2008, Proceedings of the Eighth International
Workshop
on Epigenetic Robotics:
Modeling Cognitive
Development in Robotic Systems (pp. 111-117)
Matthew
Schlesinger
Southern Illinois University
Abstract: Heterochrony—variation
in the rate or timing of developmental
processes or events over evolutionary time—plays
an important role in the study of evolutionary
developmental biology. I review the historical
background of heterochrony, and highlight examples
of how both physical structure and behavior are
influenced by changes in the rate of development. I
also describe neurogenetic models of evolution and development,
which have been used to investigate heterochronic
mechanisms of change. To help illustrate
how epigenetic robotics complements the use
of neurogenetic models, I propose two research questions
for epigenetic robotics that focus on evolutionary changes in developmental timing.
