Download or read book Molecular Evolution and Adaptive Radiation written by Thomas J. Givnish and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2000-05-08 with total page 652 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume surveys advances in the study of adaptive radiation showing how molecular characters can be used to analyze the origin and pattern of diversification within a lineage in a non-circular fashion.
Download or read book Evolution in Action written by Matthias Glaubrecht and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-07-24 with total page 597 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Radiations, or Evolution in Action We have just celebrated the “Darwin Year” with the double anniversary of his 200th birthday and 150th year of his masterpiece, “On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection”. In this work, Darwin established the factual evidence of biological evolution, that species change over time, and that new organisms arise by the splitting of ancestral forms into two or more descendant species. However, above all, Darwin provided the mechanisms by arguing convincingly that it is by natural selection – as well as by sexual selection (as he later added) – that organisms adapt to their environment. The many discoveries since then have essentially con?rmed and strengthened Darwin’s central theses, with latest evidence, for example, from molecular genetics, revealing the evolutionary relationships of all life forms through one shared history of descent from a common ancestor. We have also come a long way to progressively understand more on how new species actually originate, i. e. on speciation which remained Darwin’s “mystery of m- teries”, as noted in one of his earliest transmutation notebooks. Since speciation is the underlying mechanism for radiations, it is the ultimate causation for the biological diversity of life that surrounds us.
Download or read book The Evolution of Population Biology written by Rama S. Singh and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2004-01-15 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2004 collection of essays deals with the foundation and historical development of population biology and its relationship to population genetics and population ecology on the one hand and to the rapidly growing fields of molecular quantitative genetics, genomics and bioinformatics on the other. Such an interdisciplinary treatment of population biology has never been attempted before. The volume is set in a historical context, but it has an up-to-date coverage of material in various related fields. The areas covered are the foundation of population biology, life history evolution and demography, density and frequency dependent selection, recent advances in quantitative genetics and bioinformatics, evolutionary case history of model organisms focusing on polymorphisms and selection, mating system evolution and evolution in the hybrid zones, and applied population biology including conservation, infectious diseases and human diversity. This is the third of three volumes published in honour of Richard Lewontin.
Download or read book The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation written by Dolph Schluter and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2000-08-31 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adaptive radiation is the evolution of diversity within a rapidly multiplying lineage. It can cause a single ancestral species to differentiate into an impressively vast array of species inhabiting a variety of environments. Much of life's diversity has arisen during adaptive radiations. Some of the most famous recent examples include the East African cichlid fishes, the Hawaiian silverswords, and of course, Darwin's Gal--aacute--;pagos finches,. This book evaluates the causes of adaptive radiation. It focuses on the 'ecological' theory of adaptive radiation, a body of ideas that began with Darwin and was developed through the early part of the 20th Century. This theory proposes that phenotypic divergence and speciation in adaptive radiation are caused ultimately by divergent natural selection arising from differences in environment and competition between species. In The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation the author re-evaluates the ecological theory, along with its most significant extensions and challenges, in the light of all the recent evidence. This important book is the first full exploration of the causes of adaptive radiation to be published for decades, written by one of the world's best young evolutionary biologists.
Download or read book Evolutionary Biology Concepts Molecular and Morphological Evolution written by Pierre Pontarotti and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-08-24 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The annual Evolutionary Biology Meetings in Marseille aim to bring together leading scientists, promoting an exchange of state-of-the-art knowledge and the formation of inter-group collaborations. This book presents the most representative contributions to the 13th meeting, which was held in September 2009. It comprises 21 chapters, which are organized into the following three categories: • Evolutionary Biology Concepts • Genome/Molecular Evolution • Morphological Evolution/Speciation This book offers an up-to-date overview of evolutionary biology concepts and their use in the biology of the 21st century.
