Tong, K.; Bozdag, G. O.; Ratcliff, W. C. Selective Drivers of Simple Multicellularity. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 2022, 67, 102141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2022.102141.
Tong, K.; Bozdag, G. O.; Ratcliff, W. C. Selective Drivers of Simple Multicellularity. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 2022, 67, 102141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2022.102141.
Tong, K.; Bozdag, G. O.; Ratcliff, W. C. Selective Drivers of Simple Multicellularity. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 2022, 67, 102141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2022.102141.
Tong, K.; Bozdag, G. O.; Ratcliff, W. C. Selective Drivers of Simple Multicellularity. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 2022, 67, 102141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2022.102141.
Abstract
In order to understand the evolution of multicellularity, we must understand how and why selection favors the first steps in this process: the evolution of simple multicellular groups. Multicellularity has evolved many times in independent lineages with fundamentally different ecologies, yet no work has yet systematically examined these diverse selective drivers. Here we review recent developments in systematics, comparative biology, paleontology, synthetic biology, theory, and experimental evolution, highlighting ten selective drivers of simple multicellularity. Our survey highlights the many ecological opportunities available for simple multicellularity, and stresses the need for additional work examining how these first steps impact the subsequent evolution of complex multicellularity.
Keywords
Complexity; Evolution; Major transitions; Multicellularity; Selective driver; Environment; Size; Division of labor
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Cell and Developmental Biology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
