Trait heritability in major transitions.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Increases in biological complexity and the origins of life's hierarchical organization are described by the "major transitions" framework. A crucial component of this paradigm is that after the transition in complexity or organization, adaptation occurs primarily at the level of the new, higher-level unit. For collective-level adaptations to occur, though, collective-level traits-properties of the group, such as collective size-must be heritable. Since collective-level trait values are functions of lower-level trait values, collective-level heritability is related to particle-level heritability. However, the nature of this relationship has rarely been explored in the context of major transitions. RESULTS:We examine relationships between particle-level heritability and collective

SUBMITTER: Herron MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6293664 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature