Evolvability: Progress and Key Questions

C. Pélabon, C.; G. A. Agudelo-Cantero; Y.G. Araya-Ajoy; G.H. Bolstad; C. Cheng; F. Galis; F. Guillaume; T. Haaland; B. Hallgrimsson; T. Hansen; A. Holstad; D. Houle; G. Hunt; I. Isaksen; L. Milocco; N. Mubalegh; L. Nuño de la Rosa; Steven Orzack; A. Porto; Jane Reid; J.L. Sztepanacz; E.A.B. Undheim; C. Villegas; K.L. Voje; C. Walling; J. Wright

doi:10.1093/biosci/biaf111

Evolvability: Progress and Key Questions

C. Pélabon, C.^*, G. A. Agudelo-Cantero, Y.G. Araya-Ajoy, G.H. Bolstad, C. Cheng, F. Galis, F. Guillaume, T. Haaland, B. Hallgrimsson, T. Hansen, A. Holstad, D. Houle, G. Hunt, I. Isaksen, L. Milocco, N. Mubalegh, L. Nuño de la Rosa, Steven Orzack, A. Porto, Jane ReidJ.L. Sztepanacz, E.A.B. Undheim, C. Villegas, K.L. Voje, C. Walling, J. Wright

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Since the 1990s, evolutionary biologists have recognized the importance of explaining the ability of biological systems to evolve and how this ability itself evolves. This recognition of the need to explain evolvability emerged from an awareness that the kind and the amount of heritable variation available for natural selection require explanation. The concept of evolvability is now the focus of many research programs in diverse subdisciplines within evolutionary biology. In the present article, we first review and synthesise progress made in evolvability research. We then present key questions to set an agenda for future research on evolvability, identify challenges to answer these questions, and discuss opportunities to apply results from the evolvability research to conservation biology.

Original language	English
Article number	biaf111
Pages (from-to)	1042-1057
Number of pages	16
Journal	BioScience
Volume	75
Issue number	12
Early online date	9 Sept 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf111
Publication status	Published - Dec 2025

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Evolvability
Evolutionary quantitative genetics
Evo-devo
Paleobiology
Evolutionary systems biology

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biaf111Final published version, 1.41 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC)

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Pélabon, C., C., Agudelo-Cantero, G. A., Araya-Ajoy, Y. G., Bolstad, G. H., Cheng, C., Galis, F., Guillaume, F., Haaland, T., Hallgrimsson, B., Hansen, T., Holstad, A., Houle, D., Hunt, G., Isaksen, I., Milocco, L., Mubalegh, N., Nuño de la Rosa, L., Orzack, S., Porto, A., ... Wright, J. (2025). Evolvability: Progress and Key Questions. BioScience, 75(12), 1042-1057. Article biaf111. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf111

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title = "Evolvability: Progress and Key Questions",

abstract = "Since the 1990s, evolutionary biologists have recognized the importance of explaining the ability of biological systems to evolve and how this ability itself evolves. This recognition of the need to explain evolvability emerged from an awareness that the kind and the amount of heritable variation available for natural selection require explanation. The concept of evolvability is now the focus of many research programs in diverse subdisciplines within evolutionary biology. In the present article, we first review and synthesise progress made in evolvability research. We then present key questions to set an agenda for future research on evolvability, identify challenges to answer these questions, and discuss opportunities to apply results from the evolvability research to conservation biology.",

keywords = "Evolvability, Evolutionary quantitative genetics, Evo-devo, Paleobiology, Evolutionary systems biology",

author = "\{P{\'e}labon, C.\}, C. and Agudelo-Cantero, \{G. A.\} and Y.G. Araya-Ajoy and G.H. Bolstad and C. Cheng and F. Galis and F. Guillaume and T. Haaland and B. Hallgrimsson and T. Hansen and A. Holstad and D. Houle and G. Hunt and I. Isaksen and L. Milocco and N. Mubalegh and \{Nu{\~n}o de la Rosa\}, L. and Steven Orzack and A. Porto and Jane Reid and J.L. Sztepanacz and E.A.B. Undheim and C. Villegas and K.L. Voje and C. Walling and J. Wright",

note = "This article is the result of a meeting on Evolvability held in Trondheim (Norway) April 21-23, 2023, organised by C. P{\'e}labon and T.F. Hansen and funded by the Centre for Advanced Study (CAS) of Oslo. The authors thank Tobias Uller and seven anonymous referees, and Charlie Fenster for their constructive comments on of the manuscript. ",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1093/biosci/biaf111",

language = "English",

volume = "75",

pages = "1042--1057",

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issn = "0006-3568",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

