Evolution: A Glimpse into the Collaborative Creativity of Life

One of the most remarkable creative processes that occurs on our planet is the constant transformation of living organisms as they adapt to changing conditions in the various niches of our planet, whether these are shifts in temperature, water levels, dwindling of nutrients, meteoric impacts, introduction of a new predator (such as humans), soil changes, etc. 

This astonishing collaborative creative process is called evolution. 

The Malleability of DNA Is Important in Evolutionary Processes

Evolution is able to occur because of the in-built malleability of the genetic material (DNA) within living organisms. Our DNA contains stretches of nucleic acid sequences, comprising genes, that encode a multitude of different proteins. Certain changes in a nucleic acid sequence can result in a different protein sequence, which can alter the way in which the protein functions, thus potentially altering the way in which the living organism functions. The ability to alter (mutate) genetic material, which in turn can alter the way proteins function, is the basis of adaptation to change, i.e., of evolution. 

Adaptation Feedback Loop

Figure 2 illustrates a very simplified Adaptation Feedback Loop in an ecological niche with populations of four different types of living beings that are interdependent (purple lines and text): bacterium 1, insect 2, plant 3, and bacterium 4. Insect 2, which thrives in areas of high rainfall produces copious amounts of nutrient W. Bacterium 1 secretes a protein P (encoded by DNA D), which is able to digest nutrient W, thus allowing bacterium A to thrive in this niche by ‘eating’ nutrient W produced by insect 2. Bacterium 1 also secretes nutrient X, which is taken up by the roots of plant 3 as food, allowing plant 3 to grow. Plant 3, in turn, produces and stores in its leaves and roots nutrient Y, which nourishes insect 2 when it eats the leaves of plant 3. Bacterium 4 secretes nutrient Z.

Figure 2. Original art by Kakoli Mitra: ‘Adaptation Feedback Loops illustrated using a simplified ecoweb,’ digital (2025).

Then, the climate changes, triggering a cascade of events, a subset of which are adaptive (blue lines and text in Fig. 2).

Rainfall decreases, resulting in a large proportion of the insect 2 population to be killed, thus decreasing the amount of nutrient W in the ecological niche. The decrease of the population of insect 2 enables plant 3 (the leaves of which provide food for insect 2) to expand and produce more of nutrient Y, which it needs for itself to grow. The expansion of plant 3 had previously been in check because insect 2 was eating its leaves (and, thus, nutrient Y). 

However, because nutrient W is no longer being produced in sufficient quantities by the reduced insect 2 population, a large proportion of the population of bacterium A perishes, decreasing the amount of nutrient X it secretes, which was necessary for plant 3 to grow. 

The balance of nutrient flow has been altered in this ecological niche due to climate change (resulting in decreased rainfall, which, in turn, triggers a cascade of (some deleterious) events).

This is where the Adaptation Feedback Loop comes to the rescue.

Through various mechanisms, including radiation damage and internal cellular processes, DNA in living organisms is constantly being altered (i.e., DNA is mutating). In most cases, such DNA mutations are corrected through cellular processes, preserving the functionalities of the proteins encoded by the DNA. In some cases, uncorrected DNA mutations can lead to the death of the living being because essential proteins are unable to function properly. Yet in other cases, the DNA mutations can lead to a strengthened living being.

In the system depicted in Figure 2, a member of the population of bacterium 1 (the cyan mutant) develops a mutation in the gene (DNA D) encoding protein P, which now becomes a slightly altered protein P* (encoded by DNA D*). This altered protein P* confers a new ability on bacterium 1, namely the ability to digest nutrient Y produced by plant 2. Thus, this mutated bacterium 1 (cyan) has effectively adapted to a change in its ecological niche and will now be able to thrive by feeding off a new source of food, i.e., nutrient Y.

Similarly, a member of the plant 3 population (grey-blue mutant) develops a mutation that enables it to use nutrient Z secreted by bacterium 4 as food. In turn, a member of the population of bacterium 4 (the blue mutant) develops a mutation enabling it to use nutrient Y stored in the roots of plant 2. These further adaptations keep the population of plant 2 in check because plant 2 needs nutrient Y to grow, but nutrient Y are being consumed by mutant populations of both bacterium 1 and bacterium 4. 

The Ecological Web (Ecoweb)

From the simple illustration in Figure 2, it becomes obvious that living beings within an ecological niche are connected to and dependent on each other for their survival and wellbeing (this is called ecosymbiosis^[1]). Abiotic components/factors, such as water (through rainfall), air, soil, and temperature, also play crucial roles in determining how living organisms interact with and depend on each other.

The Śramani Institute has coined the term ecological web (ecoweb) to mean an interconnected network of diverse living beings (labeled with white text in black boxes), including humans, and abiotic (non-living) (labeled with purple text in white boxes) components (e.g., water, minerals, air, rocks) that have evolved together over time in a particular niche of our planet and are thus mutually beneficial to and dependent on each other (ecosymbiotic) (Figure 1).

[1] K. Mitra, Ecosymbiosis: the Basis of Adaptive Resilience Involving Biodiversity (Ecosymbiotic Resilience), Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-007 (3 Sep., 2025).