Chapter 22, Problem 5U

Summary Introduction

Introduction:

The evolutionary changes occurring in a species and the process of speciation are related processes. Two hypotheses: Gradualism and punctuated equilibrium, have been given to explain the relationship between speciation and the evolutionary changes.

Gradualism suggests that the changes due to evolution occurred very slowly and gradually through the time and is not associated with speciation. Whereas, punctuated equilibrium suggests that the phenotypic changes occurred rapidly due to speciation, which were separated by very long duration of little or no change.