Evolution / Evolutionary biology Books

Book SynopsisBy the author of the acclaimed bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, a brilliant and beautifully told new history of mammals, illuminating the lost story of the extraordinary family tree that led to us [New Scientist; The Times UK]National Bestseller • Top 10 Nonfiction of the Year: Kirkus • Best Science Book of the Year: The Times UKWe humans are the inheritors of a dynasty that has reigned over the planet for nearly 66 million years, through fiery cataclysm and ice ages: the mammals. Our lineage includes saber-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths, armadillos the size of a car, cave bears three times the weight of a grizzly, clever scurriers that outlasted Tyrannosaurus rex, and even other types of humans, like Neanderthals. Indeed humankind and many of the beloved fellow mammals we share the planet with today—lions, whales, dogs—represent only the few survivors of a sprawling and astonishing family tree that has been pruned by time and mass extinctions. How did we get here?In his acclaimed bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs—hailed as “the ultimate dinosaur biography” by Scientific American—American paleontologist Steve Brusatte enchanted readers with his definitive history of the dinosaurs. Now, picking up the narrative in the ashes of the extinction event that doomed T-rex and its kind, Brusatte explores the remarkable story of the family of animals that inherited the Earth—mammals— and brilliantly reveals that their story is every bit as fascinating and complex as that of the dinosaurs.Beginning with the earliest days of our lineage some 325 million years ago, Brusatte charts how mammals survived the asteroid that claimed the dinosaurs and made the world their own, becoming the astonishingly diverse range of animals that dominate today’s Earth. Brusatte also brings alive the lost worlds mammals inhabited through time, from ice ages to volcanic catastrophes. Entwined in this story is the detective work he and other scientists have done to piece together our understanding using fossil clues and cutting-edge technology.A sterling example of scientific storytelling by one of our finest young researchers, The Rise and Reign of the Mammals illustrates how this incredible history laid the foundation for today’s world, for us, and our future.

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Book SynopsisIn this fascinating book, John Maynard Smith and Eors Szathmary present an original picture of evolution. They propose that during evolution there have been a number of major transitions in the way in which information is passed between generations. These transitions include the appearance of the first replicating molecules, the emergence of co-operative animal societies, and the unique language ability of humans. Containing many new ideas, this book is contemporary biology on the grandest scale, from the birth of life to the origin of language.Trade ReviewI can recommend this book as a thoroughly interesting read * Biologist 01/02/2002 *exhilarating reading ... challenging ... stimulates the reader to think deeply on the many issues it raises. * Margaret Ginzburg, Science and Christian belief, Vol.13, No.1, April 2001 *...the authors provide a clear-eyed review of a large part of modern biology. * Scientific American *...the book is well written, stimulating, and full of information nuggets. * Choice *Table of ContentsPREFACE; 1. LIFE AND INFORMATION; 2. THE MAJOR TRANSITIONS; 3. FROM CHEMISTRY TO HEREDITY; 4. FROM THE RNA WORLD TO THE MODERN WORLD; 5. FROM HEREDITY TO SIMPLE CELLS; 6. THE ORIGIN OF EUKARYOTIC CELLS; 7. THE ORIGIN OF SEX; 8. GENETIC CONFLICT; 9. LIVING TOGETHER; 10. THE EVOLUTION OF MANY-CELLED ORGANISMS; 11. ANIMAL SOCIETIES; 12. FROM ANIMAL TO HUMAN SOCIETIES; 13. THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE; GLOSSARY; NOTES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn what will certainly be one of the key works in the emerging science of complexity, Kauffman here presents a brilliant new paradigm for evolutionary biology. It extends the basic concepts of Darwinian evolution to accommodate recent findings and perspectives from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The book drives to the heart of the exciting debate on the origins of life and maintenance of order in complex biological systems. It focuses on the concept of self-organization - the first time this concept has been incorporated into evolutionary theory. The book shows how complex systems, contrary to expectations, can spontaneously exhibit stunning degrees of order, and how this order in turn is essential for the emergence and development of life on Earth. Origins of Order will advance our understanding of evolution and provoke considerable discussion among evolutionary, molecular, and developmental biologists.Trade Review. . . an integrative book that will become a landmark and a classic as we grope towards a more comprehensive and satisfying theory of evolution. * Stephen Jay Gould *Stuart Kauffman's book . . . is a global representation of a new field, that will greatly enhance our physical understanding of Nature . . . A superb reading, not limited to physicists and biologists, having most important implications in natural philosophy. * Manfred Eigen *Here is a big book with a big purpose. . . . The Origins of Order is the first book to be written by any of the complexity theorists themselves, and it presents Kauffman's view of the biological realm. . . . The Origins of Order will be seen as a major work in the progression of biological theory. At the very least, Kauffman has made a persuasive case to have his bold hypothesis heard. * Roger Lewin *Table of ContentsPART I: ADAPTATION ON THE EDGE OF CHAOS; PART II: THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF LIFE; PART III: ORDER AND ONTOGENY

