  There is a growing body of work considering the use of representations based
upon genetic regulatory networks. This paper uses a recently presented
abstract, tunable Boolean regulatory network model to explore aspects of mobile
DNA, such as transposons, within these dynamical systems. The significant role
of mobile DNA in the evolution of natural systems is becoming increasingly
clear. Whilst operators loosely based upon transposons have previously been
used within evolutionary computation, their use within regulatory network
representations enables the potential exploitation of numerous new mechanisms.
This paper shows how dynamically controlling network node connectivity and
function via transposon-inspired mechanisms can be selected for under
non-stationary and coevolutionary scenarios, including when such changes are
heritable.
