Macroevolution and microevolution: similarities and differences

Macroevolution and microevolution are different in that the first term describes changes at the species level, and the second - supernova evolution. Such definitions are called irreversible processes of transformation of the organism of living beings, adjusting to the surrounding conditions.

What do terms have in common?

In describing the differences in the concepts of "macroevolution" and "microevolution," the scale of the processes taking place is important. The time taken to change organisms is taken into account. Macroscopic indicators are made up of numerous microprocesses.

Macroevolution and microevolution is a set of events leading to the emergence of systematic groups:

• Detachments;
• Childbirth;
• Types or departments;
• Families.

All these groups have similarities: they come from the same state. Gradually adapting to the surrounding conditions, they are modified and become unlike the original forms. And the more time passes, the more noticeable the difference in the species.

The process of evolution consists in the irreversible change of natural organisms leading to the formation of the following states:

• Change in genetics;
• Formation of adaptations to new living conditions;
• The formation of new species;
• Transformation of biogeocenosis;
• Disappearance of already existing species;
• Change in the biosphere as a whole.

What are the semantic differences of terms?

The change in the population of a particular species leads to the fact that there is a macroevolution and microevolution. Differences in definitions:

• The first definition is used to describe global biological changes. It refers to the formation of geographical subspecies, but it can not begin without microevolution.
• Global processes of macroevolution last dozens, hundreds of millions of years. The period of biological changes in microevolution is equal to thousands of years.

In the theory of microevolution, the processes of population adaptation to changing environmental conditions are considered.

Often the development process of the species is simultaneously described as macroevolution and microevolution. Similarities and differences of existing theories are needed to generalize the studied indicators in the development of biological species.

Highlights of the two types of development

You can see the same processes in such theories as macroevolution and microevolution. Comparison of the two types of development gives reason to think about the same principle of considering biological evolution. In the first case, the formation of newly emerged genera and species is observed. And in the second, similar judgments are made in identifying mutations, gene drift, migration of living organisms.

The theories of macro and microevolution are based on the creation of certain points of view in the study of the development of biological species, which allows for a detailed analysis of the long-term development of living organisms. To obtain a more complete description of species, the term "isolating factors" is used. These include the conditions that affect evolution:

• The change in the course of the river forces fish and other underwater inhabitants to adapt to the new environment;
• The habitual conditions of birds are affected by the movement of the earth's crust, when a new mountain range is formed;
• Global warming leads to an increase in the temperature of ocean currents, which affects the lives of both underwater creatures and animals on the continents.

In order to adapt to new conditions, living beings will have to be modified at the level of microevolution.

Global changes

Comparing the concepts of "macroevolution" and "microevolution", we can conclude: the result of global change depends on a set of random events occurring at the molecular level. Each slow-moving process at some time can grow into a super macro evolution. However, this happens over a very long period of time.

In the theory of macroevolution, the laws governing the development of the organic world are considered. According to statistical data, a clear and generalized picture of the evolutionary variation of biological species can be compiled. The main tendencies and directions are clearly delineated, which is difficult to do when studying only microevolution.

Examples of global events

The theory of macroevolution considers processes lasting a million years. These include the output of vertebrate creatures on land, the process of transition from walking on all fours to a bipedal posture of movement. These events are accompanied by significant changes in biological species both at the gene level and externally. Two kinds of development always occur for the formation of new species: macroevolution and microevolution. The similarity of events is that natural selection is the key factor in the formation of new species and subspecies. When considering all the processes in this vein, general conclusions are drawn about the patterns of evolutionary changes.

Internal changes

Macroevolution and microevolution are interdependent. The first global process can be modified under the influence of the following factors:

• Genetic differentiation;
• Hereditary variability ;
• Isolation under the influence of directing the action of natural selection.

The theory of microevolution deals with the issues of changes within a species, when some living beings begin to stand out as a physical structure due to some factors and form a new subspecies. To simplify the classification of events, an elementary unit of evolution is used - the population.

Microevolutionary processes can occur with isolation of individual populations, isolation from the parental subspecies into separate species. This can happen when one genus of biological beings breaks up into two separate states.

Examples of intraspecific events

The following events are classified as microevolution:

• Adaptation of the digestive system of rodents to new poisons and chemicals (this process is quite fast - just a few years);
• A change in the whole gene pool of a separate species, which is called phyletic evolution;
• Microevolution can be found in various species: in birds and bats it is wings, in fish and marine life - fins and gills, in amphibians observe both;
• Similar processes can be found in animals that are separated from each other in a systematic way: gills are found in fish and in a lobster or a crab, and the finitenesses of the bear are similar in structure to the feet of a mole;
• The limbs of animals living on trees are similar in structure and purpose.

Ways of development of biological species

The definition of "view" includes an extensive list of properties:

• Physiological, biological and physicochemical indicators.
• Individuals have the ability to reproduce.
• They have the ability to adapt to certain environmental conditions.
• Individuals occupy a certain niche in the food chain.

In micro- and macroevolution, the criteria for assessing species are applied:

1. Morphological.
2. Physiological.
3. Biochemical.
4. Genetic.
5. Geographical.
6. Ecological.

The species refers to the smallest genetic unit and is comparable to the population when one individual is able to interbreed with another. In this case, a part of the biological code is transferred to continue the genus. This creates new species.

To change the species, it is necessary to develop suitable conditions under the influence of events: isolation from the aggressive environment, patterns of natural selection, mutations and wave-like population change.