emergent evolution

noun

the origin of entirely new properties at certain critical stages or levels in the course of evolution, as multicellular organisms, sexual reproduction, or nervous systems.

Origin of emergent evolution

First recorded in 1920–25

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British Dictionary definitions for emergent evolution

emergent evolution

noun

philosophy the doctrine that, in the course of evolution, some entirely new properties, such as life and consciousness, appear at certain critical points, usually because of an unpredictable rearrangement of the already existing entities

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012