Hopeful monsters: Hopeful monsters in evolution theory are organisms with a profound mutant phenotype that have the potential to establish a new evolutionary lineage. They are often seen as a driving force behind macroevolution, or large-scale changes in the fossil record. See also Evolution, Selection, Mutation, Darwinism._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. |