Multilevel selection as Bayesian inference, major transitions in individuality as structure learning.

ABSTRACT: Complexity of life forms on the Earth has increased tremendously, primarily driven by subsequent evolutionary transitions in individuality, a mechanism in which units formerly being capable of independent replication combine to form higher-level evolutionary units. Although this process has been likened to the recursive combination of pre-adapted sub-solutions in the framework of learning theory, no general mathematical formalization of this analogy has been provided yet. Here we show, building on former results connecting replicator dynamics and Bayesian update, that (i) evolution of a hierarchical population under multilevel selection is equivalent to Bayesian inference in hierarchical Bayesian models and (ii) evolutionary transitions in individuality, driven by synergistic fitness inter

SUBMITTER: Czegel D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6731722 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature