Evolutionary basis of modularity

Determine whether modularity in complex systems reflects general evolutionary principles or is restricted to particular functional features.

Background

Modularity is often linked to evolvability and functional segregation, and multiple mechanisms have been proposed for its emergence, including selection under modularly varying goals, link-cost minimization, and duplication-rewiring processes.

Given these competing explanations and empirical variability, the authors highlight uncertainty about whether modularity is a universal evolutionary outcome or contingent on specific functions.