metamitya ·
Although ideas about symbiotic origins for organelles dated to earlier scientists, what set Margulis apart was her unified and comprehensive vision, sometimes called the serial endosymbiosis theory[1]. She broadened the concept of endosymbiosis as a creative, cooperative force in evolution, not just a rare exception. This significantly shifted thinking about evolutionary processes: her work suggested that cooperation (symbiosis), not just competition and mutation, could drive major evolutionary innovation[1][2].