Competitors' coexistence is an intriguing theme when we deal with biological evolution: coexistence is a prerequisite of biological diversity. However, why does evolution support biodiversity? In this paper biological evolution is presented as a process equivalent to concurrent autocatalytic chemical reactions. The analysis of the mathematical models of these reactions shows that competitors are restricted in their ability to coexist stably. Competing autocatalytic units coexist if and only if

more »

... hey have identical energetic characteristics. Therefore, the answer presented here is that evolution does not really maintain diversity. Apparent biodiversity, at a closer look, is a mixture of identical self-replicating units. From here, the conclusion is drawn that differences in the patterns of energy flow, in which self-replicating units are involved, is the driving force of life evolution. This theoretical model, which describes life evolution in simple physical terms, replaces natural selection hypothesis.