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Competition-driven evolution of organismal complexity.
- Source :
-
PLoS Computational Biology . 10/3/2019, Vol. 15 Issue 10, p1-16. 16p. 6 Graphs. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Non-uniform rates of morphological evolution and evolutionary increases in organismal complexity, captured in metaphors like “adaptive zones”, “punctuated equilibrium” and “blunderbuss patterns”, require more elaborate explanations than a simple gradual accumulation of mutations. Here we argue that non-uniform evolutionary increases in phenotypic complexity can be caused by a threshold-like response to growing ecological pressures resulting from evolutionary diversification at a given level of complexity. Acquisition of a new phenotypic feature allows an evolving species to escape this pressure but can typically be expected to carry significant physiological costs. Therefore, the ecological pressure should exceed a certain level to make such an acquisition evolutionarily successful. We present a detailed quantitative description of this process using a microevolutionary competition model as an example. The model exhibits sequential increases in phenotypic complexity driven by diversification at existing levels of complexity and a resulting increase in competitive pressure, which can push an evolving species over the barrier of physiological costs of new phenotypic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *BIOLOGICAL evolution
*POPULATION biology
*LIFE sciences
*LIFE (Biology)
*BIRTH rate
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1553734X
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- PLoS Computational Biology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 138927724
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007388