The trick with genetic algorithms is you have to tune your approach very specifically to the kinds of things you're modelling. Different animals mate and evolve differently, in the analogical view.

It's not enough to just do the textbook "1D chromosome" approach. You have to design your "chromosome", as well as your "crossover" and "mutation" operators specifically to your problem. In my experience, the crossover implementation is the most important one to focus on.