Mutator Phenotype
High innovation rates (mutator phenotype) are adaptive in crisis conditions but unsustainable long-term.
In some contexts, natural selection favors mutators - organisms with higher-than-normal mutation rates due to defects in DNA repair or replication fidelity. This is favored in: (1) Pathogen adaptation to host defenses - bacteria in cystic fibrosis lungs show 20-40% mutator strains; (2) Small populations where genetic drift overpowers selection; (3) Fluctuating environments where maintaining genetic diversity is bet-hedging. Mutators are usually transient - once adaptation is achieved, selection favors 'antimutators' reverting to low mutation rates. Mutators are evolutionary sprinters: useful in crises, unsustainable long-term.
Business Application of Mutator Phenotype
High innovation rates (mutator phenotype) are adaptive in crisis conditions but unsustainable long-term. Organizations facing existential threats should temporarily increase experimentation, then return to sustainable baseline once adapted. Sustained 'mutator' behavior leads to resource depletion.