Entropic Sampling and Natural Selection in Biological Evolution

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new model linking molecular random mutations to macroevolutionary patterns, demonstrating power-law behaviors in species dynamics consistent with fossil data, emphasizing the role of entropy.

Contribution

The model uniquely combines entropic sampling with natural selection to explain punctuated equilibrium and non-stationary fitness evolution in biological systems.

Findings

Waiting time distribution follows a power-law with exponent near two.

Avalanche size distribution also exhibits a power-law behavior.

Model results align with fossil data, highlighting entropy's significance.

Abstract

With a view to connecting random mutation on the molecular level to punctuated equilibrium behavior on the phenotype level, we propose a new model for biological evolution, which incorporates random mutation and natural selection. In this scheme the system evolves continuously into new configurations, yielding non-stationary behavior of the total fitness. Further, both the waiting time distribution of species and the avalanche size distribution display power-law behaviors with exponents close to two, which are consistent with the fossil data. These features are rather robust, indicating the key role of entropy.