Catagenesis (biology)

Catagenesis is a somewhat archaic term from evolutionary biology referring to evolutionary directions that were considered "retrogressive." It was a term used in contrast to anagenesis, which in present usage denotes the evolution of a single population into a new form without branching lines of descent.

The earliest written reference to catagenesis comes from Edward Drinker Cope,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in his article, On Catagenesis, published in The American Naturalist in 1884. In this article, he defines the "primitive energy", which evolution through time has specialized. He defines catagenesis as a return to the "primitive energy".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

See also

• Evolutionary biology

References

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