Mosaic Evolution

mosaic evolution, the occurrence, within a given population of organisms, of different rates of evolutionary change in various body structures and functions. An example can be seen in the patterns of development of the different elephant species. The Indian elephant underwent rapid early molar modification with little foreshortening of the forehead. The African elephant underwent parallel changes but at different rates: the foreshortening of the forehead took place in an early stage of development, molar modification occurring later.

Similarly, in man there was early evolution of structures for bipedal locomotion, but during the same time there was little change in skull form or brain size; later, both skull and brain evolved rapidly into the state of development associated with modern human species.

The phenomenon of mosaic evolution would seem to indicate that the process of natural selection acts differently upon the various structures and functions of evolving species. Thus, in the case of human development, the evolutionary pressures for upright posture took precedence over the need for a complex brain. Furthermore, the elaboration of the brain was probably linked to the freeing of the forelimbs made possible by bipedal locomotion. Analysis of incidences of mosaic evolution adds greatly to the body of general evolutionary theory.