Speciation and Bursts of Evolution |
| |
Authors: | Chris Venditti Mark Pagel |
| |
Institution: | (1) School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AJ, UK |
| |
Abstract: | A longstanding debate in evolutionary biology concerns whether species diverge gradually through time or by rapid punctuational
bursts at the time of speciation. The theory of punctuated equilibrium states that evolutionary change is characterised by
short periods of rapid evolution followed by longer periods of stasis in which no change occurs. Despite years of work seeking
evidence for punctuational change in the fossil record, the theory remains contentious. Further there is little consensus
as to the size of the contribution of punctuational changes to overall evolutionary divergence. Here we review recent developments
which show that punctuational evolution is common and widespread in gene sequence data. |
| |
Keywords: | Speciation Evolution Phylogeny Punctuational evolution Charles Darwin |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |