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Dark-Castle t1_j5kgq39 wrote

Reply to comment by noideaman in Forest lizards have evolved genetically to live in cities — traits include longer limbs for sprinting across open areas, and larger toe pads with specialized scales for clinging to smooth surfaces like walls or glass by marketrent

Yeah, macro evolution is just micro evolution but multiple times

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Onithyr t1_j5lrt4x wrote

There is only one "objective" point of differentiation between "micro" and "macro" evolution: speciation.

But given that we have observed speciation events, and that ring species exist, it's pretty safe to say that macroevolution occurs.

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sennbat t1_j5mjsrm wrote

Also, speciation isn't, like... Actually a real thing. Because species aren't a real thing. "Species" are just an arbitrary categorization and classification tool we use because it's, well, useful. Grouping things together is useful, but it's not really reality, evolution doesn't happen to species, it happens to lineages.

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Onithyr t1_j5mkf6y wrote

Well, yes and no. There are certainly points of separation beyond which interbreeding either doesn't happen, extremely rarely happens, or results in a non-viable offspring.

This is one of the reasons I brought up the topic of ring species. They demonstrate an entire spectrum of interbreeding specimens, the ends of which either do not or cannot interbreed despite living in the same location.

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