Evolution and extinction can occur rapidly: a modeling approach

PeerJ

article

Vitaly A. Likhoshvai¹  Tamara M. Khlebodarova¹ 

[1] Department of Systems Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences;Kurchatov Genomics Center, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

关键词: Mathematical modeling;    Fossil records;    Punctuated evolution;    Mass extinctions;    Dynamic Systems;    Complex dynamics;    Periodicity;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.11130

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Fossil record of Earth describing the last 500 million years is characterized by evolution discontinuity as well as recurring global extinctions of some species and their replacement by new types, the causes of which are still debate. We developed a model of evolutionary self-development of a large ecosystem. This model of biota evolution based on the universal laws of living systems functioning: reproduction, dependence of reproduction efficiency and mortality on biota density, mutational variability in the process of reproduction and selection of the most adapted individuals. We have shown that global extinctions and phases of rapid growth and biodiversity stasis can be a reflection of the emergence of bistability in a self-organizing system, which is the Earth’s biota. Bistability was found to be characteristic only for ecosystems with predominant sexual reproduction. The reason for the transition from one state to another is the selection of the most adapted individuals. That is, we explain the characteristics of the Earth’s fossil record during the last 500 million years by the internal laws of Earth’s ecosystem functioning, which appeared at a certain stage of evolution as a result of the emergence of life forms with an increased adaptive diversification associated with sexual dimorphism.

【 授权许可】

CC BY