Convergent Evolutionary Paths in Biological and Technological Networks
Open accessAbstract
Technology seems to follow a different type of evolutionary dynamic when compared with biological systems. As pointed out by Francois Jacob, evolution takes place by means of extensive tinkering and does not foresee the future. Engineers will typically have a well-defined purpose and are not—in principle—constrained by the available technological constraints. However, the truth is that technological change shares much more than we might suspect with the patterns and processes displayed by evolution. Using case studies from both protein maps and large-scale software networks, we show that several key traits, such as scale-free structure and modularity, are shared by both man-made and biological evolving systems. Surprisingly, we find convergent evolution in several key features of software systems, indicating that strong constraints are at work. Such constraints force engineers to extensively reuse already constructed parts, thus de facto tinkering with their designs in a way similar to the duplication–diversification mechanism driving genome growth. The evolution of these systems reveals that well-defined patterns are obtained “for free.” Some of them can be properly interpreted as technological spandrels.
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Evidence for convergent evolution challenges the idea that an alternative biosphere would look alien to ours.
“The evidence for convergent evolution has challenged the idea that an alternative biosphere would look alien to ours [10,26,27].”
From Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems (2024) · cites this paper as [27]
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A smartphone analogy to explore the origin of animals
Ruiz‐Trillo, I., Casacuberta, E., Brown, N., & Solé, R. V. (2026) · The EMBO Journal · doi:10.1038/s44318-026-00692-5 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-citationReconstruction of Bio-molecular Networks
Lü, J., & Wang, P. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-9144-0_2 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
USING GROUP AFFINITY TO PREDICT COMMUNITY FORMATION IN SOCIAL NETWORKS
Leung, J. (2020) · ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University)
- Authors
- Solé, R. V., Valverde, S., & Rodriguez-Caso, C.
- Affiliations
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES)
- Corresponding author
- Solé, Ricard V.
- Venue
- Evolution: Education and Outreach
- Published
- 2011-07-22
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 415-426
- ISSN
- 1936-6426 (ISSN-L)
- 1936-6434
- OpenAlex
- W2002268851
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 108
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Evolution Education and Outreach (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Funders
- Santa Fe Institute
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Complex Network Analysis Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Software Engineering Research
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
- Keywords
- convergent evolution, technological evolution, biological networks, software networks, protein interaction maps, scale-free networks, network modularity, tinkering, code reuse, technological constraints, whole-genome duplication
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
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