4GEvolved
4GEvolved, short for Fourth-Generation Evolution, is a theoretical framework describing how adaptive change may arise through interactions across multiple layers and generations. It envisions evolution as a four-stage process in which genetic variation, regulatory network remodeling, epigenetic and non-genetic inheritance, and ecological context feed back into one another to produce rapid phenotypic shifts beyond what single-generation selection would predict.
The term is used in speculative discussions and some models rather than as a formal, widely adopted
The four components are: (1) genetic variation generated by mutation and recombination; (2) gene regulatory network
Applications of the concept include discussions of rapid adaptation in microbial populations, plant responses to environmental
Critics caution that empirical support for stable, transgenerational non-genetic inheritance remains contested and that 4GEvolved risks
See also: Evolution; Epigenetics; Niche construction; Phenotypic plasticity; Evolvability.