Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 82 (4): 493-496, 2009
Beyond Darwin: On the role of niche construction and self-organization in
evolution
In this essay I point out to two processes that can potentially complement the classical
view of evolution by natural selection as outlined by Darwin, which captures only part of the processes driving adaptive evolution. This
classical view should be complemented with sources of order generated within the biological system itself in response to its own
structure and dynamics (i.e. self-organization) and by considering the existence of a fundamental circularity in the interaction between
the organism and its environment, such that the action of the organisms modify their selective environment thereby affecting their own
evolution. The formalization and inclusion of these two processes (and their interaction) represent major challenges and opportunities
for the expansion of evolutionary theory in the Darwinian tradition.
Key words:
Darwin, natural
selection, self-organization
