example, when a living system reaches a bifurcation point, as described by Prigogine, its history of structural coupling will determine the new pathways that become available, but which pathway the system will take remains unpredictable.
Like Prigogine’s theory of dissipative structures, the theory of autopoiesis shows that creativity—the generation of configurations that are constantly new—is a key property of all living systems. A special form of this creativity is the generation of diversity through reproduction, from simple cell division to the highly complex dance of sexual reproduction. For most living organisms ontogeny is not a linear path of development but a cycle, and reproduction is a vital step in that cycle.
Billions of years ago the combined abilities of living systems to reproduce and create novelty led naturally to biological evolution—a creative unfolding of life that has continued in an uninterrupted process ever since. From the most archaic and simple forms of life to the most intricate and complex contemporary forms, life has unfolded in a continual dance without ever breaking the basic pattern of its autopoietic networks.