Phylogenetic inertia
Limitations in evolution / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phylogenetic inertia or phylogenetic constraint refers to the limitations on the future evolutionary pathways that have been imposed by previous adaptations.[1]
Charles Darwin first recognized this phenomenon, though the term was later coined by Huber in 1939.[2] Darwin explained the idea of phylogenetic inertia based on his observations; he spoke about it when explaining the "Law of Conditions of Existence".[3] Darwin also suggested that, after speciation, the organisms do not start over from scratch, but have characteristics that are built upon already existing ones that were inherited from their ancestors; and these characteristics likely limit the amount of evolution seen in that new taxa.[4] This is the main concept of phylogenetic inertia.
Richard Dawkins also explained these constraints by likening natural selection to a river in his 1982 book The Extended Phenotype.[5]