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The evolution of replicators.

E Szathmáry1

  • 1Collegium Budapest (Institute for Advanced Study), Hungary. szathmary@collbud.hu

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|December 29, 2000
PubMed
Summary
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This study explores chemical, biological, and cultural replicators, highlighting that limited heredity restricts evolutionary potential. It examines ensemble and phenotypic replicators, noting challenges in specificity and the evolutionary trend towards unlimited heredity.

Area of Science:

  • Chemistry
  • Biology
  • Cultural Evolution
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • Replicators are fundamental to evolution across various domains.
  • Limited heredity in systems restricts their evolutionary capacity.
  • Existing replicator models face challenges like the paradox of specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conceptually survey replicators in chemistry, biology, and culture.
  • To analyze the evolutionary potential and limitations of different replicator types.
  • To discuss the transition from limited to unlimited heredity and attractor-based to modular replication.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of replicator systems.
  • Survey of chemical cycles (e.g., formose reaction).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of ensemble replicators (e.g., catalytic molecules, lipid vesicles).
  • Analysis of phenotypic replicators (e.g., genetic membranes, prions, memes).

    • Main Results:

    • Holistic replicators like chemical cycles do not rely on modular addition.
    • Ensemble replicators depend on dynamic attractors but face specificity paradoxes.
    • Phenotypic replicators transmit aspects of phenotype, not genotype.
    • Memetic systems in culture represent unlimited hereditary, phenotypic replicators.

    Conclusions:

    • Evolutionary pathways typically progress from limited to unlimited heredity.
    • A common trajectory involves a shift from attractor-based to modular (digital) replicators.
    • Understanding these transitions is key to comprehending evolutionary processes.