# Do All Evolutionary Theorists Agree that Macroevolution Is Just Repeated Rounds of Microevolution?

**URL:** <https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/do-all-evolutionary-theorists-agree-that-macroevolution-is-just-repeated-rounds-of-microevolution/12307>\
**Category:** Conversation\
**Tags:** Science\
**Created:** [October 31, 2020, 1:37pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/do-all-evolutionary-theorists-agree-that-macroevolution-is-just-repeated-rounds-of-microevolution/12307 "2020-10-31T13:37:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![John\_Harshman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/john_harshman/32/1121_2.png) [@John\_Harshman](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/John_Harshman)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/do-all-evolutionary-theorists-agree-that-macroevolution-is-just-repeated-rounds-of-microevolution/12307/6 "2020-10-31T16:49:21Z")

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> [@Rumraket](#):
>
> It seems to me there’s two ways to understand this question of whether microevolution can result in macroevolution

That’s not the question Eddie is asking, so you probably shouldn’t go there. The question is whether there are processes involved in macroevolution that can’t be reduced to microevolution. And I think there are, species selection being the main one. Eddie, for once, is right. Of course that doesn’t mean that a lot of macroevolution can’t be reduced to piled up macroevolution; it certainly can. Adaptation is microevolutionary.

> [@Rumraket](#):
>
> According to this definition, microevolutionary change cannot _by definition_ result in macroevolutionary change.

Sure it can. Speciation is a microevolutionary process, as it results from changes in allele frequencies in one or more populations, as you said. I don’t think your definitional argument works, because if macroevolution were piled up microevolution, we wouldn’t have to stop calling it microevolution. Again, the question isn’t whether macroevolution can result from microevolution, it’s whether it exclusively results from microevolution.

> [@ProfBravus](#):
>
> Most evolutionary biologists don’t even use the macro/micro distinction.

It’s popular mostly among paleontologists. But they’re evolutionary biologists, aren’t they? And you can use me as an example of a neontologist who thinks the distinction is real.

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