About the Authors

Jeff Clune

jclune@msu.edu

Affiliations Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Politecnica de València, València, Spain

Dusan Misevic

Affiliation Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Charles Ofria

Affiliation Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America

Richard E. Lenski

Affiliation Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America

Santiago F. Elena

Affiliations Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Politecnica de València, València, Spain, The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America

Rafael Sanjuán

Affiliations Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Politecnica de València, València, Spain, Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, València, Spain

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: JC REL SFE RS. Performed the experiments: JC DM. Analyzed the data: JC DM CO REL SFE RS. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: JC. Wrote the paper: JC RS. Initiated investigations into the subject: JC. Designed the initial experiments: JC SFE RS. Made necessary modifications to Avida: JC CO. Conducted the majority of the experiments: JC. Analyzed and interpreted the data: JC RS. Discussions to improve the experimental designs and interpretation of the results: JC DM CO REL SFE RS. Edited the manuscript: JC DM CO REL SFE RS. Designed the competition experiments: REL. Performed the competition experiments: DM. Prepared the graphics: DM. Conducted the mutation rate bias experiments: DM. Worked with JC on self-reflective mutation rates: DM.