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Updated: Mar 7, 2026

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Darwinizing Gaia.

W Ford Doolittle1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|February 27, 2017
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The Gaia hypothesis suggests Earth

Keywords:
Biogeochemical cycleEvolution by natural selectionGlobal homeostasisPersistence

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Geoscience

Background:

  • The Gaia hypothesis proposes Earth functions as a self-regulating system.
  • Mainstream Darwinian evolution struggles to incorporate selection at the planetary level.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a framework for a Darwinized Gaia hypothesis.
  • To reframe units of selection in evolutionary theory.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of evolutionary theory and Gaia hypothesis.
  • Shifting focus from organisms to biogeochemical cycles as units of selection.

Main Results:

  • Suggests biogeochemical cycles, not taxa, are key units for selection in Gaia.
  • Proposes a "song" (cycles) versus "singers" (organisms) model.

Conclusions:

  • A Darwinized Gaia is possible by redefining selection units.
  • Evolutionary theory may need to expand to include differential persistence alongside reproduction.