The application of the theory to problems in evo-devo and self-organization relies formally on the concept of a genotype-phenotype (GP) map. The genetic code, for example, is a GP map that induces asymmetries in mutationally accessible phenotypes. Consider evolution from the Met (amino acid) phenotype encoded by the ATG (codon) genotype. A phenotypic shift from Met to Val requires an ATG to GTG mutation; a shift from Met to Leu can occur by 2 different mutations (ATG to CTG or TTG); a shift from Met to Ile can occur by 3 different mutations (to ATT, ATC, or ATA). If each type of genetic mutation has the same rate, i.e., with no mutation bias per se, the GP map induces 3 different rates of introduction of the alternative phenotypes Val, Leu and Ile. Due to this bias in introduction, evolution from Met to Ile is favored, and this is not due to a mutational bias (in the sense of a bias reflecting the mechanisms of mutagenesis), but rather an asymmetric mapping of phenotypes to mutationally accessible genotypes.
