What is the difference between microevolution and macroevolution?

Microevolution and macroevolution represent different scales of evolutionary change. Microevolution refers to small-scale changes in gene frequency within a population over time. These changes can result from mechanisms such as natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, often observed within a single species or population. For instance, variations in coloration or size within a population of insects resulting from environmental pressures are examples of microevolution.

In contrast, macroevolution encompasses larger-scale evolutionary changes that occur over extended time periods, often leading to the emergence of new species and broader taxonomic groups. This could involve significant alterations such as the development of major new adaptations or the extinction of lineages.

While base pair mutations can lead to microevolutionary changes, the term macroevolution typically involves more substantial genetic changes, such as chromosomal mutations that result in reproductive isolation and ultimately the formation of new species. Therefore, base pair mutation, indicative of microevolutionary processes, does not represent the overall breadth of macroevolution, which includes a variety of significant changes leading to the diversity of life observed over evolutionary timescales. Thus, there’s a misunderstanding in linking these terms directly as if they represent the same evolutionary processes.