Theory of Autopoiesis

Natural Drift: A Minimal Theory with

Maximal Consequences
Jorge Mpodozis • Universidad de Chile, Chile • epistemo/at/uchile.cl
> Context • Mainstream explicative paradigms on biological evolution are currently open to discussion. > Problem • As
Maturana and I have previously argued, an organism-centered view of biological evolution needs to be developed.
> Method • I reassess the main biological phenomena from a systemic-dynamic perspective. > Results • Behavior, and
not genetics, is the main factor driving the course of structural changes of organisms, in both ontogeny and phylogeny.
> Implications • The conceptual view developed in this article should lead to a critical appraisal of the fundaments of
current mainstream thinking on biological evolution. > Constructivist content • The concept of natural drift explicat-
ed in this article draws on Maturana’s view on systems dynamics, historical processes, biological autonomy, recursivity,
and subject-dependent reality. > Key words • Autopoiesis, epigenesis, lineages, ontogeny, phylogeny, species, natural
EVOLUTIONARY CONCEPTS IN Theory of Autopoiesis

drift, way of living.

Introduction spondence between a living being and the Historical background

environment). If they do not do so, they
« 1 »  Mainstream biological thinking is die. This minimal theory has maximal « 2 »  Natural drift was first presented
dominated by a reductionist, “genecentric” consequences for an understanding of the in 1984 as a chapter in the first Spanish edi-
ideology, according to which organisms historical phenomenology of living beings. tion of the book El árbol del conocimiento
are envisaged as phenotypic envelopes for Specifically, we claim that – (Maturana & Varela 1984).2 Some two years
genes. This is analogous to dualistic-spir- a Although nothing can happen in the life later I joined Humberto Maturana Romesín
itualist doctrines that consider the human history of a living system that is not per- (HMR), at that time my PhD thesis advi-
body to be the “incarnation” of an imma- mitted by its genotype, whatever hap- sor, as a teacher on his course on Evolution
terial soul. On the one hand, such an ide- pens in it arises in an epigenetic manner, in the Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de
ology imports a denial of the fundamental in such a way that it is not possible to Chile. Together with the teaching we en-
characteristics of living beings, such as their claim that any features that arise in the joyed countless joyful moments of reflexive
systemic-dynamic constitution. On the oth- life history of an organism are geneti- conversation about issues concerning the
er hand, it entails an ascription to several cally determined; ontology, historical phenomenology and
vitalistic suppositions and conceptions such b Reproduction is a systemic process of evolution of living beings. Teaching about
as “function,” “information” and “program” conservation of a particular organism– evolution inspired us to do so, as by its very
94 that lack biological operational meaning medium relation, or way of living, and nature it confronts us with a reassessment of
(Cecchi et al. 2004). We have developed not a genetic process; many aspects of biological phenomenology
an alternative biological view (Maturana & c A lineage arises in the systemic repro- from an operational systemic perspective,
Varela 1986; Maturana & Mpodozis 1992, ductive conservation of a way of living, as well as with a critical appraisal of current
2000) centered strictly on the systemic1 na- and not in the conservation of a particu- evolutionary thinking. As a result, we found
ture of living beings. This view presupposes lar genotype; ourselves immersed in the re-elaboration
nothing but that living beings are discrete d The history of living systems on Earth is and expansion of the notion of natural drift,
dynamic systems that constitute them- the history of the arising, conservation, exploring mainly its potential as an explana-
selves through a continuous dynamic of and diversification of lineages through tory mechanism accounting for biological,
interactions with their environment while, natural drift; historic phenomena, namely ontogeny and
and as long as, through these interactions, e It is behavior (the flow of actions that an phylogeny. In time, these conversations
they maintain their organization and their organism performs in its environment) crystalized in two scholarly publications:
structural coupling with their medium (i.e., that guides the course of the history of “Origen de las especies por medio de la de-
the ongoing relation of structural corre- living systems in ontogeny and phylog- riva natural” (Maturana & Mpodozis 1992),
eny; and and “Origin of Species by Means of Natural
1 |  By “systemic” I refer to what is proper to f Through this history, the genetic con- Drift” (Maturana & Mpodozis 2000). While
a system, i.e., the particular type of phenomenol- stitution of the organism will change
ogy and the phenomenological domains that arise following the changing course of the or- 2 |  The English translation, The Tree of Knowl-
with the constitution and operation of systems. ganism’s way of living. edge, appeared in 1987 (Maturana & Varela 1987).
 Theory of Autopoiesis
Natural Drift Jorge Mpodozis

