Darwinizing Gaia

The article discusses the Gaia hypothesis, which posits that the Earth's biosphere functions as a self-regulating system. Doolittle emphasizes the need to interpret global homeostasis as a result of natural selection favoring stability at various levels of biological organization. He references recent data processing methods, particularly the work of Louca et al. (2016), who clustered over 30,000 marine microorganisms based on taxonomic relatedness and functional potential. Their findings indicate that environmental conditions significantly influence the distribution of functional groups in marine microbial communities, shaping metabolic niches while taxonomic composition remains relatively stable within these groups. This suggests a complex interplay between organisms and their environments, supporting the idea that biogeochemical cycles and ecological interactions can be viewed as emergent properties of the biosphere. Doolittle argues that understanding these dynamics is crucial for a comprehensive view of evolution and the Gaia hypothesis, highlighting the importance of both biotic and abiotic factors in shaping evolutionary processes.