Evolutionary creativity in landscapes

In biological evolution, creativity occurs in the appearance of new entities by evolutionary dynamics. This is linked to mutations and genetic drift, which cannot occur in geophysical phenomena. Biota can exhibit evolutionary creativity that influences landforms, but how does creativity (defined here as the capacity for emergence of new entities that increase the adjustedness of the landscape to environmental conditions) occur in landforms and landscapes as entities independent of biota? Creativity in geomorphic evolution does not require any sort of goal functions or purposeful innovation – just that geomorphic development is capable of producing novelties that may be better adapted (more efficient or durable) than predecessors. Independently of biota, evidence exists that landforms may develop to become more or less ‘fit' in terms of efficiency and/or durability. Thus, emergence of novel features may lead to their persistence. Emergence of novel forms is illustrated for the case of karst sinkholes (dolines), which indicates increasing geomorphic diversity over Ma and Ga timescales. A case study of fluviokarst chronosequences in Kentucky demonstrates emergence and elimination of landforms as landscapes evolve. Some of these may represent generally (as opposed to locally) novel landforms. While this article is more suggestive than demonstrative, results strongly suggest evolutionary creativity in geomorphology both tied to, and independent of, biological evolution. This occurs due to emergence of geomorphic entities that are subject to selection that tends to increase efficiency and durability. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.