Advancement in Evolutionary Theories

The mode and tempo of morphological change in lineages over geologic time has been a hotly debated topic in paleontology and biology over the last few decades. Fossil lineages have long been tested in the light of evolutionary models—punctuated equilibrium and phyletic gradualism and yet, we lack Darwin’s vision of an integrated understanding of evolution. Darwin, well recognized as the father of evolution, had been successful in awakening the human minds by discovering a coherent theory of evolution. His theory included a principle and a plausible explanation and was based on the principle of descent with modification, accomplished by natural selection. His ideas revolved around a central theme of gradualist evolution. However, soon his opponents advocated another theory in evolution called the punctuated equilibrium. The later theory revolved around the key concept that evolution happens in a stepwise fashion. Thus, studying evolution in the light of these models can possibly help with understanding the mechanism behind the process.