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Book SynopsisCan evolutionary theory explain depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders? The authors re-examine this old question in light of current research and show that evolution may provide the essential framework for understanding both everyday human behavior and a range of mental disorders. Their discussion includes up-to-date research on emotions, moods, symptoms, and mental processing. The authors make a compelling case for the view that prominent features of mental disorders are simply adaptive responses to the environment and life''s circumstances and that these responses can only be understood in the context of our long evolutionary past.Trade Review"The authors are psychiatrists who have done distinguished experimental work in primatology. They summarize evolutionary influences on everyday behavior, and argue convincingly for this area as a science basic to psychiatry."--The Quarterly Review of Biology "Darwinian Psychiatry represents a encyclopedic, ambitious and well-argued attempt to convince its readers that the field of psychiatry would benefit from the explicit incorporation of evolutionary theory, and offers nothing short of a complete reconceptualization of mental disorders. McGuire and Troisi are writers of considerable distinction in the psychiatry literature...their scholarship is unmistakable and their shared knowledge startlingly comprehensive. The overall tone of the work is relatively conversational, a style that well befits the obvious familiarity of the authors with the tenets of evolutionary theory and their knowledge of mental conditions. Well thought out, well-structured, and well written...the application of their ideas is both comparatively straightforward and appropriately provocative." -- Metapsychology (Mental Help Net's Bookstore) "The authors are psychiatrists who have done distinguished experimental work in primatology. They summarize evolutionary influences on everyday behavior, and argue convincingly for this area as a science basic to psychiatry."--The Quarterly Review of Biology "Darwinian Psychiatry represents a encyclopedic, ambitious and well-argued attempt to convince its readers that the field of psychiatry would benefit from the explicit incorporation of evolutionary theory, and offers nothing short of a complete reconceptualization of mental disorders. McGuire and Troisi are writers of considerable distinction in the psychiatry literature...their scholarship is unmistakable and their shared knowledge startlingly comprehensive. The overall tone of the work is relatively conversational, a style that well befits the obvious familiarity of the authors with the tenets of evolutionary theory and their knowledge of mental conditions. Well thought out, well-structured, and well written...the application of their ideas is both comparatively straightforward and appropriately provocative." -- Metapsychology (Mental Help Net's Bookstore)Table of ContentsI. Introduction ; 1. Darwinian psychiatry - the context ; 2. Diagnosing and explaining disorders/conditions ; II. An evolutionary context for disorders ; 3. Evolutionary concepts important to psychiatry ; 4. A theory of behavior ; 5. Mechanisms, emotions, moods, symptoms, and affects ; 6. Information processing ; 7. Evolutionary models of disorders/conditions ; 8. Regulation-dysregulation theory ; III. Disorders and conditions in evolutionary context ; 9. Personality disorders ; 10. Anorexia nervosa ; 11. Schizophrenia ; 12. Phobias ; 13. Other conditions ; 14. Dysthymic disorder: a study of infrastructural suboptimality ; IV. Treatment in evolutionary context ; 15. Treatment in evolutionary context ; V. Conclusion ; 16. Summary and conclusion

