What Can We Learn from the First Evolutionary Simulation Model?

A simple computer program dating from the first half of the nineteenth century is presented as the earliest known example of an evolutionary simulation model. The model is described in detail and its status as an evolutionary simulation model is discussed. Three broad issues raised by the model are presented and their significance for modern evolutionary simulation modelling is explored: first, the utility of attending to the character of a system's entire dynamics rather than focusing on the equilibrium states that it admite of; second, the worth of adopting an evolutionary perspective on adaptive systems beyond those addressed by evolutionary biological research; third, the potential for the non-linear character of complex dynamical systems to be explored through an individual-based simulation modelling approach