Evolution (eBook)

A Developmental Approach

Wallace Arthur (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2010 | 1. Auflage
416 Seiten
Wiley (Verlag)
978-1-4443-9225-8 (ISBN)

Infos

This book is aimed at students taking courses on evolution in universities and colleges. Its approach and its structure are very different from previously-published evolution texts. The core theme in this book is how evolution works by changing the course of embryonic and post-embryonic development. In other words, it is an evolution text that has been very much influenced by the new approach of evolutionary developmental biology, or 'evo-devo'. Key themes include the following: developmental repatterning; adaptation and coadaptation; gene co-option; developmental plasticity; the origins of evolutionary novelties and body plans; and evolutionary changes in the complexity of organisms. As can be seen from this list, the book includes information across the levels of the gene, the organism, and the population. It also includes the issue of mapping developmental changes onto evolutionary trees. The examples used to illustrate particular points range widely, including animals, plants and fossils. "e;I have really enjoyed reading this book. One of the strengths of the book is the almost conversational style. I found the style easy to read, but also feel that it will be invaluable in teaching. One of our tasks in university level teaching is to develop students' critical thinking skills. We need to support them in their intellectual development from a "e;just the facts"e; approach to being able to make critical judgements based on available evidence. The openness and honesty with which Arthur speaks to uncertainty in science is refreshing and will be a baseline for discussions with students."e; -Professor Patricia Moore, Exeter University "e;This book, written as an undergraduate text, is a really most impressive book. Given the burgeoning interest in the role of developmental change in evolution in recent times, this will be a very timely publication. The book is well structured and, like the author's other books, very well written. He communicates with a clear, lucid style and has the ability to explain even the more difficult concepts in an accessible manner."e; ---Professor Kenneth McNamara, University of Cambridge The companion site can be found at www.wiley.com/go/arthur/evolution. Here you download all figures from the book, captions, tables, and table of contents.

Autor

Wallace Arthur is Professor of Zoology at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is one of the founding editors of the journal Evolution & Development. He obtained his PhD from the University of Nottingham, and held positions at several British universities before moving to Galway in 2004. He has been a Visiting Research Scholar at Harvard University and a Visiting Associate of Darwin College, Cambridge.

Inhalt

PART I: FOUNDATIONS

* Introduction

* What is evo-devo?

* Development, cells and molecules

* Natural populations

PART II: DEVELOPMENTAL REPATTERNING

* Mutation and developmental repatterning

* Heterochrony

* Heterotopy

* Heterometry

* Heterotypy

* The integrative nature of repatterning

* Mapping repatterning to trees

PART III: THE DIRECTION OF EVOLUTION

* Adaptation, coadaptation and exaptation

* Developmental constraint and bias

* Developmental genes and evolution

* Gene co-option as an evolutionary mechanism

* Developmental plasticity and evolution

* The origin of species, novelties and body plans

* The evolution of complexity

PART IV: CONCLUSIONS

* Key concepts and connections

* Prospect

Rezensionen

"For that audience, I think it will serve well and I
recommend it strongly for university courses." (The
Quarterly Review of Biology, 6 March2013)

"Written is an accessible style, illustrated by many
original and specific examples including animals, plants or
fossils, this book has the advantage to be an excellent textbook
devoted to students studying evolution or to their teachers.
It can be also recommended to anybody interested by the basic
concept of evolution." (Mammalia, 28 June
2012)
"The style is lucid, the illustrations are lavish, and the length
is just about right for an undergraduate course resource. Summing
Up: Recommended. All students, researchers/faculty, and
professionals." (Choice, 1 September 2011)

"This exceedingly accessible and very attractive text is
illustrated in full color." (Booknews, 1 June 2011)

"Although this is a text intended for third level students and
professional biologists, Prof Arthur's book brings anyone with more
than a passing interest up to date on the mechanisms involved in
evolution, and as he notes, we should go easy on the assumptions."
(Science Spin, 1 May 2011)

"I greatly enjoyed studying Wallace Arthur's new book.
I believe it is the first of its kind -- a general evolution text
that is focused on the integrated developing organism in a broad
evolutionary and phylogenetic framework. The organization is
novel and intriguing...[the] many illustrations are well chosen
and executed and the book is attractive and inviting. I no
longer teach evolution, but if I did I would use this book because
I believe it shows the directions in which evolutionary studies are
heading." Professor David Wake, University of California,
Berkeley

"There is much more to evolution than mere gene frequency
changes in natural populations. Wallace Arthur was among the first
to recognize the lack of a developmental dimension as missing from
the traditional view of evolution and is among the main actors who
have been shaping the emerging agenda of evolutionary developmental
biology. From his research experience, Wallace has distilled in
this book an original approach to the study of evolution, written
in his uniquely attractive style where immediateness successfully
mixes with conceptual clarity and exacting (but never boring)
lexical precision." Professor Alessandro Minelli,
University of Padova

"I have really enjoyed reading this book. One of the
strengths of the book is the almost conversational style. I
found the style easy to read, but also feel that it will be
invaluable in teaching. One of our tasks in university level
teaching is to develop students' critical thinking
skills. We need to support them in their intellectual
development from a "just the facts" approach to being
able to make critical judgements based on available evidence.
The openness and honesty with which Arthur speaks to uncertainty in
science is refreshing and will be a baseline for discussions with
students." Professor Patricia Moore, Exeter
University

"This book, written, as an undergraduate text, is a really most
impressive book. Given the burgeoning interest in the role of
developmental change in evolution in recent times, this will be a
very timely publication. The book is well structured and, like the
author's other books, very well written. He communicates with
a clear, lucid style and has the ability to explain even some of
the more difficult concepts in an accessible manner." Dr
Kenneth McNamara, University of Cambridge

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 29.11.2010
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Evolution
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: Biowissenschaften • Evolution • evolutionary biology • Evolution (Biol.) • Evolutionsbiologie • Life Sciences
• ISBN-10: 1-4443-9225-5 / 1444392255
• ISBN-13: 978-1-4443-9225-8 / 9781444392258