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Book SynopsisDeath, for bacteria, is not inevitable. Protect a bacterium from predators, and provide it with adequate food and space to grow, and it would continue living--and reproducing asexually--forever. But a paramecium (a slightly more advanced single-cell organism), under the same ideal conditions, would stop dividing after about 200 generations--and die. Death, for paramecia and their offspring, is inevitable. Unless they have sex. If at any point during that 200 or so generations, two of the progeny of our paramecium have sex, their clock will be reset to zero. They and their progeny are granted another 200 generations. Those who fail to have sex eventually die. Immortality for bacteria is automatic; for all other living beings--including humans--immortality depends on having sex. But why is this so? Why must death be inevitable? And what is the connection between death and sexual reproduction? In Sex and the Origins of Death, William R. Clark looks at life and death at the level of the cell, as he addresses such profound questions as why we age, why death exists, and why death and sex go hand in hand. Clark reveals that there are in fact two kinds of cell death--accidental death, caused by extreme cold or heat, starvation, or physical destruction, and programmed cell death, initiated by codes embedded in our DNA. (Bacteria have no such codes.) We learn that every cell in our body has a self-destruct program embedded into it and that cell suicide is in fact a fairly commonplace event. We also discover that virtually every aspect of a cell''s life is regulated by its DNA, including its own death, that the span of life is genetically determined (identical twins on average die 36 months apart, randomly selected siblings 106 months apart), that human tissue in culture will divide some 50 times and then die (an important exception being tumor cells, which divide indefinitely). But why do our cells have such programs? Why must we die? To shed light on this question, Clark reaches far back in evolutionary history, to the moment when inevitable death (death from ageing) first appeared. For cells during the first billion years, death, when it occurred, was accidental; there was nothing programmed into them that said they must die. But fierce competition gradually led to multicellular animals--size being an advantage against predators--and with this change came cell specialization and, most important, germ cells in which reproductive DNA was segregated. When sexual reproduction evolved, it became the dominant form of reproduction on the planet, in part because mixing DNA from two individuals corrects errors that have crept into the code. But this improved DNA made DNA in the other (somatic) cells not only superfluous, but dangerous, because somatic DNA might harbour mutations. Nature''s solution to this danger, Clark concludes, was programmed death--the somatic cells must die. Unfortunately, we are the somatic cells. Death is necessary to exploit to the fullest the advantages of sexual reproduction. In Sex and the Origins of Death, William Clark ranges far and wide over fascinating terrain. Whether describing a 62-year-old man having a major heart attack (and how his myocardial cells rupture and die), or discussing curious life-forms that defy any definition of life (including bacterial spores, which can regenerate after decades of inactivity, and viruses, which are nothing more than DNA or RNA wrapped in protein), this brilliant, profound volume illuminates the miraculous workings of life at its most elemental level and finds in these tiny spaces the answers to some of our largest questions.Trade ReviewAnyone who reckons that science writing is dry stuff may find their outlook broadened by this little book about the biology of death. * New Scientist *

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Book SynopsisFor many of us, the great scientific discoveries of the modern age -- the Big Bang, evolution, quantum physics, relativity -- point to an existence that is bleak, devoid of meaning, pointless. But in The Sacred Depths of Nature, eminent biologist Ursula Goodenough shows us that the scientific world view need not be a source of despair. Indeed, it can be a wellspring of solace and hope. This eloquent volume reconciles the modern scientific understanding of reality with our timeless spiritual yearnings for reverence and continuity. Looking at topics such as evolution, emotions, sexuality, and death, Goodenough writes with rich, uncluttered detail about the workings of nature in general and of living creatures in particular. Her luminous clarity makes it possible for even non scientists to appreciate that the origins of life and the universe are no less meaningful because of our increasingly scientific understanding of them. At the end of each chapter, Goodenough''s spiritual reflections Trade ReviewThe groundwork for a religious naturalism is superbly laid - in this respect the detail and precision with which she [Goodenough] presents the context of our human experience is an important advance on previous authors. The structure of her book is also an important innovation, in its alternation of third-person and first-person perspectives. Most importantly of all, she presents a highly coherent case for the possibility of a planetary ethic which bypasses the authority of scriptural tradition deriving its authority instead from science * Ecotheology *

