"Synergistic selection": a Darwinian frame for the evolution of complexity

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Complexity theory
• Biophysics

Background:

• Non-Darwinian theories on complexity evolution date back to Lamarck and Spencer.
• Modern approaches are found in biophysics and complexity theory.
• A Darwinian alternative, the synergism hypothesis, proposes a causal role for synergy in complexity evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the synergism hypothesis as a Darwinian economic theory for complexity evolution.
• To explain the concept of synergistic selection.
• To provide historical context and model examples.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of complexity theories.
• Explication of the synergism hypothesis and synergistic selection.
• Description of two relevant evolutionary models.

Main Results:

• Synergistic effects and cooperative phenomena provide functional advantages.
• These advantages are favored in evolutionary dynamics, leading to complexity.
• Synergistic selection models demonstrate how wholes become interdependent units of selection.

Conclusions:

• The synergism hypothesis provides a Darwinian framework for understanding the evolution of complexity.
• Synergistic selection is a key mechanism driving major evolutionary transitions.
• Cooperative phenomena are crucial for achieving otherwise unattainable functional advantages.