Random deaths and chaos in a Penna model

Abstract

We utilise an 8-bit Penna bit-string model of biological aging in studying the dynamics of an asexually reproducing, single species and non-migrating population using a modified version of the Verhulst death factor. It was seen that different implementations of the death procedure, one that is applied to all the individuals within the population (VA), and one that is applied only to newborns (VB) exhibited some similar, but mostly different dynamical behaviours. It was shown that the VB population has a higher level of chaos as compared to VA. Aside from an increase in the birth rate, B, chaos also resulted from an increase in the mutation threshold, T.