Multilevel selection in models of prebiotic evolution: compartments and spatial self-organization.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Theoretical biology
• Origin of life studies

Background:

• Understanding early evolution requires examining how selection operates at different levels.
• Replicator systems are fundamental to early life, but their evolutionary dynamics are complex.
• Higher levels of selection can emerge through self-organization or external imposition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of emergent and imposed higher levels of selection on early evolution.
• To contrast spatially explicit models with vesicle-based models of selection.
• To investigate information integration in evolving replicator systems using these models.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing spatially explicit models of self-organizing replicators.
• Developing and analyzing a vesicle model for imposed levels of selection.
• Comparing the evolutionary persistence of interacting co-evolving replicator systems.

Main Results:

• Emergent higher levels of selection can influence the evolutionary persistence of replicator systems.
• Vesicle models offer a framework to integrate emergent and imposed selection.
• The models provide insights into information integration challenges in early evolution.

Conclusions:

• Both emergent and imposed higher levels of selection play crucial roles in early evolutionary processes.
• Vesicle encapsulation is a viable mechanism for creating imposed selection levels.
• These modeling approaches are valuable for understanding the integration of information during the origin of life.