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Book SynopsisThis text unifies conceptual and empirical advances in evolutionary ecology and provides a volume that can be used as a primary textbook or supplemental reading in an advanced undergraduate or graduate course. The focus is on current concepts in evolutionary ecology and the empirical study of these concepts. Chapters are written by prominent biologists who have made significant contributions to this field and both synthesize the current state of knowledge and identify areas for future investigation. It is divided into five major sections: an overview of the major topics in evolutionary biology for ecologists, and sections on life histories, behaviour, co-evolution, and adaptation to anthropogenic change.Trade Review"[A]n excellent overview of research in evolutionary ecology. The book is extremely up-to-date, authoritative, well written, and ... well produced. ... The editors certainly are to be commended on the list of authors that they have gathered. The table of contents reads like a miniature who's who of evolutionary ecology ... The authors and editors have done a better job of referring between chapters than in any other edited volume I have read. ... a valuable book for a wide audience."--Ecology "This work introduces many of the important topics in evolutionary ecology. ... [the] chapters [are] written almost exclusively by notable scientists ..."--Choice "[E]ven experts working within particular areas of the field will find many of the chapters outside their primary area of research interesting and stimulating ... the 35 authors constitute a vertiable "who's who" in the field. ... the breadth of coverage is impressive ... In many respects the book has a cohesiveness usually found only in single authored works."--The Quarterly Review of Biology "Evolutionary ecology, according to the editors of this collection of essays, combines the two approaches to examine variation in organisms in relation to both past and the present. Edited collections often disappoint but this one does not. One factor in its success is the broad, conceptual theme given to each contribution, covering such topics as variation, natural selection, adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, population structure, inbreeding and outbreeding. . .Each essay sets out the theoretical basis for the topic covered and then it illustrates it with experimental and field examples. . .The level at which the essays are constructed would be suitable for advanced undergraduate studies and ideal for postgraduate students wishing to assimilate an authoritative account on the subject and should be introduced to the current literature. All teachers in such courses should certainly have this book on their shelves."--British Ecological Society "It is a daunting task to develop an integrated text that successfully draws from the diverse disciplines within ecology and evolutionary biology, yet Fox et al. have done this quite well.This text should prove especially useful to professors seeking a well-organized and thorough volume for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses focusing on evolutionary ecology. ..Given the void of textbooks for teaching evolutionary ecology at the graduate level and the high quality of this volume, we expect Fox et al.'s text to become a standard reader for evolution and ecology graduate programmes, as well as for researchers seeking an up-to-date overview of evolutionary ecology research."--Animal Behaviour "Provides an overview of evolutionary ecology, a field spanning the disciplines of ecology and evolutionary biology and incorporating the techniques and approaches of each. Chapters are written by prominent researchers and are organized into five sections: themes in evolutionary ecology, life histories, behavior, co-evolution, and adaptation to anthropogenic change. For researchers seeking a current overview and graduate or advanced undergraduate students seeking an introduction to the field."--SciTech Book News "[A]n excellent overview of research in evolutionary ecology. The book is extremely up-to-date, authoritative, well written, and ... well produced. ... The editors certainly are to be commended on the list of authors that they have gathered. The table of contents reads like a miniature who's who of evolutionary ecology ... The authors and editors have done a better job of referring between chapters than in any other edited volume I have read. ... a valuable book for a wide audience."--Ecology "This work introduces many of the important topics in evolutionary ecology. ... [the] chapters [are] written almost exclusively by notable scientists ..."--Choice "[E]ven experts working within particular areas of the field will find many of the chapters outside their primary area of research interesting and stimulating ... the 35 authors constitute a vertiable "who's who" in the field. ... the breadth of coverage is impressive ... In many respects the book has a cohesiveness usually found only in single authored works."--The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPART 1: RECURRING THEMES ; 1. Nature and Causes of Variation ; 2. Evolutionary Significance of Variation ; 3. Natural Selection ; 4. Adaptation ; 5. Phenotypic Plasticity ; 6. Population Structure ; 7. Inbreeding and Outbreeding ; PART 2: LIFE HISTORIES ; 8. Age and Size at Maturity ; 9. Offspring Size and Number ; 10. Senescence ; 11. Life Cycles ; 12. Sex and Gender ; 13. Sex Ratios and Sex Allocation ; 14. Ecological Specialization and Generalization ; PART 3: BEHAVIOR ; 15. Mating Systems ; 16. Sexual Selection ; 17. Cooperation and Altruism ; 18. Foraging Behaviour ; 19. The Evolutionary Ecology of Management ; PART 4: INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS ; 20. Ecological Character Displacement ; 21. Predator-Prey Interactions ; 22. Parasite-Host Interactions ; 23. Plant-Herbivore Interactions ; 24. Mutualisms ; 25. The Geographic Dynamics of Coevolution ; PART 5: ADAPTATION TO ANTHROPOGENIC CHANGE ; 26. Pesticide Resistance ; 27. Predicting the Outcome of Biological Control ; 28. Evolutionary Conservation Biology ; REFERENCES ; INDEX

