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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
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Modelling the evolution of novelty: a review
Enrico Sandro Colizzi1, Paulien Hogeweg2, Renske M A Vroomans1
1Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 47 Bateman Street, CB2 1LR, Cambridge, U.K.
Essays in Biochemistry
|December 5, 2022
Summary
Evolutionary novelty arises from repurposing existing functions and evolving tools. Computational models reveal mechanisms like
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Developmental biology
- Computational modeling
Background:
- Evolution generates diverse adaptations through novelty.
- Classical theory lacks mechanisms for evolutionary novelty.
- Novelty arises from repurposing and evolving biological tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- Review computational evo-devo models of evolutionary novelty.
- Compare models capturing 'between-level novelty' and 'constructive novelty'.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of computational evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) models.
- Comparison of models illustrating different novelty mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Identified 'between-level novelty' where information is transcoded across organizational levels.
- Identified 'constructive novelty' where new levels of organization emerge.
- Highlighted the role of computational models in understanding innovation.
Conclusions:
- Computational evo-devo offers insights into evolutionary novelty.
- Further research may lead to a comprehensive theory of evolutionary novelty.
- Novelty mechanisms like repurposing and constructive emergence are key to evolutionary innovation.
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