The Department of Biological Sciences welcomes 

Dr. Henry Heng

Professor
Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics;
Pathology Department;
Wayne State University School of Medicine

Beyond Darwin: Genome Architecture and the Information Theory of Evolution

Darwin’s framework, strengthened by the Modern Synthesis, explains microevolution through natural selection acting on gradual, small‑scale variation. Yet this paradigm cannot account for macroevolution—the origin of new biological systems, major innovations, and large‑scale transitions. Direct observations of cancer evolution show that macroevolution is not accumulated microevolution, but arises from genome‑level reorganization. Evolution operates through repeated two‑phased cycles: karyotype‑alteration‑mediated macroevolution that generates new system architectures, followed by gene‑mutation‑mediated microevolution that refines and expands the resulting populations. These phase transitions are driven by system‑level information self‑creation and preservation, enabled by genome chaos and stabilization. This two‑phased pattern extends beyond cancer, appearing throughout evolutionary history and unifying diverse mechanisms under historical contingency. The collective model describes how information, carriers, and ecosystems interact to transform rare evolutionary “miracles” into routine biological processes, and how continual carrier replacement drives long‑term increases in informational complexity. Building on decades of rethinking genetics and evolution, Genome Architecture Theory provides a unified, information‑centric framework that departs from Darwinian gradualism. Within this model, cognition emerges as higher‑order information, cancer represents a new biological supersystem, and future information carriers—including artificial intelligence—raise fundamental questions about the direction of evolution in the 21st century.

Hosted by Dr. Markus Friedrich

This seminar will be streamed live. For a zoom link, please contact Dr. Eleni Gourgou at elenigourgou@wayne.edu.