--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Since the landmark 1972 paper by Gould…" description: "\"“Since the landmark 1972 paper by Gould and Eldredge, many studies have been done both with real populations and with mathematical simulations. The res..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/982/bill-nye-1613_biology_since-the-landmark-1972-paper-by-gould-a_1304109.png" --- # Since the landmark 1972 paper by Gould and Eldredge, many… ![“Since the landmark 1972 paper by Gould and Eldredge, many studies have been done both with real populations and with mathematical simulations. The results explain why evolution appears both fast and slow: It is both fast and slow. Large populations tend to stay genetically about the same…” quote by Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/982/bill-nye-1613_biology_since-the-landmark-1972-paper-by-gould-a_1304109.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/982/bill-nye-1613_biology_since-the-landmark-1972-paper-by-gould-a_1304109.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/982/bill-nye-1613_biology_since-the-landmark-1972-paper-by-gould-a_1304109.png) > ““Since the landmark 1972 paper by Gould and Eldredge, many studies have been done both with real populations and with mathematical simulations. The results explain why evolution appears both fast and slow: It is both fast and slow. Large populations tend to stay genetically about the same. Paleontologists say populations tend toward stasis. Small ones can diverge quickly into new species.”” [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evolution can show long periods of little change punctuated by rapid bursts of diversification, especially in small populations. **In simple terms:** Evolution is mostly slow but can speed up quickly. Key Takeaway Recognize that change can be both gradual and sudden. Themes evolution stasis punctuation population dynamics Mood thoughtful analytical Type scientific educational When to use this quote - conservation biology - education - policy making - public outreach Key Concepts Punctuated equilibrium genetic drift speciation Questions to Reflect On - How do small populations trigger fast evolution? - What factors cause long stasis? A Different Perspective Rapid change may be limited by environmental stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolution Appears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution-appears-2155967/) [Explain Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain-evolution-4292406/) [Genetically Paleontologists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetically-paleontologists-4292407/) [Paleontologists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paleontologists/) [Paleontologists Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paleontologists-say-4292408/) ## Related quotes > [All scientists agree that evolution has occurred-that all life comes from a common ancestry, that there has been extinction, and that new taxa, new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/all-scientists-agree-that-evolution-has-occurred-that-all-life-comes/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [This clash is an absurdity because on one hand there is much scientific proof in favor of evolution, which appears as a reality that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/this-clash-is-an-absurdity-because-on-one-hand-there-is-much/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [“During the decades after Darwin published, field geologists and paleontologists have gone on to uncover and discover thousands and thousands of fossils. 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