The Emergence of Phenotypic Novelties Through Progressive Genetic Change

Genotype-to-phenotype mapping is modeled by a discrete, multilevel, nonlinear network whose properties are error-damping capacity, pleiotropism, and determination of single events by multiple factors. The model relates movements in genotype space to movements in phenotype space and points out the dichotomy between the genomic and the phenotypic levels of organization. A constant inflow of small mutations leads in this model to phenotypic novelties, alternating with episodes of stasis and gradual phenotypic changes. The model predicts decreasing variability with increasing levels of organization in lower organisms; higher organisms should be able to shift the balance between homeostasis and variation by adjusting the level of nonlinearity in the processing. Such a mechanism may act under environmental stress, when homeostasis should be temporarily suppressed in order to increase the phenotypic repertoire. Applications to viral evolution are discussed.

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