Towards a Research Programme Aiming at Causes and Consequences of Reticulate Evolution.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Systems Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Evolutionary systems exhibit increasing diversity and complexity through divergence (Biology's First Law).
• Reticulate evolution acts as a second major mechanism driving evolutionary novelty and biodiversity (Biology's Second Law).

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a research program for understanding reticulate evolution.
• To identify fundamental evolutionary entities and their relationships within network architectures.
• To investigate boundary conditions and equilibrium states that promote reticulate evolution.

Main Methods:

• Network reconstruction and analysis of evolutionary entities.
• Study of determinants, boundary conditions, and porosity of evolutionary entities.
• Application of machine learning, modeling, transcriptomics, epigenetics, and karyology.

Main Results:

• Reticulation is identified as a fundamental process alongside divergence in evolution.
• A framework is proposed for analyzing evolutionary networks and entities.
• Key areas for future research, including 'Goldilocks Zones' for reticulation, are outlined.

Conclusions:

• Reticulate evolution is a critical, yet underappreciated, force shaping life's diversity and complexity.
• A comprehensive research program integrating network science and molecular methods is needed to fully elucidate reticulate evolution.
• Understanding reticulation is essential for updating the paradigm of evolutionary biology.