The Role of Single-Gene Mutations in the Evolution of Flowering Plants

摘要: Although a general concordance has been achieved concerning the mechanisms underlying evolution at intraspecific level, transspecific is still controversial and quite intriguing issue. The controversy caused by relatively short time span in which higher taxa evolved rarity or lack of morphological intermediates fossil record. Two major schools thought exist regarding macroevolution, one favoring gradual evolution, other saltation. former process based on accumulation over long period small mutations, while latter considered to occur rapidly as result isolation peripheral populations (Mayr, 1942, 1954, 1982) that have undergone large-magnitude mutations [in extreme case, Goldschmidt’s (1940) “hopeful monsters”] filtered natural selection (Eldredge Gould, 1972; 1977). history details these concepts are discussed Mayr (1982).