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Gaia and natural selection

¹School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. t.lenton@uea.ac.uk

|August 11, 1998

Summary

Life may regulate Earth's environment through natural selection. The evolving Gaia theory explores how organism traits, driven by natural selection, could create planetary self-regulation, benefiting the organisms that contribute to it.

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Area of Science:

Earth system science
Evolutionary biology
Ecology

Background:

Earth exhibits self-regulatory properties conducive to life.
The evolutionary advantage for organisms contributing to planetary regulation is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the evolutionary mechanisms behind Earth's self-regulation.
To explore how naturally selected organism traits could drive planetary homeostasis.

Main Methods:

Focuses on feedback mechanisms within the Gaia theory framework.
Examines the link between natural selection and planetary regulation.

Main Results:

Organisms with traits that regulate the environment may gain a selective advantage.
Naturally selected traits can establish feedback loops influencing planetary conditions.

Conclusions:

The evolving Gaia theory provides a framework for understanding life's role in Earth's regulation.
Organismal evolution and planetary self-regulation are potentially intertwined processes.

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