Evolution of genetic redundancy: the relevance of complexity in genotype–phenotype mapping

Abstract

Despite its ubiquity among organisms, genetic redundancy is presumed to reduce total population fitness and is therefore unlikely to evolve. This study evaluates an evolutionary model with high-dimensional genotype–phenotype mapping (GPM) by applying a replica method to deal with quenched randomness. From the method, the dependence of fitness on genetic redundancy is analytically calculated. The results demonstrate that genetic redundancy can have higher population fitness under complex GPM, which tends to favor gene duplication in selection processes, further enhancing the potential for evolutionary innovations.

Keywords

• evolutionary model
• spin glass
• fitness landscape
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