Hierarchical selection in modular organisms

Abstract

Modular organisms, such as colonial marine invertebrates and most seed plants, develop by a repetition of physically interrelated subunits colloquially called modules. Modules may include some or all features of single organisms. Modular organisms have no separate germ line; instead, several cell lineages can remain totipotent throughout the life span of the organism or the clone. Due to this somatic embryogenesis, the basic reproductive units are found at the level of the module. The products of modular repetition, i.e. physically coherent organisms, colonies and clones consisting of modules, mainly function as interactive units that modify survival and reproduction at the level of the module. Together these levels of interaction and reproduction make up a hierarchical causal system, which we frequently tend to encapsulate into a single functional unit of selection.