Evolutionary Loss of Useless Features: Is it Molecular Noise Suppression?

Abstract

Organisms are biochemically regulated systems. Thus, information is transferred within an organism, regulating the phenotype according to the information in the DNA code. Many physiological regulatory systems share similar molecules--i.e., code symbols. A consideration of cybernetic theory leads to the prediction that noise or equivocation probably exists in organisms as a force counter to the error-free flow of information and accurate production of the phenotype. The direct way to reduce noise in any system is to shut off all messages that do not serve a vital function. Thus, a cybernetician might well have predicted a priori the phenomenon of evolutionary atrophy where structures and behaviors that are not used are eventually lost.