Macroevolutionary Trends

Question 1

Cope’s rule

Answer 1

the tendency for organisms in evolving lineages to increase in size over time

but this is from cherry-picking and does not stand true

Question 2

complexification as a trend

Answer 2

fins to limbs

in general ther is an increas in appendage complexity

Question 3

simplification as a trend

Answer 3

synapsida skulls

bones are lost or fused
a general trend to simplifying synapsid skull or architecture

Question 4

“eruptive evolution”

Answer 4

when talking about diversification rate of life
life could be doing nothing for long periods, and a lot in short periods

Question 5

phyletic gradualism

Answer 5

gradual change slowly changing

Question 6

punctuated equilibrium

Answer 6

periods of intense radiation followed by periods of almost nothing

Question 7

anagenesis

Answer 7

no splitting event, a single lineage moving through time and changing its phenotype or genotype

Question 8

cladogenesis

Answer 8

when it splits , diversification

Question 9

body size trend

Answer 9

maximum body size has increased throughout the phanerozoic, however it is unknown if this is adaptive or simply a result of random walks against a lower limit