EVOLUTION
PATTERNS OF EVOLUTION
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Fossil record supports the hypothesis that evolution can occur at different rates in different clades, at different times
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Fossil record supports rapid evolution can occur after a small population becomes isolated from the main population
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Detailed explanation-1: -Stasis is the situation in which evolutionary lineages persist for long periods without change. In the fossil record, stasis is common but it has recently taken on a new importance with the punctuated equilibrium debate. Living fossils such as lungfish are lineages which have experienced a long period of stasis.
Detailed explanation-2: -Key Points. Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the past. Fossils are important evidence for evolution because they show that life on earth was once different from life found on earth today.
Detailed explanation-3: -"Punctuated” referred to the sudden appearance of morphologically distinct new species in the fossil record. “Equilibria” referred to the stasis that species exhibit following speciation.
Detailed explanation-4: -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.