Table of Contents
What is Microevolution?
Microevolution is a change that occurs in time in a population due to changes in allelic frequencies. This happens due to four reasons: genetic drift, mutation, gene flow, natural and artificial selection.
The time for a microevolutionary change is relatively shorter as compared to macroevolutionary changes. It is not visible to a casual observer. However, these changes can be mathematically proved by the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
Microevolution causes speciation which makes a way for macroevolution. The best example of microevolution can be seen in bacterial strains that have acquired antibiotic resistance.
What is Macroevolution?
Macroevolution brings bigger, large-scale and visible changes above species level. It is inter-specific in nature. The new changes are often as big as development of new structures or organs.
Macroevolution takes millions of years to take place and hence cannot be observed easily. Studying the fossils and other specific methods have to be employed to study these changes.
Examples of macroevolution include: evolution of bat wings and loss of limbs in snakes and lizards.
Microevolution vs Macroevolution
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A change that occurs in a population due to changes in allelic frequencies is known as microevolution. |
Large-scale and visible changes that occur above the level of species are known as macroevolution. |
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The change occurs at an intraspecific level. |
The change occurs at an interspecific level. |
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There are four causes of microevolution: genetic drift, mutation, selection and gene flow. |
Extended microevolution causes macroevolution. |
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It takes relatively shorter time as compared to macroevolution. |
It takes millions of years. |
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The changes are very minute and hence cannot be viewed by a casual observer. It can be observed by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, mathematically. |
The changes are large and occur over a span of million years, hence specific methods such as fossil studies have to be employed to observe the evolution. |
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Bacterial strains that have acquired antibiotic resistance. |
Evolution of bat wings and loss of limbs in snakes and lizards. |
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