A new mathematical framework published in Proceeding of the Royal Society B offers an updated perspective on the pace of evolution.
The concept of “punctuated equilibrium” was introduced in 1972, proposing that species evolve in fits and starts, remaining stable for millions of years before rapidly evolving into something new.
The new study adds evidence to the support of the punctuated equilibrium phenomenon, showing that evolutionary bursts are common and clustered at the point where one species forks into two.
The “saltative branching” process, as the authors term it, appears to be a universal feature, found not only in biological evolution, but also in the evolution of human languages.
The study blends the previously conflicting perspectives of paleontologists and molecular biologists to provide a cohesive model.
