Towards a Dynamic Interaction Network of Life to unify and expand the evolutionary theory

• Main Authors: Eric Bapteste, Philippe Huneman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2018-05-01
• Series: BMC Biology
• Subjects: Evolutionary biology; Interactions; Theoretical biology; Tree of Life; Web of Life
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12915-018-0531-6

Abstract The classic Darwinian theory and the Synthetic evolutionary theory and their linear models, while invaluable to study the origins and evolution of species, are not primarily designed to model the evolution of organisations, typically that of ecosystems, nor that of processes. How could evolutionary theory better explain the evolution of biological complexity and diversity? Inclusive network-based analyses of dynamic systems could retrace interactions between (related or unrelated) components. This theoretical shift from a Tree of Life to a Dynamic Interaction Network of Life, which is supported by diverse molecular, cellular, microbiological, organismal, ecological and evolutionary studies, would further unify evolutionary biology.