| 释义 |
ˈpunctuated, ppl. a.
[f. prec. vb. + -ed1.]
1. Marked with, or composed of, dots; dotted: = punctate 1. (Chiefly Nat. Hist. and Path.)
1818[see punctuate v. 2]. 1821–34J. Forbes tr. Laennec's Dis. Chest (ed. 4) iii. i. 393 The pleura in the state of acute inflammation presents a punctuated redness. 1893Tuckey Amphioxus 173 The mesoblastic somite boundaries indicated with punctuated lines.
2. Having the punctuation marks or stops inserted.
1841Penny Cycl. XIX. 128/1 It must not be supposed that those [stops] which are usually inserted even in well punctuated books are sufficient [as a guide to reading].
Add:3. punctuated equilibrium (Biol.), a view of evolution as proceeding by isolated outbursts of rapid speciation between long periods of little or no change; evolutionary development of this kind.
1972Eldredge & Gould in T. J. M. Schopf Models in Paleobiol. 109 We have..named our alternate picture..punctuated equilibria. 1978Evolutionary Biol. XI. 596 (caption) In the actual example of punctuated equilibrium reported on..the change between two species of the same genus..was actually observed. 1981Nature 9 July 116/1 Recent sophisticated geochronological studies have provided sufficiently precise dates for existing fossil material to test the hypothesis of punctuated equilibrium. 1985S. J. Gould in Times Lit. Suppl. 18 Jan. 70/1, I have always wanted to learn more (as an originator of punctuated equilibrium) about Huxley's commitment to saltationism. |