Abstract
[Arguments against the hypothesis of “punctuated equilibria”.] The main point of my critical comment against the hypothesis of punctualism in evolution refers to the incomplete conception of selection, on which this hypothesis is based. There is no reason for the assumption that “organic design”, developmental and phylogenetic limitations, allometry and pleiotropism are not exposed to and modifiable by selection. Selection also improves efficiency and economy of the organismic construction. This insight reduces the role of nonadaptations, chance and limitations during speciation “events”. Geological instants are not as resolvable as claimed by the authors, nor is it justified to take even the examples of most favorable stratigraphic documentation hitherto described as a model for macroevolutionary processes. Up to now there are existing neither observations nor theoretic probability for the punctualistic view of evolution.
Kurzfassung
Die Hypothese von den »punctuated equilibria« wird hiermit abgelehnt. Ihr liegt ein verkürztes Selektionsverständnis zugrunde, das nur den »externen« Aspekt von Selektion kennt (Anpassung an die Umwelt), nicht den »internen« Aspekt (ökonomisierung bzw. Effizienzsteigerung des inneren Gefüges des Organismus). Das Auflösungsvermögen geologisch-paläontologischer Dokumentation dürfte nie gut genug sein, um unvermittelte und sprunghafte Artbildungen zu beweisen. Aus theoretischen Gründen ist es unwahrscheinlich, daß Neubildung von Arten statt Veränderung von Arten Motor der Evolution ist.
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Vogel, K. Zur gegenwärtigen diskussion um die makroevolution (punctuated equilibria). Paläont. Z. 57, 199–203 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02990311
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02990311