both articles share the same title, they differ discrete unit in the physical space. In turn, environment is a condition of existence. This
significantly in their conceptual layouts, the metacelullar organisms were characterized relationship occurs as a continuous dynamic
latter containing a substantial redefinition as second-order autopoietic systems, that is, of interactions, that is, molecular and ener-
of some key topics, such as the dynamics of systems constituted by autopoietic systems getic exchanges, between the system and its
the organism–niche relation. Shortly after that may or may not be autopoietic them- environment. In this situation, the structure
the publication of the latter article, our joint selves (for example, an anthill is constituted of the system changes moment by moment
teaching came to an end, and with that the by ants but is not an ant). Whatever be the in a way that is contingent on, but not de-
opportunities to share discussions on these case, it should be noted that the existence termined by, this flow of interactions. The
topics became increasingly scant. Nonethe- of metacellular organisms is subordinated structural changes that the system under-
less, I have kept teaching, rethinking and to the existence of its first-order autopoietic goes at each instant of this flow, even those
discussing evolution along the lines of our components. triggered by agents in the environment, re-
joint teaching since then. In what follows I « 4 »  Starting from this foundation, in sult from the dynamic structural configura-
present what is, in my current view, the bare, what follows I will use the expressions liv- tion of the system at that instant. One con-
essential core of the notion of natural drift. I ing being, autopoietic system, and organism sequence of this is that the properties of the
am doing this as a humble homage to HMR, synonymously. surface of interactions of the system (the ar-
even though I have no means of determin- ray of operational nodes through which the
ing whether he would subscribe to it. system/environment encounter takes place)
A brief ontology of living change from moment to moment in a way
determined by the configuration of the sys-
Living beings as autopoietic « 5 »  Living beings (i.e., autopoietic sys- tem at each moment. Therefore, the way in
systems tems) are constitutively autonomous. Auto- which the system disposes itself towards the
poietic systems are constituted by processes, environment, that is, its behavior and the
« 3 »  The ascription of a systemic- that is, flows of molecular transformations. flow of it, change moment to moment in a
dynamic nature to livings beings lays the Therefore, they are in continuous structural way that is determined by (arises from) the
grounds of biology from its beginnings as change. As long as they exist in this dynamic autopoietic dynamics of the system, even in
a modern science. The reasons why this no- way, they only undergo changes that pre- cases in which the changes are triggered by
tion is so essential to biology are as wide serve their autopoiesis. So, on the one hand, perturbations from the environment. Thus,
and deep as biology itself. Discussing them it is their autopoiesis that determines the what we call the flow of actions of a living
in full detail goes beyond the scope of this magnitude and direction of the structural being is this flow of changes in its relational
article. Here, I will simply mention the changes that these systems undergo while disposition towards its environment, which
complex interactive nature of cellular pro- they exist. On the other hand, autopoietic we see emerging from the system. In other
cesses embedded in and interacting with systems are subject to the structural deter- words, insofar as living beings are autopoi-
equally complex physiological, morpho- minism of their systemic constitution. What etic systems of first or second order, living in
logical, and behavioral systemics, which, can happen within them and to them can action is a condition of living.
in turn, similarly comprise interactive and only ever be that which their structure al- « 8 »  Actions of living beings bring forth
variously mobile elements of ecosystemic lows. Perturbing agents of the environment the objects of these actions. An action, as said
processes. As early as 1825, Georges Cuvier with which these systems interact can trig- above, occurs when the relational disposi- 95
stated that living beings are to be seen as ger, but not determine, the structural chang- tion of an autopoietic system changes in ac-
molecular dynamic systems, analogous to es that take place in the system in a contin- cord with the structural state in which that
a whirlpool, a continuous turbulent flow of gency of interactions. system finds itself. In turn, the relational
molecular components, such that for any « 6 »  Living beings define themselves. disposition of the system at a given moment
living being “its form is more essential than Molecular (or cellular) autopoietic systems determines which structural configurations
is materials.” Almost one-and-a-half centu- are concrete, discrete systems that dynami- of the environment the system accepts as
ries later, Maturana and Francisco Varela cally determine their own limits. Therefore, perturbations. The subsequent change of
(1973) provided an operational character- their very operation constitutes them as dif- relational disposition that the system un-
ization of living beings as systemic-dynamic ferent from the environment that contains dergoes is what establishes, in form exten-
molecular mechanisms. According to these them and in which they carry out their sion and duration, the character that this
authors, cellular living beings are constitut- existence. Seen from the perspective of the perturbation had or did not have. Therefore,
ed as molecular autopoietic mechanisms, system, the environment is defined by the the objects with which the system interacts,
that is, as networks of processes of molecu- systemic dynamics, and changes with it in- and the character that these objects have (at-
lar production organized in such a way that sofar as the boundaries of the system change tracting, repulsive, aggressive, innocuous,
the produced molecules (a) through their in these dynamics. etc.) arise through the encounter of the sys-
interaction in the network produce the pro- « 7 »  Living beings exist in action. For an tem with the environment, and do not ex-
cesses that produce them, and (b) generate autopoietic system, the maintenance of a re- ist prior to the encounter. Hence, different
a border that constitutes the machine as a lation of structural correspondence with its autopoietic systems operating in what for an

