Metasystem Transitions in Biology

1. Duplication of the original system, and
2. Establishment of control over multiple copies.

In this figure, the initial element duplicates, then differentiation follows. Differentiation is a typical (but not necessary) result of control of elements by the entire system. However, control always changes system components in order to increase the performance of the entire system. This mechanism can be illustrated by a whole range of examples from biology.

An alternative mechanism of metasystem transition is symbiosis, the integration of initially independent, dissimilar components. Whereas the former type may be called "homogeneous", this latter type can be called "heterogeneous".

The success of either type of metasystem transition depends on the evolutionary stability of cooperation between the components.

See also:

• Richard Michod's research on biological transitions
• John E. Stewart: "Evolution's Arrow: The direction of evolution and the future of humanity" (Chapman Press, Australia, 2000)
• Maynard Smith J. & Szathmàry E. (1995): The Major Transitions in Evolution, (W.H. Freeman, Oxford)
• Maynard Smith J. & Szathmàry E. (1999): The Origins of Life : From the Birth of Life to the Origin of Language (Oxford University Press) [shorter, less technical version of the previous book]