Download or read book The Mammals of Luzon Island written by Lawrence R. Heaney and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2016-04 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A beautifully illustrated guide to the complete mammalian biodiversity of the Philippines’ largest island. Revealing the astounding mammalian diversity found on the largest Philippine island, The Mammals of Luzon Island is a unique book that functions both as a field guide and study of tropical fauna. The book features 120 fully illustrated species profiles and shows how the mammals fit into larger questions related to evolution, ecology, and biogeography. Luzon’s stunning variety of mammals includes giant fruit-eating bats; other bats so small that they can roost inside bamboo stems; giant plant-eating rodents that look like, but are not, squirrels; shrews that weigh less than half an ounce; the rapidly disappearing Philippine warty pig; and the long-tailed macaque, Luzon’s only nonhuman primate. While celebrating Luzon’s remarkably rich mammal fauna, the authors also suggest conservation strategies for the many species that are under threat from a variety of pressures. Based on a century of accumulated data and fifteen years of intensive study, The Mammals of Luzon Island delivers a message that will appeal equally to scientists, conservationists, and ecologically minded travelers.
Download or read book The Biology of Biodiversity written by M. Kato and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological diversity, or biodiversity, refers to the universal attribute of all living organisms that each individual being is unique - that is, no two organisms are identical. The biology of biodiversity must include all the aspects of evolutionary and ecological sciences analyzing the origin, changes, and maintenance of the di versity of living organisms. Today biodiversity, which benefits human life in vari ous ways, is threatened by the expansion of human activities. Biological research in biodiversity contributes not only to understanding biodiversity itself but also to its conservation and utilization. The Biology of Biodiversity was the specialty area of the 1998 International Prize for Biology. The International Prize for Biology was established in 1985 in commemoration of the sixty-year reign of the Emperor Showa and his longtime devotion to biological research. The 1998 Prize was awarded to Professor Otto Thomas Solbrig, Harvard University, one of the authors of this book. In conjunction with the awarding of the International Prize for Biology, the 14th International Symposium with the theme of The Biology of Biodiversity was held in Hayama on the 9th and 10th of December 1998, with financial support by an international symposium grant from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan. The invited speakers were chosen so as to cover four basic aspects of biodiversity: species diversity and phylogeny, ecological biodiversity, development and evolution, and genetic diversity of living organisms including human beings.
Download or read book Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree written by Jonathan B. Losos and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011-02-09 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In a book both beautifully illustrated and deeply informative, Jonathan Losos, a leader in evolutionary ecology, celebrates and analyzes the diversity of the natural world that the fascinating anoline lizards epitomize. Readers who are drawn to nature by its beauty or its intellectual challenges—or both—will find his book rewarding."—Douglas J. Futuyma, State University of New York, Stony Brook "This book is destined to become a classic. It is scholarly, informative, stimulating, and highly readable, and will inspire a generation of students."—Peter R. Grant, author of How and Why Species Multiply: The Radiation of Darwin's Finches "Anoline lizards experienced a spectacular adaptive radiation in the dynamic landscape of the Caribbean islands. The radiation has extended over a long period of time and has featured separate radiations on the larger islands. Losos, the leading active student of these lizards, presents an integrated and synthetic overview, summarizing the enormous and multidimensional research literature. This engaging book makes a wonderful example of an adaptive radiation accessible to all, and the lavish illustrations, especially the photographs, make the anoles come alive in one's mind."—David Wake, University of California, Berkeley "This magnificent book is a celebration and synthesis of one of the most eventful adaptive radiations known. With disarming prose and personal narrative Jonathan Losos shows how an obsession, beginning at age ten, became a methodology and a research plan that, together with studies by colleagues and predecessors, culminated in many of the principles we now regard as true about the origins and maintenance of biodiversity. This work combines rigorous analysis and glorious natural history in a unique volume that stands with books by the Grants on Darwin's finches among the most informed and engaging accounts ever written on the evolution of a group of organisms in nature."—Dolph Schluter, author of The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation
Download or read book Oxford Bibliographies written by and published by . This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Tempo and Mode in Evolution written by for the National Academy of Sciences and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1995-02-09 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since George Gaylord Simpson published Tempo and Mode in Evolution in 1944, discoveries in paleontology and genetics have abounded. This volume brings together the findings and insights of today's leading experts in the study of evolution, including Ayala, W. Ford Doolittle, and Stephen Jay Gould. The volume examines early cellular evolution, explores changes in the tempo of evolution between the Precambrian and Phanerozoic periods, and reconstructs the Cambrian evolutionary burst. Long-neglected despite Darwin's interest in it, species extinction is discussed in detail. Although the absence of data kept Simpson from exploring human evolution in his book, the current volume covers morphological and genetic changes in human populations, contradicting the popular claim that all modern humans descend from a single woman. This book discusses the role of molecular clocks, the results of evolution in 12 populations of Escherichia coli propagated for 10,000 generations, a physical map of Drosophila chromosomes, and evidence for "hitchhiking" by mutations.
