Evolutionary transitions in individuality are central to the emergence of biological complexity. Recent experiments provide glimpses of processes underpinning the transition from single cells to multicellular life and draw attention to the critical role of ecology. Here, we emphasize this ecological dimension and argue that its current absence from theoretical frameworks hampers development of general explanatory solutions. Using mechanistic mathematical models, we show how a minimal ecological structure comprising patchily distributed resources and between-patch dispersal can scaffold Darwinian-like properties on collectives of cells. This scaffolding causes cells to participate directly in the process of evolution by natural selection as if they were members of multicellular collectives, with collectives participating in a death–birth process arising from the interplay between the timing of dispersal events and the rate of resource use by cells. When this timescale is sufficiently long and new collectives are founded by single cells, collectives experience conditions that favour evolution of a reproductive division of labour. Together our simple model makes explicit key events in the major evolutionary transition to multicellularity. It also makes predictions concerning the life history of certain pathogens and serves as an ecological recipe for experimental realization of evolutionary transitions.

个体的进化转变是生物复杂性出现的核心。最近的实验提供了支持从单细胞到多细胞生命过渡的过程的一瞥，并引起了人们对生态学的关键作用的关注。在这里，我们强调这个生态维度，并认为它目前在理论框架中的缺失阻碍了一般解释性解决方案的发展。使用机械数学模型，我们展示了一个包含斑块分布的资源和斑块间分散的最小生态结构如何在细胞群上构建类似达尔文的特性。这种支架使细胞通过自然选择直接参与进化过程，就好像它们是多细胞集体的成员一样，集体参与由扩散事件的时间和细胞资源使用率之间的相互作用引起的死亡-出生过程。当这个时间尺度足够长并且新的集体由单个细胞建立时，集体就会经历有利于生殖分工进化的条件。我们的简单模型一起在向多细胞的主要进化过渡中做出了明确的关键事件。它还可以预测某些病原体的生活史，并作为实验实现进化转变的生态配方。集体经历有利于生殖分工演变的条件。我们的简单模型一起在向多细胞的主要进化过渡中做出了明确的关键事件。它还可以预测某些病原体的生活史，并作为实验实现进化转变的生态配方。集体经历有利于生殖分工演变的条件。我们的简单模型一起在向多细胞的主要进化过渡中做出了明确的关键事件。它还可以预测某些病原体的生活史，并作为实验实现进化转变的生态配方。