Abstract
The origins of individuality in evolution has been a major topic both in evolutionary biology and philosophy of biology over the past 30 years. New levels of individuality are the outcomes of successive processes known as evolutionary transitions in individuality (ETIs). Arguably, the most influential models of ETIs place fitness at the center of the explanation, whereby fitness is supposedly transferred from a lower to a higher level of organization during an ETI. However, recent philosophical and formal arguments have called this “transference of fitness” into question. These critiques, together with recent experimental work, have prompted the development of new approaches that look beyond fitness to the evolution of the traits that underpin ETIs and the role of ecological conditions. This symposium brings together philosophers of science, theoretical biologists, and experimentalists to rethink the conceptual landscape of ETIs in light of the latest developments in experimental and theoretical biology.
