This is a text version the Macroevolutionary Hierarchy
graphic of the Macroevolution FAQ.
| Type | Resolution | Mechanism | Causality | Direction | Process | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macro2 | Highest Taxa (Family, Order, etc.) | External (Abiotic?) | Stochastic (Non-deterministic, Non-random) | ↑ Enviromental Constraints | ↓ Faunal Replacement, Mass Extinction, Punctuation | Non-Darwinian |
| Macro1 | Mid-Taxa (Genus, Species, etc.) | Taxon Sorting | Broadly Contingent (Deterministic & Non-deterministic Processes) | ↑ Species (Group) Selection | ↓ Differential Species/Genus Survival | Semi-Darwinian |
| Micro2 | Population | Natural Selection | Deterministic | ↑ Organism Selection | ↓ Individual Organismal Survial | Darwinian |
| Micro1 | Individual | Genetic Drift and Mutation | Stochastic (Non-deterministic. Non-random) | ↑ Gene Selection | ↓ DNA Recombination | Ultra-Darwinian |
| Cellular | Cytoplasmic | Selection on Replication Rates | Contingent | ↑ Selection of Cytoplasmic Elements | ↓ Genomic Conflict | Genomic |
| Molecular | Molecular | Biochemistry | Deterministic | ↑ Molecular Configuration | ↓ Chemical Bonds | Chemical |
| Atomic | Atoms | Physics | Stochastic | ↑ Quantum Uncertainty | ↓ Quantum Mechanics | Physicalist |
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