Microevolution vs. Macroevolution

Microevolutionnoun

Small-scale changes in the history of life, such as changes in allele frequencies in a population (over a few generations); also known as change at or below the species level.

Microevolutionnoun

evolution resulting from small specific genetic changes that can lead to a new subspecies

Microevolution

Microevolution is the change in allele frequencies that occurs over time within a population. This change is due to four different processes: mutation, selection (natural and artificial), gene flow and genetic drift.

Macroevolutionnoun

Large-scale patterns or processes in the history of life, including the origins of novel organism designs, evolutionary trends, adaptive radiations and extinctions.

Macroevolutionnoun

evolution on a large scale extending over geologic era and resulting in the formation of new taxonomic groups

Macroevolution

Macroevolution in the modern sense is evolution that is guided by selection among interspecific variation, as opposed to selection among intraspecific variation in microevolution. This modern definition differs from the original concept, which referred macroevolution to the evolution of taxa above the species level (genera, families, orders etc.).