Evolving responses and interactions
Living systems are the constant subject of evolution. Through mutations and selection, organisms adapt to complex environments. As a result, their response to external changes is unlike that of inert materials. For example, cells adjust their behavior and metabolism to the chemical composition of their surroundings. Furthermore, organisms do not evolve in isolation, but rather as part of ecosystems in which multiple species interact. As a consequence, the response of one species can modify the conditions of evolution of another species. This blurs the line between response and environment.
Emergence of adaptation strategies
Organisms can evolve different strategies to adapt to environmental changes. Some organisms sense the environment and elicit a specific response. Others, instead, evolve generalist phenotypes that perform well in all environments. What features of organisms are flexible enough to allow for different strategies to emerge? What properties of the environment determine which strategy organisms evolve?
Related Publications
Ecosystems as coupled responses
Just as the environment affects how organisms respond, organisms themselves can modify their surroundings. Furthermore, within an ecosystem, each species alters the environment in distinct ways, which may result in self-organization. A prime example of this is observed in soil samples, which allow one to distinguish estratification of different microbial species depending on their metabolism. How does evolution sculpt this coupling among species? What result in the emergence of adaptation strategies at the ecosystem level?