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Pélabon, C., C, Agudelo-Cantero, GA, Araya-Ajoy, YG, Bolstad, GH, Cheng, C, Galis, F, Guillaume, F, Haaland, T, Hallgrimsson, B, Hansen, T, Holstad, A, Houle, D, Hunt, G, Isaksen, I, Milocco, L, Mubalegh, N, Nuño de la Rosa, L, Orzack, S, Porto, A, Reid, J, Sztepanacz, JL, Undheim, EAB, Villegas, C, Voje, KL, Walling, C & Wright, J 2025, 'Evolvability: Progress and Key Questions', BioScience, vol. 75, no. 12, biaf111, pp. 1042-1057. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf111

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evolvability: Progress and Key Questions

AU - Pélabon, C., C.

AU - Agudelo-Cantero, G. A.

AU - Araya-Ajoy, Y.G.

AU - Bolstad, G.H.

AU - Cheng, C.

AU - Galis, F.

AU - Guillaume, F.

AU - Haaland, T.

AU - Hallgrimsson, B.

AU - Hansen, T.

AU - Holstad, A.

AU - Houle, D.

AU - Hunt, G.

AU - Isaksen, I.

AU - Milocco, L.

AU - Mubalegh, N.

AU - Nuño de la Rosa, L.

AU - Orzack, Steven

AU - Porto, A.

AU - Reid, Jane

AU - Sztepanacz, J.L.

AU - Undheim, E.A.B.

AU - Villegas, C.

AU - Voje, K.L.

AU - Walling, C.

AU - Wright, J.

N1 - This article is the result of a meeting on Evolvability held in Trondheim (Norway) April 21-23, 2023, organised by C. Pélabon and T.F. Hansen and funded by the Centre for Advanced Study (CAS) of Oslo. The authors thank Tobias Uller and seven anonymous referees, and Charlie Fenster for their constructive comments on of the manuscript.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Since the 1990s, evolutionary biologists have recognized the importance of explaining the ability of biological systems to evolve and how this ability itself evolves. This recognition of the need to explain evolvability emerged from an awareness that the kind and the amount of heritable variation available for natural selection require explanation. The concept of evolvability is now the focus of many research programs in diverse subdisciplines within evolutionary biology. In the present article, we first review and synthesise progress made in evolvability research. We then present key questions to set an agenda for future research on evolvability, identify challenges to answer these questions, and discuss opportunities to apply results from the evolvability research to conservation biology.

AB - Since the 1990s, evolutionary biologists have recognized the importance of explaining the ability of biological systems to evolve and how this ability itself evolves. This recognition of the need to explain evolvability emerged from an awareness that the kind and the amount of heritable variation available for natural selection require explanation. The concept of evolvability is now the focus of many research programs in diverse subdisciplines within evolutionary biology. In the present article, we first review and synthesise progress made in evolvability research. We then present key questions to set an agenda for future research on evolvability, identify challenges to answer these questions, and discuss opportunities to apply results from the evolvability research to conservation biology.

KW - Evolvability

KW - Evolutionary quantitative genetics

KW - Evo-devo

KW - Paleobiology

KW - Evolutionary systems biology

U2 - 10.1093/biosci/biaf111

DO - 10.1093/biosci/biaf111

M3 - Review article

C2 - 41367904

SN - 0006-3568

VL - 75

SP - 1042

EP - 1057

JO - BioScience

JF - BioScience

IS - 12

M1 - biaf111

ER -

Evolvability: Progress and Key Questions

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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