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 observer appears to be the same space of in- ing being and its environment) requires the ƒ Different readers, even the ones reading
teractions (the same environment) will carry living being to “know” the environment, in the same language, will end up read-
out different flows of actions, and therefore that is, to form an internal representation ing a unique, particular, set of words, as
will configure or cause a unique set of sub- of the objects in that environment through a consequence of the historic character
ject-dependent objects to arise in that space. some special mechanism that captures the of the sequences of readings that she has
A simple example to consider would be how relevant characteristics of those objects. performed on the letter soup.
the attracting, repulsive or indistinct charac- However, as stated above, the entities that an « 12 »  As should be obvious by now, in
ter that a given molecule in the environment observer distinguishes as the objects of the this isophor,4 “letter soup” stands for the
may have depends entirely on the structural actions that a living being performs are con- environment, readers are living beings, and
relational disposition that the living beings stituted in those same actions, and do not words are the objects with which living be-
interacting with that molecule have in the exist prior to the actions. Therefore, these ings interact. Thus, according to this view,
moment in which the interaction occurs. objects and the knowledge of them (in the the notion that the environment contains
As a way to illustrate this, let us imagine a sense defined above) are not and cannot be “information” or “objects” that are onto-
very large, empty room with, in its center, a what instructs or directs the flow of actions logically independent of the living beings
table that has a mouse and an ant on it. The of a living being towards the conservation of living in said environment is a premise that
EVOLUTIONARY CONCEPTS IN Theory of Autopoiesis

mouse will act anxiously as it feels exposed, structural correspondence. Rather, it is the may have metaphysical, but not operation-
while its movement is limited in all direc- very course of actions of that living being al, meaning. What is written in a text (in-
tions by the abyss at the table’s edges. The that, moment by moment, determines the cluding the present article) depends on the
ant, by contrast, will be free to leave, since in way in which the structural correspondence reading that a reader performs on it, which
its world there are no abysses.3 is satisfied. In other words, in a living being, is not dependent on the sequence of letters.
« 9 »  Living beings act upon themselves the continuous satisfaction of its structural The bible, which in many spy novels serves
through the objects brought forth by their correspondence with (i.e., adaptation to) as a communicate medium, contains very
actions. Once an object arises in the flow the environment results from the temporal different messages for a secret agent from
of action of a living being, the object will course of the actions of such a living being, those for a priest. Also, different readers will
operate as a source of perturbation for said and not the other way around. experience different yet specific changes of
living being. As a consequence of such “self- emotional, intellectual and psychological
constituted” perturbation, the living being states during and after reading the same
will undergo structural changes that will Letter soup as a case text, depending on their particular way of
lead to changes in its flow of actions in the in point reading. And this is so because we humans
environment, in an ongoing deterministic are living beings and operate as such when
historical process (i.e., a process in which in « 11 »  In order to illustrate what I have reading.5
each moment is determined by the previous discussed so far, let us imagine a scenario
one) that will last as long as the living being composed of a letter soup (i.e., a random
remains alive. It is worth noting that such two-dimensional array of Latin letters), and Ontogeny as structural drift
recursivity does not require the operation of several readers, each of whom knows a dif-
any special mechanism or process. In living ferent language and follows different rules of « 13 »  It follows from the above that
96 systems, recursivity is inextricably linked to reading (e.g., top to bottom, left to right, di- the existence of a living being (autopoietic
their systemic-dynamic way of existence. As agonally, every two letters). To make it more system) takes place as a continuous flow of
a corollary, we can say that for a living being interesting, let us add that every time that actions in its environment. Given that (a)
to act continuously (and historically) upon a reader reads a word, she may, if she will, these actions are actions in structural cor-
itself through its action in the environment display a different rule of reading. In this respondence with the environment, and (b)
is a condition of existence. scenario, the following aspects deserve to be the way in which the structural correspon-
« 10 »  Likewise, it is worth noting that emphasized: dence is satisfied at each instant depends on
structural coupling is a spontaneous con- ƒ The letter soup is just a pretext; it does the structure of the system at that instant, we
sequence of living, and as such its occur- not contain words, or, which amounts to have to conclude, as we did above, that liv-
rence does not require any special process the same, “information” or “objects.” ing beings exist as such only, and as long as,
or mechanisms. The mainstream represen- ƒ Words arise only if a reader performs the they carry out a continuous flow of actions
tationalist view holds that the survival of act (the structural operation) of reading.
a living being (i.e., the conservation of the ƒ If that happens, many different words 4 | Maturana’s colloquial neologism “iso-
structural correspondence between the liv- (objects) will arise from the different phor” is a comparison between situations sub-
acts of reading performed by each read- stantially similar but accidentally different.
3 | Such a constitutive subject-dependence er. Moreover, a given letter or sequence 5 |  To take this isophor a step further: DNA is
of objects has already been suggested in 1934 of letters will make a part of many dif- also a sort of letter soup, and proteins read many
through Jakob von Uexküll’s notion of “umwelt” ferent words, according to the different different “messages” from it in different moments
(Uexküll 2010). readings performed on it. of the life cycle of a cell.
 Theory of Autopoiesis
Natural Drift Jorge Mpodozis

