What is evolutionary novelty? Process versus character based definitions

Abstract

With the rise of EvoDevo, the topic of evolutionary novelty has received renewed attention. Indeed, it has been argued that one of the major contributions of EvoDevo to evolutionary theory is the explanation of phenotypic novelty. Despite such assertions, dispute continues over what exactly a novelty is and whether the term applies to a unique type of evolutionary phenomenon or whether it merely has informal meaning. In a recent special issue of J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) dedicated to novelty, a new definition was introduced, linking novelty exclusively with adaptation and developmental constraint. In our commentary, we discuss how defining novelty in this process oriented manner leads to heightened difficulties with the application of the term and the identification of novelties. At the same time it conceals important implications for evolutionary studies. In contrast, we argue for a character based definition that is independent from adaptive necessities and promotes the integration of evolutionary factors not included in the standard theory. The implications of approaching novelty in this manner take the issue beyond definitional debates.

Simplification, Innateness, and the Absorption of Meaning from Context: How Novelty Arises from Gradual Network Evolution

“…2012; Hall and Kerney 2012; Brigandt and Love 2012; Peterson and Müller 2013; Wagner 2014) in that both agree on the fact that network-level evolution is key to novelty and on multiple fundamental points that follow from it (Sect. 4.16).…”

“…2012; Hall and Kerney 2012; Brigandt and Love 2012; Peterson and Müller 2013; Wagner 2014). First, it will agree with that literature on the fact that network-level (or system-level) evolution is responsible for the evolution of novelty at both the phenotypic (Müller and Wagner 1991; Hallgrímsson et al.…”

Novelty and Innovation in the History of Life

“…Subsequent discussion of novelty defined it as ''a qualitatively new structure with a discontinuous origin'' [81], or focused on structures that are neither homologous to any ancestral structure nor serially homologous to any other structure in the same organism [82,83]. An alternative definition of novelty focuses on mechanism rather than characters, with innovations arising from transitions between adaptive peaks in and the overcoming of developmental constraints [84,85]. The critical issue in these discussions is novelty and the origin of homologous characters [86][87][88].…”

Vertebrate Cranial Placodes as Evolutionary Innovations—The Ancestor's Tale

“…How novelties arise in evolution is one of the most important but least understood questions of Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Hallgrimsson et al, 2012;Moczek, 2008;Peterson & M€ uller, 2013). In his lucid essay on this problem, François Jacob has pointed out that evolution works like a tinkerer not like an engineer ( Jacob, 1977).…”