Punctuated Equilibrium

Punctuated Equilibrium The surprise of the Cambrian explosion can also be seen on a smaller scale during the fossil record. The vast majority of species suddenly appear in the fossil record and then continue unchanged for some period of time (a phenomenon called "persistence") before disappearing. In 1972, the paleontologist Nils Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould named this pattern "punctuated equilibrium". Eldred and Gould attributed the persistence to the stability of the environment or internal constraints in the embryonic development process, and considered that the sudden appearance occurs due to "citizen divergent speciation" (the term "speciation" refers to the process of emergence of new species). According to the speciation hypothesis, a small part of the current population becomes geographically isolated (the word "allopatric" is made up of words with "non-local" meanings). Some critics have argued that this is merely an attempt to evade the lack of evidence for transitional forms. Indeed, some critics have even pointed out that the pattern of intermittent equilibrium is incompatible with evolution. Another critique of intermittent equilibrium was that the evolution of morphological (morphological) properties with genetic mutations and natural selection required large populations and long periods of time. Properties such as these are not expected to appear in small groups in a short time, as would the Eldred-Gold hypothesis. Intermittent equilibrium is not an empirically supported explanation. It is in fact little more than a new formulation to note that new species tend to appear suddenly in the fossil record and then remain the same until they disappear. Ancestors and transitional forms do not exist. From time to time, fossils are discovered that have properties that seem to be intermediate between the old and new species, and some people claim that this proves the truth of evolutionary theory. - Dr. Jonathan Wells. — Source: Published on Facebook's "Braheen Center" page https://www.facebook.com/braheen.org/posts/pfbid02ugsFrnGkQGPBzwwyyk3ZFbLW2sPXQFSWHEs4f3ty66751VPCG6rPtimsEyZQKqdCl