that satisfy the structural correspondence of « 16 »  Let me make explicit some im- is not predetermined, informed, or instruct-
said living beings with their environment at plicit aspects of the process of ontogenic ed by any agent acting upon the living being,
every moment. drift: irrespectively of whether this agent is an in-
« 14 »  However, it also follows from the a A drift is a deterministic process. If the ternal component or an environmental fac-
above that the structural present of a living structure of the system undergoing drift tor or process. Rather, its course arises spon-
being (molecular autopoietic system) is the and the structural conditions of the en- taneously from the process of ontogenic
historical result of the flow of actions that vironment in which the drift is taking drift, whose main drive is the recursive flow
this living being has carried out during its place repeat, then the course of the drift of actions that the organism performs in its
life. That is to say, the structure of a living will also repeat. environment. According to this understand-
being at each moment depends on the flow b Given their systemic-dynamic consti- ing, the notion that envisages the process of
of actions that this living being has carried tution, livings beings exist spontane- development as the deployment of a set of
out up to that moment. Therefore, it is easy ously and constitutively in a continuous instructions encoded in the DNA of some of
to see that the course of structural change structural drift, which lasts until they the initial cellular components of a living be-
that a living being follows during its life disintegrate. Along this process, while ing is a notion that may have heuristic value,
(for that matter, the structural transition the structure of the living beings is drift- but no operational meaning.
from zygote to adult) is not determined by ing, its organization (relations between « 18 »  In what follows I call “way of
the action of environmental forces or fac- components that confer class identity to living”7 or “epigenetic pathway” the flow of
tors, nor is it determined by the directive a system) remains conserved, until the actions that an organism performs during
action or informative content of one or an- system loses its organization and there- its ontogenic drift. Different classes of or-
other of the molecular components of that fore disintegrates. ganism carry out distinct and characteristic
living being. Such a course is determined c Likewise, along the drift, the structural ways of living, and every way of living is a
by the flow of actions that the living be- coupling (adaptation) between living recursive sequence of actions. So, it seems
ing has performed, and arises moment by being and environment remains con- natural to ascribe a verb to every way of liv-
moment in a historical fashion, in such a served, while the mode in which such ing, e.g., for the class of alligators, “alligator-
way that, through the actions of the living a relation is taking place is drifting to- ing,” and for humans, “humanning.”
being, each state arises from the previous gether with the drift of the structure of
one and becomes a condition of origin for the system. Accordingly, living beings
the next. In other words, it is a drift, a step- cannot be more or less adapted, they are Reproduction and species
by-step process that has no other direction either adapted or they are not.6
than the one that arises from the flow of ac- d While in drift, living beings exist in and « 19 »  Much can be said about the diver-
tions itself. operate from the (continuously chang- sity and complexity of manners in which the
« 15 »  How does this systemic-dynamic ing) present state of their structure. This reproduction of living beings takes place.
process proceed? Given its structural deter- has the consequence that the features Here, I will only highlight the general as-
minism, in a living being any given struc- of behavior that an observer calls “in- pects that concern the present discourse.
tural state sets the boundaries of the do- stinct,” “memory,” “expectation,” moti- In general terms, reproduction involves a
main of possible states in the conservation vation” or “tendency” are not structural structural fracture of a living being (the pa-
of living that can originate from it. In addi- operational entities (in contrast to mole- rental one), as a result of which a new living 97
tion, each state implies an action (or a set of cules, cells, neurons and neural circuits). being (the offspring) arises.8 From this ini-
actions) of the living being on its environ- The neural mechanism that gives rise to tial stage, reproduction will be attained only
ment. From this action, an object of action memory does not and cannot operate if and to the extent that the offspring un-
arises, and a change of state is triggered by with memory, since everything a living dergoes an ontogenic structural drift (that
it. Consequently, a change in the domain of being does, it does in its structural pres- is, carries out a way of living) equivalent to
possible states takes place, resulting in an ent. that of the parental living being. If that is the
ongoing recursive process that lasts until « 17 »  What I have said so far should case, parent and offspring will go through
the living being loses its structural corre- make obvious that the course of structural an equivalent, specific and differential se-
spondence with its environment and dis- transformations that a living being under-
integrates. Thus, in an ontogenic drift (i.e., goes during its life span, i.e., the sequence 7 | “Way of living” corresponds to what is
the history of structural drift that an organ- of stages through which an organism passes called “ontogenic phenotype/ontogenic niche re-
ism follows in the course of its ontogeny) from its inception to its reproductive stage, lation” in Maturana & Mpodozis (2000).
every state derives from the previous and 8 | Sexual reproduction is one of many re-
can only be reached from it, while the pro- 6 | It is important to emphasize that living productive modes. As such, it involves the frac-
cess follows an irreversible course that de- beings are not adapted to an environment. Rather, ture and subsequent fusion of living beings stem-
pends on the deterministic flow of actions they are adapted to performing a given way of liv- ming from two or more parents. Note that not all
that the living being performs upon itself ing, i.e., a particular flow of operations (actions) fractures or cleavages of a living being are repro-
through its actions in the environment. in a given environment. ductive.

