Stasis (biology)

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Stasis in biology refers to the phenomenon of types of living creatures showing little or no change over long periods of time. Apparent stasis in the fossil record was a major reason behind the punctuated equilibrium theory of Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge. The phenomenon of stasis has been used as evidence against gradual evolution.

Examples

  • A shrimp-like crustacean dated at 425 million years old was assigned to a living species because it was so similar
  • Earthworms are thought to be over 120 million years old