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Author Topic:   What prevents micro evolution from becoming macro evolution
Dr Jack
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Joined: 07-14-2003
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Message 15 of 25 (590414)
11-08-2010 5:14 AM
Reply to: Message 11 by Rrhain
11-07-2010 8:07 PM


"Microevolution" and "macroevolution" are creationist terms. Now, biologists have been known to use such terms, but they usually make reference to evolutionary changes below the species level as "microevolution" and evolutionary changes above the species level as "macroevolution."
This is not really true. Or, at the very least, it's an open question in Evolutionary theory.
It's generally accepted that there are some processes important at the macroevolutionary level which are not explicable at the microevolutionary level and some theorists argue for a large role for these processes. For example, mass extinctions, geographical shifts, clade level selection for generalism, sexual reproduction, etc.
So, while the changes within each lineage can be described as incremental microevolutionary steps; there is good reason to think that the description of macroevolutionary patterns of evolution needs additional mechanisms.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 11 by Rrhain, posted 11-07-2010 8:07 PM Rrhain has not replied

Replies to this message:
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