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 quence of structural stages (called the “onto- largely dependent on the actions of the same which arises as a stage of the structural drift
genic phenotype” in Maturana & Mpodozis animals. Nesting and incubation of the off- of the parental one, gives rise to a process of
1992, 2000), that is, reproduction will have spring, as well as long-range migrations to structural drift that results in the reproduc-
happened, and a species, that is, a class of specific reproductive places, are further ex- tion of the parent, and so on, constituting in
living beings reproductively linked and car- amples of this. this way a circular directional process (like
rying out an operationally equivalent way of « 23 »  Reproduction, then, is a system- a clock) that lasts longer than the individual
living, will be constituted. ic-historic phenomenon resulting from the living beings participating in this process.
« 20 »  The occurrence of reproduction transgenerational repetition of an ontogen- Of course, temporal continuity (“eternity”)
requires the satisfaction of two conditions: ic drift, which implies the transgenerational of the circular process of ontogenic drift
ƒ the initial structure of the offspring repetition of a way of living. Inheritance, implies and requires the transgenerational
must be closely similar to that of the that is, the structural similarities between conservation of the way of living that drives
parent, and parental (ancestral) and descendent living such ontogenic drift. Thus, accordingly,
ƒ the placing of the offspring in the envi- beings, is constituted by systemic repro- what a taxonomist distinguishes, when she
ronment, and therefore, the initial state duction. In other words, inheritance results distinguishes a species, is a set of individual
of its structural coupling with the envi- from systemic reproduction, and not (as organisms that, despite being (sometimes
EVOLUTIONARY CONCEPTS IN Theory of Autopoiesis

ronment, must also be closely similar to claimed in the mainstream literature) the quite) structurally different from one an-
that of the parent. other way around. Accordingly, a phenome- other (as larva and imago in holome-
« 21 »  The initial structure of the off- non such as “inheritance of character” does tabolous insects), are all going through a
spring is highly relevant for reproduction, not and cannot occur, since character is not common and unique circular process of on-
as it sets the boundaries of the domain of inherited, but recreated by the process of togenic drift. In other words, what the tax-
possible courses that the ontogenic drift systemic reproduction. It should be noted, onomist distinguishes is a temporally stable
of the offspring can follow, even though it however, that there is a structural continu- ontogenic phenotype that results from the
does not contain, instruct, or specify any of ity between parent and offspring, since the distinct circular process of ontogenic drift,
these courses. Therefore, the continuity of latter originates from a structural fracture which to occur requires the transgenera-
a given lineage (a reproductively linked set of the former. That being the case, one tional conservation of a given and distinct
of individuals) depends on the reproduc- should admit, and not proscribe, that the way of living. Or put differently, a species
tion (repetition, re-arising, resurgence) of events taking place in the structural drift of is a lineage formed by individuals carrying
this initial structure at each reproductive the parent (during its living) may have an out a way of living unique to this lineage
step. Given that every aspect of this initial effect on the structural composition of the and distinct from that of other lineages of
structure, and in particular its DNA-type, total genotype of the offspring, even in cas- individuals, or species.
is relevant for reproduction, in Maturana es in which the total genotype arises from « 25 »  As an example of this situation, it
& Mpodozis (1992, 2000) we have called a particular class of cellular components of can be noted that it is a common practice in
it a “total genotype.” Since the total geno- the parent (for example, the so-called “germ some domains of biology (forensic, paleon-
type sets the limits, but does not specify the line”). tology) to ascribe unequivocally the remains
course of the structural drift starting from of extinct individuals to one or another spe-
it, we claimed that this course arises epige- cies, be these extinct or extant ones. This is
98 netically (i.e., in a structural drift). Finally, Species occur outside only possible because these remains can be
it should be noted that as a consequence of of time: The cyclic process ascribed to some stage of the ontogenic phe-
the process of reproductive fracture, some notype of a given species, i.e., to a moment
structural novelties may arise in the total
of ontogenic drift or stage of the cyclic ontogenic drift that de-
genotype of the offspring, which may or « 24 »  Aristotle (1994) claimed that the fines such species.
may not be conserved and spread through purpose of reproduction is to make eternal « 26 »  Finally, it is interesting to note
reproduction among the individuals be- what is finite. Metaphysics aside, it is well that, in a given species, eggs, embryos, new-
longing to a given lineage (Vargas, Botelho established that individual living beings can borns, mature, senescent and dead individu-
& Mpodozis 2020). be grouped, by various criteria, into dif- als are all occurring simultaneously at each
« 22 »  The placing of the offspring in the ferent and unequivocally distinct species, moment, while the cyclic process of struc-
environment is also crucial for reproduc- and that these species last longer than the tural drift that constitutes the species is go-
tion, as it establishes the initial encounter individuals they consist of. In that sense, ing on.9
between offspring and environment and, species are “eternal” while individuals are,
therefore, determines the first step of the off- in most cases, “finite.” In extension to what
spring’s ontogenic drift. For example, most was stated above, I claim that the distinc-
plants release their seeds close to them, and tion of species is possible because, through 9 |  It is worth noting the intriguing parallel-
in a specific moment of the annual cycle. systemic reproduction, structural drift be- ism between cyclic reproduction and autopoiesis:
Similarly, most animals place their off- comes a circular process. This is so because both are circular processes that produce the com-
spring in environmental conditions that are the total genotype of a new living being, ponents that give rise to the same processes.
 Theory of Autopoiesis
Natural Drift Jorge Mpodozis

