[1]Principia Cybernetica Web

                           Metasystem Transitions in Biology

   "The metasystem transition creates a higher level of organization, the metalevel
   in relation to the level of organization of the subsystems being
   integrated"([2]Turchin According to [3]Turchin (1976), a [4]metasystem transition
   requires the following 2 steps:
    1. Duplication of the original system, and
    2. Establishment of control over multiple copies.

                                     [metasys.gif]

   In this figure, the initial element duplicates, then differentiation follows.
   Differentiation is a typical (but not necessary) result of control of elements by
   the entire system. However, control always changes system components in order to
   increase the performance of the entire system. This mechanism can be illustrated
   by a whole range of [5]examples from biology.

   An alternative mechanism of metasystem transition is [6]symbiosis, the
   integration of initially independent, dissimilar components. Whereas the former
   type may be called "homogeneous", this latter type can be called "heterogeneous".

   The success of either type of metasystem transition depends on the
   [7]evolutionary stability of cooperation between the components.

   See also:

     * [externallink.GIF] [8]Richard Michod's research on biological transitions
     * John E. Stewart: " [externallink.GIF] [9]Evolution's Arrow: The direction of
       evolution and the future of humanity" (Chapman Press, Australia, 2000)
     * Maynard Smith J. & Szathmàry E. (1995): [externallink.GIF] [10]The Major
       Transitions in Evolution, (W.H. Freeman, Oxford)
     * Maynard Smith J. & Szathmàry E. (1999): [externallink.GIF] [11]The Origins of
       Life : From the Birth of Life to the Origin of Language (Oxford University
       Press) [shorter, less technical version of the previous book]
     ____________________________________________________________________________

   [12]Copyright© 2000 Principia Cybernetica - [13]Referencing this page

   Author
   [externallink.GIF] [14]Alexei Sharov

   Date
   May 17, 2000 (modified)
   Nov 19, 1998 (created)

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                           [16]Metasystem Transition Theory
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               [17]The Metasystem Transition / [18]Biological Evolution

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   [21]Biological examples of MSTs

   [22]Symbiosis as a Metasystem Transition

   [23]Evolutionary stability of cooperation
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                                    [24]Discussion
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                                  [25]Add comment...

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References

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   2. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/POSBOOK.html
   3. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/TURCBIO.html
   4. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MST.html
   5. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BIOLEXAM.html
   6. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SYMBIMST.html
   7. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/STABCOOP.html
   8. http://eebweb.arizona.edu/Michod/Research/current_research_interests.htm
   9. http://www4.tpg.com.au/users/jes999/
  10. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/019850294X/principiacyberneA/
  11. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0198504934/principiacyberneA/
  12. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/COPYR.html
  13. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/REFERPCP.html
  14. http://www.gypsymoth.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/alexei.html
  15. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/DEFAULT.html
  16. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MSTT.html
  17. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MST.html
  18. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BIOEVOL.html
  19. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ULTRAMST.html
  20. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BIOLEXAM.html
  21. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BIOLEXAM.html
  22. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SYMBIMST.html
  23. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/STABCOOP.html
  24. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MAKANNOT.html
  25. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/hypercard.acgi$annotform?

[USEMAP]
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MSTBIOL.html#PCP-header
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   2. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HOWWEB.html
   3. http://pcp.lanl.gov/MSTBIOL.html
   4. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MSTBIOL.html
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