Evolutionary Theory Based on Ecological Change

Abstract

Chen Xinyu

The impact of ecological balance on biological evolution has been largely underestimated for a long time. It has not been noticed that the auto-regulation of ecosystems can change the selection coefficient faced by mutant genes. In a stable ecosystem, general favorable variation simply cannot accumulate. As long as the ecosystem does not change, biological evolution is not possible unless some mutation allows the organism to completely change its ecological niche. I named the mutation that can change the ecological niche of organisms as Iinitial-ancestormutation. Since Iinitial-an- cestormutation allow organisms to acquire a new niche, the small group that acquires this mutation is distinguished from the original population and gives rise to a new species. In other words, Iinitial-ancestormutation allow organisms to generate new evolutionary directions and thus form new species. Evolution other than Iinitial-ancestormutation is due to dramatically changed habitat.

The theory of evolution based on ecological changes can explain many phenomena of biological evolution, such as Punctuated equilibrium. The corresponding relationship between species evolution and ecosystem change: emergence of new species → establishment of ecosystem → stability of ecosystem → stability of species → destruction of ecosystem → mass extinction of species → emergence of new species, and so on. In conclusion, biological evolution is not contin- uous, slow and with many transition types, but discontinuous, abrupt and without many transition types.

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