“The ontogenic phenotype process. Environmental factors do not drive, phenotype pulls along the total genotype,
pulls along the total nor do they select changes in the pool of to- it can be expected that after several cycles
tal genotypes, but only allow them to occur. of the ontogenic drift of the newly arising
genotype” The mere observation that in a given envi- species, the total genotypes of the individu-
« 27 »  The title of this section is one ronment or set of environmental conditions, als belonging to it will become “adapted” to
of the few dictums contained in Maturana such as a lake, a river, or whatever other carry out the new way of living. Even more,
& Mpodozis (2000), perhaps the most rel- natural landscape, many different ways of it can be expected that the total genotypes
evant, but also, unfortunately, the most ill living are usually occurring simultaneously, of the new species will differ from the total
understood. Since it is necessary for the re- each of them differentially “adapted” to be genotypes of the ancestral species specifi-
mainder of the article, I will try to clarify it. what they are, can be envisaged as a natural cally in those structural dispositions related
« 28 »  As stated above, while systemic example of what I said above. to the epigenetic arising of the phenotypic
reproduction is taking place in a given lin- differences between old and new species. It
eage, every reproductive fracture result in can be further expected that these differenc-
the arising of a total genotype that is struc- Origin of species by means es will become so substantial as to separate
turally similar, but not necessarily identical of natural drift irreversibly the newly derived lineage from
to the one that gave rise to the progenitor. In the ancestral one.
lineages whose way of living include sexual « 30 »  How is the huge diversity of spe- « 32 »  Maturana & Mpodozis (2000)
reproduction, such a reproductive mode in- cies generated? Building on what I have said deduced many biologically significant con-
deed contributes to the enrichment of the so far, the answer to this question should be sequences from the process of natural drift.
structural diversity of the total genotypes short and straightforward. First, let us recall Instead of reviewing all of them here, I will
synchronically or diachronically present in the following two aspects. instead highlight those that support my own
the individuals belonging to such lineages. ƒ The total genotype sets the boundaries understanding most strongly.
Thus, while a given lineage, i.e., a cyclic pro- but does not specify the course of the « 33 »  In the process of phylogenic drift,
cess of ontogenic drift, continues being sys- structural drift starting from it. Such a the way of living of the derived species arises
temically carried out, a more or less ample course, and the ontogenic phenotype as changes in the way of living of the ances-
variety of total genotypes will be produced. occurring with it, arise in an epigenetic tral ones. Yet such changes can only be those
Of these, only those that make it possible manner from the very process of struc- that derive from the ancestral condition. In
to carry out the way of living proper to that tural drift. other words, the derived way of living is one
lineage will be conserved, with variations ƒ The course of the ontogenic drift de- that is potentially possible for the ancestral
in such lineage through systemic reproduc- pends on the flow of actions (flow of the one. Thus, it can be expected that the aspects
tion. It follows from this that structural nov- behavior) of the drifting living beings. of the way of living, and of the correspond-
elties resulting in no effect on the ontogenic « 31 »  From these points it can be con- ing ontogenic phenotype, that are constitu-
drift/way of living of a given species, as well cluded that several different courses of tive (obligatory) for the derived species, are
as the ones resulting in the facilitation of structural drifts, and with them several at the same time facultative for the ancestral
such a way of living, will be spontaneously more or less different ontogenic phenotypes, species. Swimming and diving are obligatory
“coopted,” that is, conserved, by systemic re- may arise from a given total genotype, de- for sea lions, but facultative for their closer
production. In other words, it is not the en- pending on the flow of behavior continuing terrestrial relatives, the bears. Interestingly, 99
vironment (environmental forces, or pres- and systemically enacted by the living being swimming and diving are also obligatory for
sures), but the way of living proper to each originated in any such ontogenic genotype. a newly derived species of bears, the mag-
species that constitutes the bias or reference Accordingly, a new lineage or species, sepa- nificent polar bear.
for the cooptation and transgenerational rated from an ancestral one, will arise if a « 34 »  Given that the structural drift of
conservation of novelties in the structure of change in the way of living (i.e., a change in a derived species stems from the structural
the total genotypes being produced by the the flow of behavior) of one or some of the drift of an ancestral one, it can be expected
individuals of such species. individuals belonging to the ancestral spe- that all those aspects of the structural drift,
« 29 »  Thus, one has to expect that after cies is about to be conserved through sys- and therefore of the ontogenic phenotype, of
several generations of individuals carrying temic reproduction. The change in question the ancestral species from which the struc-
out a particular way of living, the pool of to- must be significant enough to result in the tural drift of the derived species stems, will
tal genotypes to be encountered within these arising in these individuals of an ontogenic be retained, that is, conserved, by the cyclic
individuals will be spontaneously shifted phenotype different from the parental one. process of ontogenic drift of the derived spe-
from the initial one to another more “akin” If that happens, a new cyclic process of on- cies. In other words, it can be expected that
or “adapted” to it. It may sound heretic to togenic drift, derived from an ancestral one, the derived species will retain (conserve) all
say that through the process of cyclic onto- will be established, and with it a new species, the structural (phenotypic) traits of the an-
genic drift the total genotypes of the individ- deriving from the ancestral one, will arise. cestral species that allows it to carry out its
uals become spontaneously “adapted” to the Given that, as we stated above, in the course specific way of living, as well as many sig-
particular way of living constituted in such a of the cyclic ontogenic drift, the ontogenic nificant aspects of the ancestral ontogenic

