The Human Condition

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====== Positive Feedback in Evolutionary Transitions ======

Bernard J. Crespi\\
Vicious circles: positive feedback in major evolutionary and ecological transitions\\
JOURNAL, DATE AND PAGES\\

{{:papers:crespi04_vicious_circles.pdf|(read this paper)}}

<blockquote Abstract>
Evolutionary biologists and ecologists often focus on
equilibrium states that are subject to forms of negative
feedback, such as optima for phenotypic traits or
regulation of population sizes. However, recent theoretical
and empirical studies show how positive feedback
can be instrumental in driving many of the most
important and spectacular processes in evolutionary
ecology, including the evolution of sex and genetic
systems, mating systems, life histories, complex
cooperation in insects and humans, ecological specialization,
species diversity, species ranges, speciation and
extinction. Taken together, this work suggests that
positive feedback is more common than is generally
appreciated, and that its self-reinforcing dynamics
generate the conditions for changes that might otherwise
be difficult or impossible for selection or other
mechanisms to achieve. Testing for positive feedback
requires analysing each causal link in feedback loops,
tracking genetic, character and population-dynamic
changes across generations, and elucidating the conditions
that can result in self-reinforcing change.
</blockquote>


{{tag>evolution feedback cause stub}}

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