Time

In many biological simulators, the focus is on reproduction, and the timestep is called a generation. In Gecko, the focus is on feeding, and the timestep is best envisioned as a day, or part thereof. Each timestep, the landscape produces its resources, and each agent carries out its activities. These are:

1. Assimilate resources gained since last step.

2. Pay metabolic taxes and possibly die of starvation.

3. Reproduce if have the resources to do so.

4. Hunt for resources if couldn't reproduce.

5. Move.

Aperiodic events are also scheduled for particular timesteps, forming the structure of the simulation. For example, the populations in this paper are introduced at staggered times.