Asked by Marcus Morgan on May 11, 2024
Verified
Describe the difference between microevolution and macroevolution.
Microevolution
The change in allele frequencies that occurs over time within a population, leading to the evolution of small-scale adaptations.
Macroevolution
Evolutionary patterns and trends on a larger scale than microevolution; e.g., adaptive radiation, coevolution.
- Differentiate between the processes of microevolution and macroevolution and understand their contributions to species development.
Verified Answer
ZK
Zybrea KnightMay 13, 2024
Final Answer :
Microevolution refers to allele frequency changes within a population or species. For example, when natural selection works to change traits within a population, such as changes in beak sizes of a bird population or changes in antibiotic resistance in a bacterial population.
Macroevolution, however, refers to large-scale evolutionary events such as the diversification of several new species or the mass extinction of a whole species. It does not examine specific traits (alleles); instead, it looks at big picture events.
Macroevolution, however, refers to large-scale evolutionary events such as the diversification of several new species or the mass extinction of a whole species. It does not examine specific traits (alleles); instead, it looks at big picture events.
Learning Objectives
- Differentiate between the processes of microevolution and macroevolution and understand their contributions to species development.