In Search of the Causes of Evolution: From Field Observations to Mechanisms

Description

Evolutionary biology has witnessed breathtaking advances in recent years. Some of its most exciting insights have come from the crossover of disciplines as varied as paleontology, molecular biology, ecology, and genetics. This book brings together many of today's pioneers in evolutionary biology to describe the latest advances and explain why a cross-disciplinary and integrated approach to research questions is so essential. Contributors discuss the origins of biological diversity, mechanisms of evolutionary change at the molecular and developmental levels, morphology and behavior, and the ecology of adaptive radiations and speciation. They highlight the mutual dependence of organisms and their environments, and reveal the different strategies today's researchers are using in the field and laboratory to explore this interdependence. Peter and Rosemary Grant--renowned for their influential work on Darwin's finches in the Galapagos--provide concise introductions to each section and identify the key questions future research needs to address. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Myra Awodey, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Rowan D. H. Barrett, May R. Berenbaum, Paul M. Brakefield, Philip J. Currie, Scott V. Edwards, Douglas J. Emlen, Joshua B. Gross, Hopi E. Hoekstra, Richard Hudson, David Jablonski, David T. Johnston, Mathieu Joron, David Kingsley, Andrew H. Knoll, Mimi A. R. Koehl, June Y. Lee, Jonathan B. Losos, Isabel Santos Magalhaes, Albert B. Phillimore, Trevor Price, Dolph Schluter, Ole Seehausen, Clifford J. Tabin, John N. Thompson, and David B. Wake.

Peter R. Grant is the Class of 1877 Professor of Zoology (emeritus) at Princeton University. B. Rosemary Grant is professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton.

"Just under 20 pages each, these chapters are accessible, up-to-date, and authoritative summaries of the current status of the search for mechanisms of evolution. Sixteen color plates provide a visual perspective on the topics covered, all of which deal with multicellular organisms, plants, and animals, although the universal tree of life is discussed in several chapters."--Choice "In Search of the Causes of Evolution will inspire biologists in the field, at the laboratory bench, and in the classroom. Many of the individual chapters are gems of evolutionary thought. High points include an exploration of classical ideas from novel perspectives, touching on the authors' work, but they often delve into the historical, the whimsical, or just thoughtful speculation."--Ryan Calsbeek, BioScience "This is an important contributory book, which synthesizes the classical concepts of organic evolution with recent findings and developments in the field of Evolutionary Biology."--K. K. Verma, Bionotes