Macroevolution

Definition

Macroevolution comprises the evolutionary processes and patterns which occur at and above the species level. In contrast, microevolution is evolution occurring within the population(s) of a single species. In other words, microevolution is the scale of evolution that is limited to intraspecific (within-species) variation, while macroevolution extends to interspecific (between-species) variation. The evolution of new species (speciation) is an example of macroevolution. This is the common definition for 'macroevolution' used by contemporary scientists. However, the exact usage of the term has varied throughout history.

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molluscs Evolution of morality Evolution of nervous systems Evolution of primates Evolution of reptiles Evolution of sexual reproduction Evolution of sirenians Evolution of snake venom Evolution of spiders Evolution of tetrapods Evolution of the brain Evolution of the eye Evolution of the horse Evolution of the wolf Evolutionarily stable strategy Evolutionary aesthetics Evolutionary anthropology Evolutionary arms race Evolutionary biology Evolutionary developmental biology Evolutionary ecology Evolutionary economics Evolutionary epistemology Evolutionary ethics Evolutionary fauna Evolutionary game theory Evolutionary history of plants Evolutionary ideas of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment Evolutionary invasion analysis Evolutionary linguistics Evolutionary medicine Evolutionary mismatch Evolutionary neuroscience Evolutionary physiology Evolutionary pressure Evolutionary psychology Evolutionary taxonomy Evolutionary tradeoff Exaptation Experimental evolution Extended evolutionary synthesis Extinction Extinction event Facilitated variation Family (biology)Feather Fish Fisher's principle Fitness (biology)Fossil Fossil record Gebrüder Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung Gene-centered view of evolution Gene duplication Gene flow Genera Genetic assimilation Genetic diversity Genetic drift Genetic variation Genome evolution Genus Geological time Glossary of evolutionary biology Gradualism Group selection Hair Handicap principle Harvard University Press Heart Heterochrony History of evolutionary thought History of life History of molecular evolution History of paleontology History of speciation Hologenome theory of evolution Homology (biology)Horizontal gene transfer Human evolution Human genome Hybrid (biology)Hybrid speciation Hydroxyapatite Hyena Immune system Inbreeding avoidance Incisor Inclusive fitness Index of evolutionary biology articles Interspecific competition Introduction to evolution Invasion genetics Inversion (evolutionary biology)Island 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