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Chance and necessity: the evolution of morphological complexity and diversity

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  • Sean B. Carroll

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin–Madison)

Abstract

The primary foundation for contemplating the possible forms of life elsewhere in the Universe is the evolutionary trends that have marked life on Earth. For its first three billion years, life on Earth was a world of microscopic forms, rarely achieving a size greater than a millimetre or a complexity beyond two or three cell types. But in the past 600 million years, the evolution of much larger and more complex organisms has transformed the biosphere. Despite their disparate forms and physiologies, the evolution and diversification of plants, animals, fungi and other macroforms has followed similar global trends. One of the most important features underlying evolutionary increases in animal and plant size, complexity and diversity has been their modular construction from reiterated parts. Although simple filamentous and spherical forms may evolve wherever cellular life exists, the evolution of motile, modular mega-organisms might not be a universal pattern. “Drawn out of the realm of pure chance, the accident enters into that of necessity, of the most implacable certainties.” J. Monod1

Suggested Citation

  • Sean B. Carroll, 2001. "Chance and necessity: the evolution of morphological complexity and diversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 409(6823), pages 1102-1109, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:409:y:2001:i:6823:d:10.1038_35059227
    DOI: 10.1038/35059227
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaotong Li & Jason Karpac, 2023. "A distinct Acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP6) shapes tissue plasticity during nutrient adaptation in Drosophila," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Lashin, Sergey A. & Matushkin, Yury G. & Suslov, Valentin V. & Kolchanov, Nikolay A., 2012. "Computer modeling of genome complexity variation trends in prokaryotic communities under varying habitat conditions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 224(1), pages 124-129.
    3. Cazzolla Gatti, Roberto, 2021. "A multi-armed bandit algorithm speeds up the evolution of cooperation," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 439(C).
    4. Rajaram, R. & Castellani, B., 2016. "An entropy based measure for comparing distributions of complexity," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 453(C), pages 35-43.
    5. Voorhoeve, Niels & Allan, Douglas C. & Moret, M.A. & Zebende, G.F. & Phillips, J.C., 2018. "Why human milk is more nutritious than cow milk," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 497(C), pages 302-309.
    6. Fabien Lafuma & Ian J. Corfe & Julien Clavel & Nicolas Di-Poï, 2021. "Multiple evolutionary origins and losses of tooth complexity in squamates," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Sotir Sotirov & Evdokia Sotirova & Vassia Atanassova & Krassimir Atanassov & Oscar Castillo & Patricia Melin & Todor Petkov & Stanimir Surchev, 2018. "A Hybrid Approach for Modular Neural Network Design Using Intercriteria Analysis and Intuitionistic Fuzzy Logic," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2018, pages 1-11, April.

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