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Le débat macroévolutif : apports de la disparité morphologique

Pascal NEIGE

fr Comptes Rendus Palevol 2 (6-7) - Pages 423-433

Published on 30 November 2003

This article is a part of the thematic issue Les chemins de l’Évolution : sur les pas de Steven Jay Gould

The macroevolutionary debate

Several historical as well as more recent aspects of macroevolutionary theory are discussed, in connection with a research program initiated by several working groups over the last ten years: it consists in dividing the taxonomic (diversity) and morphologic (disparity) components of biodiversity when studying its fluctuations through time. Studies have frequently shown a dissociation between the two metrics through the history of clades. Comparing diversity and disparity is a productive approach, which is leading to an exploration of large-scale biodiversity fluctuations in terms of both patterns and processes.


Keywords:

Macroevolution, morphological disparity, taxonomic diversity

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