Evolution's Surprise: Bursts of Change Rewrite the Story of Life

A new study challenges the traditional Darwinian view of gradual evolution, revealing bursts of rapid change in the history of life. Researchers used mathematical models to analyze evolutionary data from diverse organisms, including cephalopods, proteins, and human languages. They found that evolution isn't always slow and steady, but instead features concentrated periods of rapid evolution clustered at branching points in the evolutionary tree. This supports the punctuated equilibrium theory, suggesting species can remain stable for long periods before abruptly transforming into new species. The study offers a new perspective on the complexity and diversity of life's evolution.