makroevolúcie

Makroevolúcia refers to evolutionary change at or above the level of species. It encompasses the origin of new species, the extinction of existing ones, and the broad patterns of evolution observed over geological time. Unlike microevolution, which focuses on changes in allele frequencies within populations, makroevolution deals with the cumulative effects of microevolutionary processes over long periods, leading to significant diversification and the emergence of new groups of organisms.

Key concepts within makroevolution include speciation, the process by which new species arise, and extinction, the termination of a lineage. Large-scale patterns such as adaptive radiation, where a single ancestral species diversifies into many new forms adapted to different ecological niches, and evolutionary trends, the directional change in a lineage over time, are also studied under makroevolution. Evidence for makroevolution comes from the fossil record, comparative anatomy, embryology, biogeography, and molecular data. The study of makroevolution seeks to explain the history of life on Earth, including the relationships between different organisms and the mechanisms that have driven biological diversity.