Question

What are some critiques of these Punctuated equilibrium principles?

Once a species appears in the fossil record the population will become stable, showing little evolutionary change for most of its geological history. This state of little or no morphological change is called stasis.

When significant evolutionary change occurs, the theory proposes that it is generally restricted to rare and geologically rapid events of branching speciation called cladogenesis. Cladogenesis is the process by which a species splits into two distinct species, rather than one species gradually transforming into another.

Answer 1

• Punctuated equilibrium is also known as jerked evolution as in punctuated equilibrium species undergo latest changes in the most of their geologic life history (period of stasis) which are punctuated by short periods of rapid change.
• Evolutionary change patterns involve rapid splitting of one species into descendant species(cladogenesis).
• This model suggests that evolution occurs by altering periods of convergence and reorientation.
• Main cause for punctuated equilibrium model is suggested to be the mutations which are positively selected by nature.