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Published on: February 3, 2023
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Top-Down Coercive Mechanisms and the Major Transitions in Evolution.
Javier Suárez1, Adrian Stencel2, Isobel Ronai3,4
1Department of Philosophy, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
Summary
Top-down coercion, a previously underappreciated mechanism, is proposed to be key in the origin and maintenance of Major Transitions in Evolution (MTE). This framework reframes evolutionary fitness and opens new research avenues.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Systems Biology
Background:
- The Major Transitions in Evolution (MTE) traditionally focus on bottom-up processes.
- The role of top-down coercive mechanisms in MTE has been underappreciated due to a lack of a formal framework.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and formalize a top-down coercion framework for understanding the MTE.
- To reframe discussions of fitness within the context of evolutionary transitions.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual framework development for top-down biological coercion.
- Analysis of three case studies: eukaryotic cell evolution, multicellularity, and eusocial insect colonies.
Main Results:
- Defined top-down biological coercion as a loss of potential due to top-down constraint.
- Demonstrated the applicability of the coercion framework across diverse evolutionary transitions.
Conclusions:
- Top-down coercion offers a novel perspective on the origin and maintenance of MTE.
- The framework generates new empirical questions and reframes evolutionary fitness concepts.
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