关键词: 进化, 进化速率, 宏进化, 非匀速进化

Abstract: The recent debates between different evolutionary views involved mostly in rates of evolution. Contradictory conclusions have been drawn from the studies of evolution rate at different levels of organization, and led to exclusion between different doctrines of evolution. The random molecular evolution with a stable and uniform rate, interpreted by the neutral theory, is in conflict with the nonuniform adaptive evolution at phenotypic level; the adaptive and gradual evolution under natural selection at population level, advocated by the modern synthesis based on microevolution, could not coupled with the "punctuated", "explosive" or "catastrophic" macroevolution, demonstrated by fossil records. These contradictions were mostly resulted from using different variables for measurement of evolution rates. The rates of evolution measured at different levels of organization may have different senses, thus the controversies between the different doctrines may have no equivalent words. The timing of major evolutionary events in the long history of life on Earth shows apparent nonuniformity:most important evolutionary events occurred in the earliest and latest stages of the life history, and in relatively short time. The prebiotic chemical evolution, origins of life, the fundamental cell structures and metabolic pathways, and the foundations for biological evolution and biosphere formation were established in about 300-500 Ma time interval in the beginning of life history (4.0 to 3.5 Ga ago). Emergence of the advanced organisms and remarkable increase of biodiversity, as well as most major innovation of organism structures took place in the latest stage of life history (since 700 Ma). This nonuniformity of megaevolution here is interpreted as the results of coevolution between the life and the Earth's physical environments. The present dissension in evolution theory is temporary, resulted from the progresses of biology and related sciences. The different doctrines of evolution will certainly toward to unification and to a new synthesis.

Key words: evolution, rate of evolution, megaevolution, nonuniform evolution