https://constructivist.info/18/1/094.mpodozis
 { JORGE MPODOZIS
is a Professor at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, where he
regularly teaches courses on evolution, neuroethology, neuroanatomy, evolution and development,
neurosciences, and, occasionally philosophy of biology. His research activities are focused in
systems neuroscience, specifically, anatomy, physiology, and (more recently) development and
evolution of sensory systems in amniotes. He also maintains an active interest in epistemology
and conceptual biology. He is also not so young, loving, he believes, a father of five, and deeply
admiring of and grateful for the magnificent nature to which he, and all of us, belong.

process leading to the arising of the retained ancestral way of living, “ducking.” Going fur- Competing interests
phenotypic traits. Thus, phyletic conserva- ther, I would like to propose that “chicken/
tion is not the passive result of some mys- egg-like” circular situations cannot but be The author declares that he has no com-
terious “phylogenetic inertia.” Rather, con- the result of historical processes (and in that peting interests.
EVOLUTIONARY CONCEPTS IN Theory of Autopoiesis

servation is as inherent to the processes sense, carry the mark of historicity) both in
of phylogenic drift as is change. It may be nature and in human culture. In order to
worth recalling that lineages are defined by a make the first metal hammers, our ancestors References
set of structural traits that are common, that needed to hammer metal. Or, more contem-
is, differentially conserved, among a group porarily, to make computers one needs to Aristotle (1994) Book V. In: Reproducción de
of organisms or species. In other words, it is compute. Thus, hammering precedes ham- los animales [The reproduction of animals].
what is being transgenerationally conserved, mers, and computing precedes computers. Translated by Ester Sánchez. Editorial Gre-
and not what is changing, that defines lin- In the same sense, chickening precedes the dos, Madrid: 285–320.
eages. Equally interestingly, a change in chicken, as well as seeing preceding the eyes. Cecchi C., Vargas A., Villagra C., Villagra C.
what is being conserved defines the separa- & Mpodozis J. (2004) Answering Cuvier:
tion of derived lineages from ancestral ones. Notes on the systemic/historic nature of liv-
« 35 »  Le me conclude this section with Conclusion ing beings. Cybernetics & Human Knowing
an example of the previously exposed by dis- 11(4): 11–19. ▶︎ https://cepa.info/3251
cussing the following natural situation. Bears « 37 »  To my knowledge, most of Etxeberria A. (2004) Autopoiesis and natural
and humans can both facultatively ride bi- the scholarly comments on Maturana & drift: Genetic information, reproduction,
cycles, despite their lineages departing one Mpodozis (1992, 2000) either claim that and evolution revisited. Artificial Life 10(3):
from the other some 67 million years ago. these publications are incomprehensible or 347–360. ▶︎ https://cepa.info/4153
Thus, it can be safely concluded that both lin- claim that they are nothing more than the Graphodatsky A. S., Trifonov V. A. & Stan-
eages have retained from their last common sum of obvious truisms. Both types of com- yon R. (2011) The genome diversity and
ancestor, from very long ago, the locomotor ments are equally effective ways of ignoring karyotype evolution of mammals. Mo-
capabilities enabling them to ride bicycles. our propositions without having to offer a lecular cytogenetics 4(1): 1–16. https://doi.
100 Interesting, phylogenetic reconstructions in- critical appraisal. As I tried to show in this org/10.1186/1755-8166-4-22
dicate that such an ancestor was a cursorial article, natural drift is neither incompre- Maturana H. R. & Mpodozis J. (1992) Origen de
quadruped (Graphodatsky, Trifonov & Stan- hensible nor obvious. Rather, it appears to las especies por medio de la deriva natural:
yon 2011), seemingly incapable of the biped be unacceptable for current mainstream La diversificación de los linajes a través de
mode of locomotion necessary for cycling. academia (but see, for example, Etxeberria la conservación y cambio de los fenotipos
2004, Riegler 2008, and Raimondi 2021), as ontogénicos [Origin of species through
it calls into question some basic assumptions natural drift: The diversification of lineages
Staging the natural drift: sustaining contemporary scientific practices, through the conservation and change of on-
The chicken-or-egg such as linear causality, and, above all, the togenic phenotypes]. Publicación Ocasional
supposition of the existence of a transcen-
problem dental reality, a world of objects external to
no. 46. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural,
Santiago, Chile. ▶︎ https://cepa.info/623
« 36 »  The chicken or the egg, which living beings and ontologically independent Maturana H. R. & Mpodozis J. (2000) The origin
came first? Let us assume, for the easiness of them. of species by means of natural drift. Revista
of this didactic exercise, that the duck is the Chilena de Historia Natural 73(2): 261–310.
ancestor of the chicken. Thus, according to ▶︎ https://cepa.info/680
what has been exposed, the chicken and the Funding Maturana H. R. & Varela F. J. (1973) De
chicken egg arise together in the systemic máquinas y seres vivos: Una teoría sobre
conservation of “chickening” a way of living No external funding was received while la organización biológica [Of machines
that, through natural drift, stems from the writing this manuscript. and living beings: A theory on biological
 Theory of Autopoiesis
New Foundations for Understanding Evolution Alexander O. Vargas

