A few "gems" from #WR_Ashby on the "accumulation of adaptations":
>"A compound event that is impossible if the components have to occur simultaneously may be readily achievable if they can occur in sequence or independently...
Thus, for the accumulation of adaptations to be possible, **the system must not be fully joined**.
>The idea so often implicit in physiological writings, that all will be well if only sufficient cross-connexions are available, is, in this context, quite wrong."
I recommend reading the whole book ($20 on Amazon) but if not, here is a good overview of some interesting parts: