3.
What is the theory of punctuated equilibrium?
It explains why mass extinctions occur.
It describes one way that new species arise.
It explains how domestic animals evolved.
It describes the rate of geologic time.
1 answer
The theory of punctuated equilibrium proposes that species undergo long periods of little to no change (equilibrium) in their characteristics, followed by relatively rapid bursts of evolutionary change (punctuation) that result in the appearance of new species. This theory helps to explain the pattern of evolution seen in the fossil record, where long periods of apparent stability are interrupted by sudden bursts of speciation.