How Does a New Species Reproduce After Macro-Evolution?

[dratsab]

Okay I have a question. In micro-evolution, traits change among the same species, enough of these changes leads to macro-evolution. What is macro-evolution other than a different name and a series of small changes? A change big enough so that the new organism is no longer of the same species, and cannot mate with the original species anymore. This makes me question something...

Mutations would only affect one organism, correct? It would be too coincidental for a group of organisms to all evolve into the same new species. So how does the new species reproduce if it's not asexual? If it's the only one of it's kind? If it could reproduce with the parent species, then it would BE that species itself, so how does a new organism representing a new species reproduce?

 

[russ_watters]

Mutations would only affect one organism, correct? It would be too coincidental for a group of organisms to all evolve into the same new species.

Mutated organisms (may) pass their new traits on to their kids.

So how does the new species reproduce if it's not asexual? If it's the only one of it's kind? If it could reproduce with the parent species, then it would BE that species itself, so how does a new organism representing a new species reproduce?

It isn't that thin of a line. Species may just evolve in parallel, isolated from each other, eventually becoming incompatible.

 

[yangxu]

Evolution is a long term process, I personally don't believe species could just arise through a sudden change that makes it completely incompatible with its predecessors. Usually an advantageous mutation is selected upon and passed onto future generations long enough to allow the specialization of that trait, but this takes time.

 

[Moridin]

Evolution is a long term process, I personally don't believe species could just arise through a sudden change that makes it completely incompatible with its predecessors. Usually an advantageous mutation is selected upon and passed onto future generations long enough to allow the specialization of that trait, but this takes time.

Yes, evolution does indeed proceed through gradualism.

 

[Evo]

New animal species can emerge much quicker than previously thought, say scientists.

Salmon in a US lake split into two separate populations in just 13 generations, or about 60-70 years, researchers have revealed.

Until now, it was believed that new species took hundreds or thousands of years to appear.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/979950.stm

 

[Moridin]

Here are some observed instances of speciation with some additional information on the concept:

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-speciation.html
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/speciation.html

 

[Moonbear]

Okay I have a question. In micro-evolution, traits change among the same species, enough of these changes leads to macro-evolution. What is macro-evolution other than a different name and a series of small changes? A change big enough so that the new organism is no longer of the same species, and cannot mate with the original species anymore. This makes me question something...

Evolution is evolution. The distinction between micro and macro evolution is not one made by biology so much as those who wish to reject evolution, but need to make some concession to the fact that mutations do indeed occur that change species, so they give it a different name.

Mutations would only affect one organism, correct? It would be too coincidental for a group of organisms to all evolve into the same new species. So how does the new species reproduce if it's not asexual? If it's the only one of it's kind? If it could reproduce with the parent species, then it would BE that species itself, so how does a new organism representing a new species reproduce?

The mutation would have to occur in the germ cells (egg or sperm), not just somatic cells (the rest of the body) for it to be passed on to the next generation, and be spread throughout a species.