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> But any evolutionist knows there must have existed individuals who were exactly intermediate. Is this not still up for debate, re: macromutation? Can someone

• the8472 12y ago
  A much simpler counterexample would be hybridization creating a new species, such as the new mexico whiptail. Nature has exceptions in store for most of its rules.
• tinco 12y ago
  More from reason than from any experience in biology: I don't think macromutation has any statistical chance of being a significant factor in branching of species. The chance of a 'macromutation' both occurring and being successful enough to not only let the spawn survive but even let it thrive as a branched species is vanishingly slim. Perhaps complex characteristics might evolve as functions with simple gene input, like perhaps the shape of an organ or the structure/color of a fur or even the size of a mammal all expressed by a few genes. This would allow that the species as a whole could adapt quicker to environmental changes. Then the gene mutation would be 'micro' but the resulting change could be 'macro'. Perhaps paedomorphism is like that?