Variation of rank selection in genetic algorithm
For Differential Evolution (DE) there is the Rank-Based Crossover Operator that is quite similar.

It has been proposed in "A line up evolutionary algorithm for solving nonlinear constrained optimization problems" by Haralambos Sarimveis, Athanassios Nikolakopoulos (2005):


  The idea is to line up the solutions in each generation in a descending order according to the corresponding values of the objective function. The crossover and mutation operations are then applied to the solutions as follows: during the crossover operation, for each adjacent pair the difference vector is computed, weighted by a random number between 0 and 1 and added on the first vector of the pair. The produced solution replaces the first vector, if it produces an objective function value that is lower than the fitness value of the second vector. At the end of the crossover operation, the solutions are lined up again.


Of course DE has a peculiar crossover operator but the general idea of lining up individuals (rank based order) to choose crossover pairs is the same.