iterative evolution
nounUK /ˈɪtərətɪv ˌiːvəˈluːʃən/
US /ˈɪtəreɪtɪv ˌɛvəˈluːʃən/
Iterative evolution is when the same kind of animal or plant evolves again and again over time.
Scientists saw iterative evolution when similar shell shapes appeared in different snail species on the same island.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The process by which a trait or species reappears multiple times in a lineage after disappearing.
The repeated loss and regain of wings in island insects is a classic case of iterative evolution.
3. In a broader sense, any repeated cycle of gradual change and improvement in a system.
The software's iterative evolution improved its speed with each new version.
4. A pattern in which similar forms arise independently in separate but related populations.
Fossil records show iterative evolution of similar body sizes in isolated lake fish.