[Revised entry by Derek Turner and Joyce C. Havstad on March 12, 2025.
Changes to: Main text, Bibliography]
Macroevolution refers (most of the time, in practice) to evolutionary patterns and processes above the species level. It is usually contrasted with microevolution, or evolutionary change within populations. This customary way of drawing the macro/micro distinction is not perfect, however, because species sometimes consist of multiple populations. Some evolutionary processes, such as the spread of a trait from one population to another, might count as within-species processes but not within-population processes….

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