Punctuated Equilibrium (Noun)
Meaning
A theory of evolution holding that evolutionary change in the fossil record came in fits and starts rather than in a steady process of slow change.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The theory of punctuated equilibrium suggests that species remain relatively unchanged for long periods of time before undergoing rapid evolution.
- Punctuated equilibrium was first proposed by paleontologists Niles Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould in the early 1970s as a challenge to traditional views of evolution.
- According to punctuated equilibrium, the fossil record is characterized by long periods of stability punctuated by brief periods of rapid evolutionary change.
- The theory of punctuated equilibrium has been supported by numerous studies of the fossil record, which show that many species exhibit long periods of stability followed by rapid evolution.
- Punctuated equilibrium has been influential in shaping our understanding of the evolutionary process and has been applied to a wide range of fields, including biology, paleontology, and geology.