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Book SynopsisGame theory has revolutionized the study of animal behavior. The fundamental principle of evolutionary game theory--that the strategy adopted by one individual depends on the strategies exhibited by others--has proven a powerful tool in uncovering the forces shaping otherwise mysterious behaviors. In this volume, the first since 1982 devoted to evolutionary game theory, leading researchers describe applications of the theory to diverse types of behavior, providing an overview of recent discoveries and a synthesis of current research. The volume begins with a clear introduction to game theory and its explanatory scope. This is followed by a series of chapters on the use of game theory to understand a range of behaviors: social foraging, cooperation, animal contests, communication, reproductive skew and nepotism within groups, sibling rivalry, alternative life-histories, habitat selection, trophic-level interactions, learning, and human social behavior. In addition, the volume includes aTrade Reviewan authoritative and widely accessible overview of the advances in this area * Ethology, Ecology, Evolution *Describes many interesting examples of animal behaviour, including games between foraging producers and scroungers, reciprocal grooming in impala, territorial defence by birds and spiders, animal communication, parent-offspring conflict, and colony founding by ants. There are many accounts of experimental tests of game theory models, along with clear discussions of the limitations of the game theory approach. The quality of writing (often a problem in edited volumes) is uniformly good. The chapter by R. Gomulkiewicz is especially important, because it connects game theory, other optimization methods, and quantitative genetics with a focus on an empirical strategy for detecting adaptation and constraint. --NatureThe book is a worthwhile addition to graduate collections and some undergraduate collections emphasizing behavioral ecology, as most chapters are sufficiently general to be of use for a longer time than the typical symposium volume.--ChoiceListed in Wildlife ActivistTable of Contents1. What is evolutionary game theory ; 2. Game theory and social foraging ; 3. Game theory and cooperation ; 4. Game theory and animal contests ; 5. Game theory and communication ; 6. Game theory, reproductive skew, and nepotism ; 7. Game theory, sibling rivalry, and parent-offspring conflict ; 8. Game theory and inheritance in the conditional strategy ; 9. Game theory and habitat selection ; 10. Game theory and predator-prey response races ; 11. Game theory and learning ; 12. Game theory and human behavior ; 13. Game theory, optimization, and quantitative genetics ; 14. Why we need evolutionary game theory

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together an impressive group of leading scholars in the sciences of complexity, and a few workers on the interface of science and religion, to explore the wider implications of complexity studies. It includes an introduction to complexity studies and explores the concept of information in physics and biology and various philosophical and religious perspectives. Chapter authors include Paul Davies, Greg Chaitin, Charles Bennett, Werner Loewenstein, Paul Dembski, Ian Stewart, Stuart Kauffman, Harold Morowitz, Arthur Peacocke, and Niels H. Gregersen.Trade ReviewMelanie Mitchell's book is most enjoyable, truly inspiring, skillfully written, and, above all, beautifully clear. The author's enthusiasm and passion for the field make the book fascinating to read. Her rigor, clarity, and healthy skepticism make the book sound and the field scientifically stronger. It is an excellent and rigorous account of the scientific field of complexity. She proves by example that it is possible to explain complex systems science with rigor, breadth, depth, and - above all - exquisite clarity * Artificial Life *Table of ContentsPart 1: Introduction ; 1. Towards an Emergentist Worldview ; Part 2: Defining Complexity ; 2. Randomness and Mathematical Proof ; 3. "How to define Complexity in Physics, and Why?" ; Part 3: The Concept of Information in Physics and Biology ; 4. The Emergence of Autonomous Agents ; 5. Complexity and The Arrow of Time ; 6. Can Evolutionary Algorithms Generate Specified Complexity? ; 7. The Second Law of Thermodynamics and the Fourth Law of Thermodynamics ; 8. Two Arrows from a Mighty Bow ; Part 4: Philosophical and Religious Perspectives ; 9. Emergence of Transcendence ; 10. Complexity, Emergence and Divine Creativity ; 11. From Anthropic Design to Self-Organized Complexity

