Vol 51, No 8 (2017)

Macroevolution, or evolution of superspecies taxa is the process of transformation of “organismal” life flows on the Earth during its geological history. In the present study, this process is analyzed with using the system and evolutionarily‒ecological approaches. Based on modern paleontological, evolutionary biological, molecular, and genetic data, mostly on vertebrates and hominins, the major factors and patterns of macroevolution and also the role of macroevolution in the biosphere evolution are discussed. The fundamental bases of the concept of macroevolution, the problems of methodology and methods of the study of organismal evolution are considered. It is shown that the processes at the macroevolutionary level agree with the epigenetic theory of evolution.