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Bodily Complexity: Integrated Multicellular Organizations for Contraction-Based Motility.

Argyris Arnellos1,2, Fred Keijzer3

  • 1IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind & Society, Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastián, Spain.

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Summary

Animal evolution is not inevitable. A thesis of bodily complexity highlights how muscle contraction and tissue integration, not just cilia, were crucial intermediate steps for animal motility and development.

Keywords:
Cnidariaanimal evolutionanimal sensorimotor organizationdevelopmentepitheliamusclephysiologytissue contraction

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Animal multicellularity is uniquely characterized by highly integrated cell collectives acting as unitary, mobile entities.
  • This complex organization is often assumed to be an inevitable evolutionary outcome driven by environmental pressures favoring large, mobile organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the notion of evolutionary inevitability in animal origins.
  • To introduce and support the "thesis of bodily complexity" regarding animal multicellularity.
  • To highlight the underappreciated role of intermediate organizational steps in animal evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis and theoretical argumentation based on existing biological knowledge.
  • Focus on the transition from cilia-based to contraction/muscle-based motility.
  • Examination of basal animal phyla (Porifera, Ctenophores, Placozoans, Cnidarians) to illustrate key features.

Main Results:

  • The evolution of complex animal bodies required integrating sensorimotor, physiological, and developmental aspects.
  • Contraction-based tissue and cellular events, particularly muscle and myoepithelial contraction, provided a physical platform for mechanical force transmission and multicellular signaling.
  • This transition from cilia-based to contraction-based motility involved crucial intermediate organizational steps.

Conclusions:

  • Animal evolution is not a simple, inevitable path but involved specific "bodily complexity" requirements.
  • Muscle-based contraction is a foundational element for animal motility, sensing, maintenance, and development.
  • Understanding these intermediate steps is key to comprehending the evolution of basal animal forms and subsequent animal diversification.