# Evolvability > **Machine-Evolution Nexus:** [[articles/Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution|Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution]] places this node within the history and governance of substrate-independent evolution. **Domain:** Evolution / Adaptive Systems **Doc Type:** Canonical Wiki Node **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition Evolvability is a system’s capacity to generate heritable variation that can support adaptive change. ## Nexus Context Genome architecture, modularity, mutation rate and ecological interaction can make some lineages more capable of future adaptation than others. Digital experiments can manipulate these variables directly. ## Evidence Boundary Evolvability is not a promise of improvement or open-endedness. Variation may be harmful, and selection acts on present consequences rather than future intent. ## Relationships [[wiki/Heritable Variation|Heritable Variation]], [[wiki/Mutational Robustness|Mutational Robustness]], [[wiki/Open-Ended Evolution|Open-Ended Evolution]], [[wiki/Evolvable AI|Evolvable AI]] ## Sources / Provenance - Kirschner and Gerhart, evolvability literature; Avida studies.