macroevolution

American

[mak-roh-ev-uh-loo-shuhn, -ee-vuh-] / ˌmæk roʊˌɛv əˈlu ʃən, -ˌi və- /

noun

Biology.

major evolutionary transition from one type of organism to another occurring at the level of the species and higher taxa.

macroevolution British

/ ˌmækrəʊˌiːvəˈluːʃən /

noun

biology the evolution of large taxonomic groups such as genera and families

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

macroevolution Scientific

/ măk′rō-ĕv′ə-lo̅o̅′shən /

Evolution that results in the formation of a new taxonomic group above the level of a species.

Other Word Forms

macroevolutionary

adjective

Etymology

Origin of macroevolution

First recorded in 1935–40; macro- + evolution

Vocabulary lists containing macroevolution

Evolutionary Biology - High School

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Evolutionary Biology - Middle School

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023