Tautology explains evolution without variation and selection. A Comment on: 'An evolutionary process without...

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Theoretical Biology
• Origin of Life Studies

Background:

• Gabora and Steel proposed a model for cumulative adaptive evolution without natural selection.
• Their model, self-other reorganization (SOR), involves populations of autocatalytic sets.
• They claimed SOR is relevant to the origin of life and cultural evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the self-other reorganization (SOR) model and its claims of evolution without variation and selection.
• To investigate the validity of SOR as a non-Darwinian evolutionary process.
• To determine the relevance of SOR to biological and cultural evolution.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the theoretical self-other reorganization (SOR) model.
• Implementation of an extended SOR model with more realistic assumptions.
• Comparison of SOR dynamics with conventional Darwinian dynamics.

Main Results:

• The original SOR model ignores crucial factors like growth, degradation, and non-beneficial effects.
• Under its simplifying assumptions, SOR represents horizontal percolation, not genuine evolution.
• Extended SOR models incorporating realistic dynamics revert to conventional Darwinian processes.

Conclusions:

• The claims supporting SOR as an evolutionary process without variation and selection are challenged.
• SOR's foundation is fragile due to unrealistic assumptions, rendering it irrelevant to real-world evolution.
• The model's focus on only beneficial effects and omission of population dynamics limit its applicability to protocells or cultural evolution.