Metamorphosis vs Evolution: Difference and Comparison (2024)

Changes occur, whether it’s a human being or an organism experiencing biological changes. Many biological methods occur in these changes.

Metamorphosis and evolution are two types of change processes. This kind of change arises in different categories, including genes, physical characteristics, etc. These are vital for an organism’s life cycle.

Key Takeaways

1. Metamorphosis is the process by which an organism undergoes a significant physical transformation during its life cycle, while evolution is the gradual genetic change in populations over generations.
2. Evolution occurs on a species level, whereas metamorphosis affects individual organisms.
3. Metamorphosis is a programmed biological process, while evolution is driven by natural selection and genetic variation.

Metamorphosis Vs Evolution

The metamorphosis process is the changes that occur in living beings in their life cycle. It happens early in human beings. Reproduction is not required in the metamorphosis process. The formation of metamorphosis is a repetitive process in living beings. In an evolution process, changes can occur in human beings throughout their life. Biological changes are defined by evolution.

Metamorphosis is defined as the changes of an individual from a starting point to an end state of human life. It requires certain significant things to happen, such as environmental factors and, of course, the presence of a moulting agent. These changes are taught to students in the biology subject.

Evolution focuses on the descendants that continue to change. There are many distinct ways for it to evolve, and it can happen in different ways.

With advantageous characteristics for survival and reproduction, it results in the development of natural selection. It has a perception of how species change over time.

Comparison Table

What is Metamorphosis?

Metamorphosis is a transformation from one state to another.Metamorphosis is a crucial change that creates a life Cycle.

Essentially, metamorphosis is a specific change in body structure or in the way the body looks. It occurs when something goes through several different changes to survive.

It is a difference in an animal’s physical structure, substance, and appearance caused by differences in its environment.

It is defined as a significant change in shape, color, or size accompanied by behavioural changes. Animals, reptiles, insects, and living organisms are subject to changes in metamorphosis.

The animals are said to change significantly due to seasonal changes. Their stage of life is also affected by the season.

A butterfly changes its appearance and develops into a new form over its lifetime.

For example, Caterpillars and butterflies will go through various stages as they grow and mature.

The stages of metamorphosis, from egg to larvae to adulthood and finally death, are defined differently. There are five larval, two pupal, and six adult stages.

The first stage is called the egg, and it is also sometimes referred to as an ovum. The female collects the eggs in the spring or early summer for insects.

What is Evolution?

Evolution is defined as the development and diversification of different methods of living organisms from earlier days of forms in history.

Modern organisms are descended from old ancestors. Scientific evidence shows that organisms have varied or developed over billions of years.

These kinds of living creatures on Earth change over time. Because mutations, recombination, and genetic drift result in genetic variation in offspring, their inherited features are not identical to those of their parents.

This evolution occurs in the biological community, including species, individual creatures, and molecules. The genetic changes evolve from the populations that correspond to the organism’s traits.

Mutations are genetic changes that occur when an organism’s DNA is damaged or replicated incorrectly.

Mutations in DNA occur, cells proliferate and divide, and the environment significantly prefers certain adaptations over others.

The constantly changing nature of living organisms means they are comprised of groups of individuals who live, reproduce, and die.

Each generation consists of a separate group from the parent generation, including a group from the previous generation.

This is called the change in the frequency of a gene from one generation to another. There are two kinds of evolution microevolution and macroevolution processes.

Main Differences Between Metamorphosis and Evolution

1. Evolution is a change in species over a long period, while metamorphosis is a change that happens over only a few generations.
2. Metamorphosis has a single body as they are not separated, while evolution has distinct male and female bodies with sexual reproduction.
3. Metamorphosis is that while one refers to a process of long-term modification of animals, evolution focuses on a short-term adaptation process that occurs during the development of an animal.
4. Evolution describes biological changes. On the other hand, metamorphosis describes a radical change from one thing to another within a living organism or from one organism to another.
5. Metamorphosis has no specific type of structure to the life cycle. On the other hand, evolution has a specific type and structure to the life cycle.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/icb/article-abstract/46/6/655/702188
2. https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/evolution-an-introduction

Last Updated : 27 July, 2023