Evolution: Components and Mechanisms

About this book

Evolution: Components and Mechanisms introduces the many recent discoveries and insights that have added to the discipline of organic evolution, and combines them with the key topics needed to gain a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of evolution. Each chapter covers an important topic or factor pertinent to a modern understanding of evolutionary theory, allowing easy access to particular topics for either study or review. Many chapters are cross-referenced.

Modern evolutionary theory has expanded significantly within only the past two to three decades. In recent times the definition of a gene has evolved, the definition of organic evolution itself is in need of some modification, the number of known mechanisms of evolutionary change has increased dramatically, and the emphasis placed on opportunity and contingency has increased. Evolution: Components and Mechanisms synthesizes these changes and presents many of the novel topics in evolutionary theory in an accessible and thorough format.

Evolution: Components and Mechanisms is an ideal, up-to-date resource for biologists, geneticists, evolutionary biologists, developmental biologists, and researchers in, as well as students and academics in these areas and professional scientists in many subfields of biology.

Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
Biography
Chapter 1. Evolution
Chapter 2. Natural Selection
Chapter 3. Adaptation
Chapter 4. Competition
Chapter 5. Genetics Basics & Mutations

    Mutations

Chapter 6. Transposable Elements, Viruses, and Genomes
Chapter 7. Horizontal Gene Transfer
Chapter 8. Neutral Evolution

    The Redundant Genetic Code
    Neutral Nonsilent Mutations
    Mutations in Introns
    Mutations in Other Noncoding DNA
    Some Chromosomal Mutations Can Be Neutral

Chapter 9. Genetic Drift
Chapter 10. Environment
Chapter 11. Development
Chapter 12. Symbiosis
Chapter 13. Speciation

    Allopatric Speciation
    Sympatric Speciation
    Parapatric Speciation
    Speciation by Polyploidy
    Speciation without Cladogenesis

Chapter 14. Micro- and Macroevolution
Chapter 15. Homology
Chapter 16. Imperfection
Chapter 17. The Fossil Record and the History of Life
Chapter 18. Contingency and Evolution
Chapter 19. Opportunity
Chapter 20. Phylogeny—The Tree of Life
Chapter 21. Progress—Purpose?
References
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Index

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