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Related Experiment Videos

Modularity and the cost of complexity.

John J Welch1, David Waxman

  • 1Centre for the Study of Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG Sussex, United Kingdom. johnwe0@central.susx.ac.uk

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|September 25, 2003
PubMed
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Increasing phenotypic characters under selection surprisingly slows adaptation, a "cost of complexity." This study confirms this robust finding, even when exploring modular pleiotropy.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Theoretical ecology

Background:

  • R. A. Fisher's geometrical model describes individuals with multiple phenotypic characters under optimizing selection.
  • H. A. Orr's research indicated a "cost of complexity," where increased characters reduce adaptation rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the robustness of Orr's "cost of complexity" prediction.
  • To explore modifications, such as modular pleiotropy, that might alter this cost.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of R. A. Fisher's geometrical model.
  • Incorporation of modular pleiotropy into the model to assess its impact on adaptation rates.

Main Results:

  • The rate of adaptation significantly decreases as the number of phenotypic characters increases.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Modifications, including modular pleiotropy, only partially mitigate the cost of complexity.

    • Conclusions:

    • Orr's "cost of complexity" finding is robust and holds even with model modifications.
    • Modular pleiotropy has a limited effect in reducing the negative impact of complexity on adaptation.