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Evolution of Holobiont-Like Systems: From Individual to Composed Ecological and Global Units

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Progress in Botany Vol. 83

Part of the book series: Progress in Botany ((BOTANY,volume 83))

Abstract

Higher Plants or Animals with microbial companions constitute holobionts, being spatiotemporal interaction networks as (co-)evolutionary selection units. As intrinsic interaction patterns also prevail at hierarchically different scales of ecological organization, organismic associations scale-invariantly represent holobiont-like systems (HLSs). This essay explores how high-ranking HLSs (ecosystems, biosphere) do evolve, in particular, under the conventionally gene-centric view at the Darwinian principles of mutation, heredity, and selection.

Re-visiting evolution theory, shortcomings by DNA-restricted interpretations impede perceptions of HLS evolution, notably, at hierarchically high ecological scales. Any HLS is discernable as a selection unit, however, through considering genericness by widening DNA-encoded to structurally and functionally stored information upon historical contingencies in “EvoDevoEco” processes, relating evolution, development, and ecology. On such grounds, HLS evolution proceeds through adaptive cycling and sequential selection, examining predictability versus stochasticity of aggregated information for adaptiveness to environmental variation. Each turn mirroring evolutionary advancement, cycling does not require resource-related competition as evolutionary driver. However, selection is reflected in competition in a sense of facing the challenge to maintain internal stability upon environmental changes. Such challenge becomes evident also in biospheric HLS Earth evolution through traded contingency effects upon manifold biogeochemical impacts. Although repeatedly inciting global species mass extinctions, such were pulse generators towards niches diversification and ecological complexity, owed to recurrent valuing scrutiny of sequential selection. Abandoning gene-centric perspectives, HLS evolution is borne by oscillating phases of consolidation versus renewal.

It’s the song, not the singer

(W. Ford Doolittle & A. Booth)

Communicated by Hans Pretzsch

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Acknowledgements

The constructive and helpful suggestions of two anonymous reviewers are gratefully appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Life Science Center Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany

    Rainer Matyssek

  2. Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany

    Ulrich Lüttge

  3. Department of Geoinformation, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany

    Wolfgang zu Castell

Authors
  1. Rainer Matyssek
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  2. Ulrich Lüttge
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  3. Wolfgang zu Castell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rainer Matyssek .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany

    Ulrich Lüttge

  2. Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain

    Francisco M. Cánovas

  3. Pollen Biotechnology of Crop Plants Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas "Margarita Salas" (CIB) CSIC Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    María-Carmen Risueño

  4. Plant Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Christoph Leuschner

  5. Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany

    Hans Pretzsch

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Matyssek, R., Lüttge, U., zu Castell, W. (2022). Evolution of Holobiont-Like Systems: From Individual to Composed Ecological and Global Units. In: Lüttge, U., Cánovas, F.M., Risueño, MC., Leuschner, C., Pretzsch, H. (eds) Progress in Botany Vol. 83. Progress in Botany, vol 83. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/124_2022_57

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