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Book SynopsisA new voice in the nature-nurture debate can be heard at the interface between evolution and development. Phenotypic integration--or, how large numbers of characteristics are related to make up the whole organism, and how these relationships evolve and change their function--is a major growth area in research, attracting the attention of evolutionary biologists, developmental biologists, and geneticists, as well as, more broadly, ecologists, physiologists, and paleontologists. This edited collection presents much of the best and most recent work the topic.Trade ReviewI think this volume will provide stimulating reading for most students, teachers and researchers in a variety of biological disciplines. HeredityTable of ContentsForeword: The diversity of complexity ; Phenotypic Integration: Studying the Ecology and Evolution of Complex Phenotypes ; SECTION I: ADAPTATION AND CONSTRAINTS ; 1. Floral integration, modularity, and accuracy: distinguishing complex adaptations from genetic constraints ; 2. Integration and modularity in the evolution of sexual ornaments: An overlooked perspective ; 3. the Evolution of allometry in modular organisms ; 4. Phenotypic integration as a constraint and adaptation ; 5. Evolvability, stabilizing selection, and the problem of stasis ; SECTION II: PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY AND INTEGRATION ; 6. Studying the plasticity of phenotypic integration in a model organism ; 7. Integrating phenotypic plasticity when death is on the line: Insights from predator-prey systems ; SECTION III: GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PHENOTYPIC INTEGRATION ; 8. QTL Mapping: a first step towards an understanding of molecular genetic mechanisms behind phenotypic complexity/integration ; 9. Integration, modules, and development: molecules to morphology to evolution ; 10. Studying mutational effects on G-matrices ; SECTION IV: MACROEVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS IN PHENOTYPIC INTEGRATION ; 11. the Macroevolution of phenotypic integration ; 12. Form, Function and Life-History: Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Integration ; 13. Morphological Integration in Primate Evolution ; SECTION V: THEORY AND ANALYSIS OF PHENOTYPIC INTEGRATION ; 14. Phylogenetic comparative analysis of multivariate data ; 15. The Evolution of genetic architecture ; 16. Multivariate phenotypic evolution in developmental hyperspace ; 17. the Relativism of constraints on phenotypic evolution ; 18. The Developmental Systems Perspective: Organism-environment systems as units of development and evolution ; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis title consists of 17 papers on the contributions of John Holland by a group of scholars from a wide range of fields, including the Nobel laureates Kenneth Arrow and Herbert Simon, and also Douglas Hofstadter, Brian Arthur, Robert Axelrod, and Melanie Mitchell.Table of ContentsLashon Booker, Stephanie Forrest, Melanie Mitchell, and Rick Riolo: Introduction: Adaptation, Evolution, and Intelligence PART 1: GENETIC ALGOROTHMS AND BEYOND 1: Kenneth DeJong: Genetic Algorithms: A 30 Year Perspective 2: John R. Koza: Human-Competitive Machine Intelligence by Means of Genetic Algorithms 3: David E. Goldberg: John Holland, Facetwise models, and Economy of Thought PART 2: COMPUTATION, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND BEYOND 4: Arthur W. Burks: An Early Graduate Program in Computers and Communications 5: Oliver G. Selfridge: Had We But World Enough and Time 6: Bernard P. Zeigler: Discrete Event Abstraction: An Emerging Paradigm for Modeling Complex Adaptive Systems 7: Herbert A. Simon: Good Old-Fashioned AI and Genetic Algorithms: An Exercise in Translation Scholarship 8: Douglad R. Hofstadter: Moore's Law, Artificial Evolutionm and the Fate of Humanity PART 3: THE NATURAL WORLD AND BEYOND 9: Julian Adams: Evolution of Complexity in Microbial Populations 10: Bobbi S. Low, Doug Finkbeiner, and Carl Simon: Favored Places in the Selfish Herd: Trading Off Food and Security 11: Rick Riolo, Robert Axelrod, and Michael D. Cohen: Tags, Interaction Patterns and the Evolution of Cooperation 12: Robert G. Reynolds and Salah Saleem: The Impact of Environmental Dynamics on Cultural Emergence 13: Kenneth J. Arrow: John Holland and the Evolution of Economics 14: W. Brian Arthur: Cognition: The Black Box of Economics Index

