EVOLUTION
PATTERNS OF EVOLUTION
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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The fossil record appears to have some “gaps” because while many species have changed gradually overtime (gradualism), other species have likely changed rapidly after a period of stability (punctuated gradualism).
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The fossil record has no “gaps” and shows the concept that many species change gradually overtime (Punctuated gradualism), other species have likely changed rapidly after a period of stability (Gradualism).
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Detailed explanation-1: -Punctuated equilibrium was a theory proposed to explain why the small changes proposed by gradualism and the Neo Darwin theory are not observed in the fossil record. The theory proposes that small isolated populations subjected to environmental stress and changes changed fairly rapidly.
Detailed explanation-2: -The gradualism model depicts evolution as a slow steady process in which organisms change and develop slowly over time. In contrast, the punctuated equilibrium model depicts evolution as long periods of no evolutionary change followed by rapid periods of change.
Detailed explanation-3: -Punctuated equilibrium explains gaps in the fossil record by positing that evolutionary changes take place over short periods of time. This means that there is a very short time during which transitional organisms are present which reduces the likelihood of them being successfully preserved as fossils.
Detailed explanation-4: -Gradualism suggests that organisms evolve through a process of slow and constant change. For instance, an organism that shows a fossil record of gradually increased size in small steps, or an organism that shows a gradual loss of a structure.