Reznick David N, Ricklefs Robert E
Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
Nature. 2009 Feb 12;457(7231):837-42. doi: 10.1038/nature07894.
Evolutionary biologists have long sought to understand the relationship between microevolution (adaptation), which can be observed both in nature and in the laboratory, and macroevolution (speciation and the origin of the divisions of the taxonomic hierarchy above the species level, and the development of complex organs), which cannot be witnessed because it occurs over intervals that far exceed the human lifespan. The connection between these processes is also a major source of conflict between science and religious belief. Biologists often forget that Charles Darwin offered a way of resolving this issue, and his proposal is ripe for re-evaluation in the light of recent research.
长期以来，进化生物学家一直试图理解微观进化（适应）与宏观进化之间的关系。微观进化在自然界和实验室中都能观察到，而宏观进化（物种形成、物种水平以上分类等级的划分起源以及复杂器官的发育）则无法被见证，因为其发生的时间跨度远远超过人类寿命。这些过程之间的联系也是科学与宗教信仰冲突的一个主要根源。生物学家常常忘记，查尔斯·达尔文提出了一种解决这个问题的方法，鉴于最近的研究，他的提议值得重新评估。
