Hypercycles versus parasites in the origin of life: model dependence in spatial hypercycle systems

Area of Science:

• Theoretical biology
• Computational modeling
• Complex systems

Background:

• Spatial hypercycle systems are crucial for understanding ecological and evolutionary dynamics.
• These systems can be modeled using cellular automata (CA) or partial differential equations (PDEs).
• Previous models explored the formation of spatial structures like spirals and clusters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the behavior of spatial hypercycle models under parasitic pressure.
• To investigate the stability of different spatial structures in two and three dimensions.
• To identify the most robust spatial configuration for hypercycle survival.

Main Methods:

• Modeling spatial hypercycle systems using both cellular automata and partial differential equations.
• Simulating the formation and evolution of spatial structures (spirals, clusters, scroll rings).
• Analyzing the response of these structures to parasitic invasion in different dimensionalities.

Main Results:

• Cellular automata models demonstrate hypercycle resistance to parasites, whereas PDE models show susceptibility.
• Two-dimensional models form spirals or clusters; three-dimensional models form scroll rings analogous to spirals.
• Numerical simulations reveal that 3D scroll rings are unstable and disappear over time via power-law contraction.

Conclusions:

• Spatial hypercycle models exhibit distinct responses to parasites depending on the modeling approach.
• Three-dimensional scroll rings are inherently unstable, limiting their role in parasite resistance.
• Three-dimensional clusters emerge as the most promising spatial configuration for parasite-resistant hypercycles.