organization]. Editorial Universitaria, Riegler A. (2008) Natural or internal selec- epigenesis and neutral change: A conceptual
Santiago. tion? The case of canalization in complex approach at the organismal level. Journal
Maturana H. R. & Varela F. J. (1984) El árbol evolutionary systems. Artificial Life 14(3): of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular
del conocimiento: Las bases biológicas del 345–362. https://constructivist.info/ and Developmental Evolution. Early view.
entendimiento humano. Editorial Universi- riegler/53 ▶︎ https://cepa.info/7885
taria, Santiago. ▶︎ https://cepa.info/573 Uexküll J. von (2010) A foray into the worlds of
Maturana H. R. & Varela F. J. (1987) The tree of animals and humans with a theory of mean- Received: 26 May 2022
knowledge: The biological roots of human ing. University of Minnesota Press, Min- Revised: 29 July 2022
understanding. Shambhala, Boston. neapolis MN. German original published Revised: 15 August 2022
Raimondi V. (2021) Autopoiesis and evolution: in 1934. Accepted: 6 September 2022
The role of organisms in natural drift. Adap- Vargas A. O., Botelho J. F. & Mpodozis J.
tive Behavior 29(5): 511–522. (2020) The evolutionary consequences of

This target article is part of a bigger picture that encompasses several open peer commentaries and the response
to these commentaries. You can read these accompanying texts on the following pages (or, if you have only the target
article, follow the embedded link that takes you to the journal’s web page from which you can download these texts).

Open Peer Commentaries

on Jorge Mpodozis’s “Natural Drift: A Minimal Theory with
Maximal Consequences”

Natural Drift: New Foundations entists with a conventional background in stream evolutionary theory: an explanation
ecology and genetics. Firstly, Maturana and of what is taking place at the level of the or-
for Understanding Evolution Mpodozis are probably more aware that the ganism, namely, autopoiesis. This takes the
Alexander O. Vargas domain of an explanation must not be con- phenomenon of adaptation into the logic of
fused with the domain of the phenomenon systems, and the changes that living systems 101
Universidad de Chile, Chile
to be explained, a distinction that becomes may undergo without losing their autopoi-
alexvargas/at/uchile.cl blurred in Theodosius Dobzhansky’s widely etic organization. The organism is the most
accepted redefinition of evolution as the basic level at which adaptation can be ascer-
> Abstract • By focusing on the organ- change in the genetic composition of popu- tained, and the logic is about all or nothing:
ism, and the systemic phenomenon of lations (Dobzhansky 1937). Additionally, as either autopoietic organization is present, or
autopoiesis, natural drift as proposed by organismal biologists, they are probably less the system is no longer autopoietic, losing
Maturana and Mpodozis provides an al- inclined to overlook the level of the organ- properties such as autonomy and self-pro-
ternative foundation to natural selection ism or consider it inconsequential, instead duction, and ending in disintegration. Any
for discussing adaptation and evolution. of focusing mainly on populations, genes, change that does not end autopoiesis is, in a
It takes into account basic structural and the environment as a strictly external sense, neutral, or in other words, facultative.
considerations that have been sorely ab- sieve for these genes. Rather, for these neu- This has clear implications for how changes
sent from mainstream thinking. roscientists, the niche itself emerges from occur during evolution. As Jorge Mpodozis
the actions of the organism, much like with expresses in the target article, “aspects of
« 1 »  Evolutionary thinking can be very our own cognitive world. It is the organisms the way of living, and of the corresponding
different when coming from scientists with that select their medium, and not the oppo- ontogenic phenotype, that are constitutive
a background in neurobiology and con- site. (obligatory) for the derived species, are at
structivism, like Humberto Maturana and « 2 »  Maturana and Mpodozis propose the same time facultative for the ancestral
Jorge Mpodozis, compared to that from sci- a basic starting point that is lacking in main- species” (§33). In other words: at the outset,

https://constructivist.info/18/1/094.mpodozis