Abstract
Much debate exists over the most appropriate and effective
methods for quantifying open-ended behavior in evolutionary
systems. The MODES Toolbox is a recent addition that
adopts the perspective of coalescence theory and employs a
persistence filter upon an evolutionary history to focus only
on those genotypes that are most adaptive. The toolbox provides
a useful and intuitive set of metrics in terms of change,
novelty, complexity, and ecology. One domain thought to
have open-ended potential, the Linguistic Prediction Game,
has warranted closer scrutiny after previous hypotheses were
cast into doubt. We apply the MODES Toolbox on this domain,
lending support to prior hypotheses regarding evolutionary
stable states. However the underlying dynamics remain
subtle and may require the application of more sophisticated
tools before they are properly understood.