List of common evolutionary sequences

In late 2016, user simeks determined the most common evolutionary sequences using 8×8 random soups.

To qualify on the list, a pattern must initially have 12 or fewer cells and reach 20, staying above 12 for at least four generations, at some point in its evolution. For this reason, the traffic light does not qualify. The interchange and Z-hexomino sequences qualify based on the stated criteria, but they are not on the list.

Sequence	Lifespan	Occurrences	Relative frequency
Honey farm	17	617733	1.000
R-pentomino	1103	531779	0.861
Pi-heptomino	173	471544	0.763
Lumps of muck	63	471544	0.502
Century	103	266004	0.430
B-heptomino	148	244984	0.397
Dove	104	133659	0.216
Herschel with block	128	121316	0.196
Teardrop	20	64485	0.104
I-heptomino	247	53177	0.086
Two-glider octomino	385	50178	0.081
Generates a bi-block and another block	53	48239	0.078
Procrestinator (name unofficial)	73	46879	0.076
Blonk-tie	552	38554	0.062
Unnamed (ob3o$2o!)	238	37747	0.061
U-turner (name unofficial)	163	29273	0.047
B-heptomino generation 42	106	29196	0.047
Unnamed (2b2o$4bo$o2bo$3o!)	268	471544	0.046
Original diehard	130	27077	0.044
Object hassled in Jason's p22	65	25303	0.041
Traffic light hits block (2o$2o4bo$5b3o!)	47	24725	0.040
Dove	200	23603	0.038
Unnamed (o2bo$bob2o$bo3b2o$4bo!)	47	22654	0.0367
Herschel (by itself)	128	21929	0.0355
Butterfly	33	18593	0.0301
Octomino II	116	18507	0.300

Of the top 96, the E-heptomino ranks 53rd, the queen bee ranks 81st, and the pulsar ranks 86th. The F-heptomino and switch engine do not make the top 96.

See also

• Methuselah