Question

According to the Darwinian theory, the rate of appearance of new forms is linked to their life cycles. Explain it.

Answer 1

The variations, indirectly the rate of appearance of new forms is linked to the life cycle or the life span. The individuals which have a short lifespan will show a high degree of variation over a fixed period of time (even days in case of microbes) in comparison to the individuals with a long life cycle of life span. In the case of microbes, which have the ability to multiply and become millions of individuals within hours and in due course of time, this variant population outgrows the others and appears as a new species within few days. The same event in fish or fowl would take million of years as the life span of these animals are in years.