Download or read book Improbable Destinies written by Jonathan B. Losos and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-08-08 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major new book overturning our assumptions about how evolution works Earth’s natural history is full of fascinating instances of convergence: phenomena like eyes and wings and tree-climbing lizards that have evolved independently, multiple times. But evolutionary biologists also point out many examples of contingency, cases where the tiniest change—a random mutation or an ancient butterfly sneeze—caused evolution to take a completely different course. What role does each force really play in the constantly changing natural world? Are the plants and animals that exist today, and we humans ourselves, inevitabilities or evolutionary flukes? And what does that say about life on other planets? Jonathan Losos reveals what the latest breakthroughs in evolutionary biology can tell us about one of the greatest ongoing debates in science. He takes us around the globe to meet the researchers who are solving the deepest mysteries of life on Earth through their work in experimental evolutionary science. Losos himself is one of the leaders in this exciting new field, and he illustrates how experiments with guppies, fruit flies, bacteria, foxes, and field mice, along with his own work with anole lizards on Caribbean islands, are rewinding the tape of life to reveal just how rapid and predictable evolution can be. Improbable Destinies will change the way we think and talk about evolution. Losos's insights into natural selection and evolutionary change have far-reaching applications for protecting ecosystems, securing our food supply, and fighting off harmful viruses and bacteria. This compelling narrative offers a new understanding of ourselves and our role in the natural world and the cosmos.
Download or read book Adaptive Radiations of Neotropical Primates written by Marilyn A. Norconk and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-06-28 with total page 542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of 29 papers grew out of a symposium entitled "Setting the Future Agenda for Neotropical Primates. " The symposium was held at the Department of Zoo logical Research, National Zoological Park, Washington D. C. , on February 26-27, 1994, and was sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Smith sonian Institution, and Friends of the National Zoo. We put the symposium together with two objectives: to honor Warren G. Kinzey for his contributions to the growing field of platyrrhine studies and to provide researchers who work in the Neotropics with the oppor tunity to discuss recent developments, to identify areas of research that require additional study, and especially to help guide the next generation of researchers. The symposium provided the opportunity to recognize Warren as a mentor and col laborator to the contribution of the study of platyrrhines. Contributions to the book were expanded in order to provide a more comprehensive view of platyrrhine evolution and ecology, to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of many of these studies, and to high light the central role that New World monkeys play in advancing primatology. If this vol ume were to require major revisions after just one more decade of research, that would be a fitting testament to Warren's enthusiasm and his drive to continually update the field with new ideas and methods. Tributes to Warren and a list of his publications have been published elsewhere (Norconk, 1994, 1996; Rosenberger 1994, 1995).
