with biologists. For example, this approach is used to study the species abundance distribution, patterns and rates of speciation, the evolution of sexual and asexual populations, the interaction and diffusion of an invasive species or a disease in an existing ecosystem, etc.
Several videos of the simulation are available here. A very long run of the simulation is analyzed weekly here: https://sites.google.com/site/ecosimgroup/research/ecosystem-simulation/long-run.
Phone: +1 519 253 3000 ext. 2994
Address: University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4
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and new technologies offer cutting-edge opportunities to a
growing field. The population modelling working group has been recently active in coordination amongst different population
modellers of different fields. One activity is mapping
the population modelling domain by examples of work. This
is the second collaborative paper by group members. This paper
includes new examples and new authors in an attempt to
define the field. Some analysis and discussion is provided in
view of the existing examples.
and new technologies offer cutting-edge opportunities to a
growing field. The population modelling working group has been recently active in coordination amongst different population
modellers of different fields. One activity is mapping
the population modelling domain by examples of work. This
is the second collaborative paper by group members. This paper
includes new examples and new authors in an attempt to
define the field. Some analysis and discussion is provided in
view of the existing examples.
Robin Gras, an associate professor in the School of Computer Science, and Canada Research Chair in Learning and Simulation for Theoretical Biology; post-doctoral student Abbas Golestani; and research contributors Andrew Hendry and Melania Cristescu of McGill University, have developed an ecosystem simulation platform they have dubbed “EcoSim,” a mathematical algorithm to study how a complex population of more than a million predator and prey individuals interacts to evolve species.
Project 2) Developing Spatially Explicit Fish Bioaccumulation Models for Fish Consumption Advisories (Biology & Ecology)