Adaptive landscape complex from "summary" of Evidence and Evolution by Elliott Sober
The "Adaptive landscape complex" is a concept which looks at how genetic variations within a population of organisms can affect the overall fitness of that population in certain environments. It suggests that the environment can shape the genetic makeup of an organism, leading to changes in its physical characteristics.- The concept of an adaptive landscape complex is one which claims that evolution is not a linear process, but rather consists of overlapping dimensions with various competing fitness levels. Each particular species will fare best in its own niche, as conditions change and new complexities are introduced the landscape is altered accordingly.
- A key point of the adaptive landscape model is that overall population levels vary depending on the changing environmental pressures. New complex adaptations may emerge when environmental shifts increase the effectiveness of certain qualities.
- Adaptive landscapes can be visualised in the form of a graph, where fluctuations represent changes in the outcomes of natural selection. It is not only a scientific diagram but also a useful metaphor for understanding how complexity can arise as an outcome of evolutionary processes.
- As organisms respond to their environment, they will alter within the construction of the adaptive landscape. This means that surviving creatures will become increasingly adapted to their particular habitat or circumstance.
- In essence, the adaptive landscape creates a system whereby interesting and unpredictable results transpire due to variations in geography, climate, genetics and even chance encounters between different species. Through this lens, scientists can gain valuable insight into how life has been shaped by the biological arms race between different species.
- Smoother surroundings may develop with advantageous traits becoming more common as competition and survival become tightly linked. Uphill migrations of these traits can cause rapid transformations in a specific lineage, while others who remain in lower niches may eventually drift away from the main stream.