Download or read book Environmental Epigenetics written by L. Joseph Su and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-05-18 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the toxicological and health implications of environmental epigenetics and provides knowledge through an interdisciplinary approach. Included in this volume are chapters outlining various environmental risk factors such as phthalates and dietary components, life states such as pregnancy and ageing, hormonal and metabolic considerations and specific disease risks such as cancer cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases. Environmental Epigenetics imparts integrative knowledge of the science of epigenetics and the issues raised in environmental epidemiology. This book is intended to serve both as a reference compendium on environmental epigenetics for scientists in academia, industry and laboratories and as a textbook for graduate level environmental health courses. Environmental Epigenetics imparts integrative knowledge of the science of epigenetics and the issues raised in environmental epidemiology. This book is intended to serve both as a reference compendium on environmental epigenetics for scientists in academia, industry and laboratories and as a textbook for graduate level environmental health courses.
Download or read book Molecular Evolution written by Roderick D.M. Page and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-07-14 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of evolution at the molecular level has given the subject of evolutionary biology a new significance. Phylogenetic 'trees' of gene sequences are a powerful tool for recovering evolutionary relationships among species, and can be used to answer a broad range of evolutionary and ecological questions. They are also beginning to permeate the medical sciences. In this book, the authors approach the study of molecular evolution with the phylogenetic tree as a central metaphor. This will equip students and professionals with the ability to see both the evolutionary relevance of molecular data, and the significance evolutionary theory has for molecular studies. The book is accessible yet sufficiently detailed and explicit so that the student can learn the mechanics of the procedures discussed. The book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in molecular evolution/phylogenetic reconstruction. It will also be a useful supplement for students taking wider courses in evolution, as well as a valuable resource for professionals. First student textbook of phylogenetic reconstruction which uses the tree as a central metaphor of evolution. Chapter summaries and annotated suggestions for further reading. Worked examples facilitate understanding of some of the more complex issues. Emphasis on clarity and accessibility.
Download or read book Evolution in Hawaii written by National Academy of Sciences and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-02-10 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As both individuals and societies, we are making decisions today that will have profound consequences for future generations. From preserving Earth's plants and animals to altering our use of fossil fuels, none of these decisions can be made wisely without a thorough understanding of life's history on our planet through biological evolution. Companion to the best selling title Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, Evolution in Hawaii examines evolution and the nature of science by looking at a specific part of the world. Tracing the evolutionary pathways in Hawaii, we are able to draw powerful conclusions about evolution's occurrence, mechanisms, and courses. This practical book has been specifically designed to give teachers and their students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of evolution using exercises with real genetic data to explore and investigate speciation and the probable order in which speciation occurred based on the ages of the Hawaiian Islands. By focusing on one set of islands, this book illuminates the general principles of evolutionary biology and demonstrate how ongoing research will continue to expand our knowledge of the natural world.
Download or read book Adaptive Radiation and Molecular Evolution of Houstonia in North America written by Sheri Allayne Paderewski Church and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Phyllostomid Bats written by Theodore H Fleming and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2020-10-05 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With more than two hundred species distributed from California through Texas and across most of mainland Mexico, Central and South America, and islands in the Caribbean Sea, the Phyllostomidae bat family (American leaf-nosed bats) is one of the world’s most diverse mammalian families. From an insectivorous ancestor, species living today, over about 30 million years, have evolved a hyper-diverse range of diets, from blood or small vertebrates, to consuming nectar, pollen, and fruit. Phyllostomid plant-visiting species are responsible for pollinating more than five hundred species of neotropical shrubs, trees, vines, and epiphytes—many of which are economically and ecologically important—and they also disperse the seeds of at least another five hundred plant species. Fruit-eating and seed-dispersing members of this family thus play a crucial role in the regeneration of neotropical forests, and the fruit eaters are among the most abundant mammals in these habitats. Coauthored by leading experts in the field and synthesizing the latest advances in molecular biology and ecological methods, Phyllostomid Bats is the first overview in more than forty years of the evolution of the many morphological, behavioral, physiological, and ecological adaptations in this family. Featuring abundant illustrations as well as details on the current conservation status of phyllostomid species, it is both a comprehensive reference for these ecologically vital creatures and a fascinating exploration of the evolutionary process of adaptive radiation.