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Book SynopsisThis edition of Are We Hardwired addresses the role of genes in governing behaviour. It explains the genetic and molecular basis of human behaviour within the broader context of animal behaviour generally. Behaviour is treated as a complex interaction of nature and nurture; to understand ourselves fully, neither can be dismissed out of hand.Trade ReviewThis book tells the story of how genes and other aspects of biology such as pheromones and neurotransmitters affect important behaviours such as aggression, eating disorders, drug use and abuse, sexual preference, learning and memory, and mental function. The story begins with the real stars of genetic research - sea slugs, roundworms, and fruit flies - and builds up to what we know about our own species. The story is told in a captivating way--exciting yet erudite. Excellent! * Robert Plomin, MRC Research Professor, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London and author of the upcoming fourth edition of Behaviour Genetics *Are we hardwired? Do billion-year old genes play an important role in human behaviour? Pick up this book. You won't be able to put it down. * Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr., Professor of Psychology, University of Minnesota *Table of Contents1. Mirror, mirror ; 2. In the beginning: the evolutionary origins of behaviour ; 3. The nose knows ; 4. As the worm turns: learning and memory in the roundworm C. elegans ; 5. About genes and behaviour ; 6. Life in the fourth dimension: the role of clocks in regulating behaviour ; 7. You must remember this: the evolution of learning and memory ; 8. The role of neurotransmitters in human behaviour ; 9. The genetics of aggression ; 10. The genetics of consumption, Part 1: eating disorders ; 11. The genetics of consumption, Part II: alcoholism and drug abuse ; 12. The genetics of human mental function ; 13. The genetics of human sexual preference ; 14. Genetics, the environment and free will ; Appendix 1: finding and identifying genes ; Appendix 2: a brief history of eugenics

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Book SynopsisThis book looks back at the simpler versions of mental life in apes, Neanderthals, and our ancestors, back before our burst of creativity started 50,000 years ago. When you can''t think about the future in much detail, you are trapped in a here-and-now existence with no What if? and Why me? William H. Calvin takes stock of what we have now and then explains why we are nearing a crossroads, where mind shifts gears again. The mind''s big bang came long after our brain size stopped enlarging. Calvin suggests that the development of long sentences--what modern children do in their third year--was the most likely trigger. To keep a half-dozen concepts from blending together like a summer drink, you need some mental structuring. In saying I think I saw him leave to go home, you are nesting three sentences inside a fourth. We also structure plans, play games with rules, create structured music and chains of logic, and have a fascination with discovering how things hang together. Our long traTrade ReviewCalvin's history will stretch your mind.... The Seattle scientist writes in a conversational style, often referring to 'stuff.' But it's high-level stuff with surprising insights. * Associated Press *Conversational and colorful, uncluttered by intimidating footnote references.... Calvin is a master both of how minds work in a cultural context, and how brains work on a neuron level. He's also a master at helping ordinary readers understand neurobiology. * Nashville Scene *As always, the author's erudition demands close attention but makes science entertaining and accessible for the layman. * Kirkus Reviews *As a work of writing, A Brief History of the Mind is not just a summary of Calvin's thoughts; it is full of eloquent quotes from other thinkers. It has a good bibliography for readers who wish to explore this subject.... It is hard to imagine a subject of more fundamental interest to human beings. If you've ever wondered why you are who you are, 'A Brief History of the Mind' is a good place to start. * Seattle Times *

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Trade ReviewI have used this book for years * it never fails to engage the students.Nan E. Woodruff, Pennsylvania State University *Excellent for collateral reading in my history and philosophy of education class. * D. Gough, Washington Bible College *An intriguing book well suited to stimulating discussion in an upper-level course. It addresses issues rented to the social and intellectual history of 20th century American. * Daniel B. Murphy, Hanover College *Very valuable in helping students understand the Scopes Trial and modern Creationists. * Lois N. Magner, Purdue University *Very good for supplemental reading in a survey course on religion in America. Lively and stimulating. The book provokes students to get involved. * W. Calvin Smith, University of South Carolina at Aiken *In his brilliant account of the Tennessee 'monkey trial' of 1925, Mr. Ginger gives us a book where history not only records the events of a time but illuminates their significance for all time. * The New Republic *This volume provides a clear, informative and interesting chronicle of the 1925 Scopes trial. It relates the trial to the Zeitgeist of the era. * William Simons, SUNY-Oneonta *

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Book SynopsisEvolutionary Behavioral Ecology is intended to be used a text for graduate students and a sourcebook for professional scientists seeking an understanding of the evolutionary and ecological processes shaping behavior across a wide array of organisms and a diverse set of behaviors. Chapters are written by an array of leading experts in the field, providing a core foundation, a history of conceptual developments, and fresh insight into the controversies and themes shaping the continuing development of the field. Essays on adaptation, selection, fitness, genetics, plasticity, and phylogeny as they pertain to behavior place the field in the broader context of ecology and evolution. These concepts, along with a diversity of theoretical approaches are applied to the evolution of behavior in a many contexts, from individual decision-making of solitary animals through to complex social interactions. Chapters integrate conceptual and theoretical approaches with recent empirical advances to undTrade Review"There is no denying that this volume will set behavioral ecology's research path for the near future. The book does an admirable job of highlighting new ideas and approaches that are shaping the future of behavioral ecology with discussions of powerful techniques as well as boundary-challenging ideas. The chapters in Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology are short, concise and to-the-point. The material is presented in an engaging and enthusiastic style - a quality that will certainly appeal to graduate students and other newcomers to the field. The presentation, format, and style are consistent and flow very well from one chapter to the next. Credit the editors with this achievement."--Integrative and Comparative Biology "Impressive. It's completeness, the fact that chapters are written by leading international experts in each field, and the inclusion of those equations necessary to explain topics in depth, all serve to widen the coverage of ideas and therefore the potential readership compared to other books in behavioral ecology. This will make the book an important, if not a standard source for students and professionals alike. This book would be a valuable addition to the personal bookshelf of a reader of TREE or to the shelves of any life science library."--Trends in Ecology and Evolution "[This book] allows a serious exploration of the many relevant and important aspects of behavioural ecology, with the evolutionary thread running through it. The reasonable paperback price puts this within grasp of most ecologists who want to understand the behavioural background of their work."--Bulletin of the British Ecological Society "As evidenced by the title alone, which emphasizes the role of evolutionary biology, the field of behavioral ecology has expanded greatly beyond studies of animal behavior over the last few decades. This book succeeds in highlighting not only many of the discipline's classic themes and newer developments, it also has a portion devoted partly to future directions. Just as Krebs and Davies's classic textbook spanned four editions and nearly 20 years, I would not be surprised if this volume did the same."--Dustin R. Rubenstein for The Quarterly Review of Biology Books Received -- Evolutionary Anthropology Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology should set the standard for the field for another decade or two. --BioScienceTable of ContentsCONTRIBUTORS; LITERATURE CITED

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Book SynopsisNietzsche wrote in a scientific culture transformed by Darwin. He read extensively in German and British Darwinists, and his own works dealt often with such obvious Darwinian themes as struggle and evolution. Yet most of what Nietzsche said about Darwin was hostile: he sharply attacked many of his ideas, and often slurred Darwin himself as mediocre. So most readers of Nietzsche have inferred that he must have cast Darwin quite aside. But in fact, John Richardson argues, Nietzsche was deeply and pervasively influenced by Darwin. He stressed his disagreements, but was silent about several core points he took over from Darwin. Moreover, Richardson claims, these Darwinian borrowings were to Nietzsche''s credit: when we bring them to the surface we discover his positions to be much stronger than we had thought. Even Nietzsche''s radical innovations are more plausible when we expose their Darwinian ground; we see that they amount to a new Darwinism. The book''s four chapters show how four Trade ReviewThis lucid and closely argued book offers an infinitely more rewarding approach to Nietzsche than the once fashionable postmodernism. * Laird M. Easton, German Studies Review *Table of ContentsCONTENTS ; INTRODUCTION ; BIBLIOGRAPHY/VOCABULARY/INDEX

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Book SynopsisAnyone can look at a snake and see a creature unique unto itself, a reptile with a set of zoological and biological traits that are entirely its own. Just looking at this distinct animal raises many scientific questions. With regard to evolution, how did such an animal come to be? How does a snake move, and how do its sense organs differ from that of other reptiles? How does it eat, and how does it reproduce? Essentially, how does a snake work? In How Snakes Work: The Structure, Function and Behavior of the World''s Snakes, leading zoologist Harvey B. Lillywhite has written the definitive scientific guide to the functional biology of snakes. Written for both herpetologists and a more general audience with an interest in the field, How Snakes Work features nearly two hundred color images of various species of snakes, used to provide visual examples of biological features explained in the text.Chapter topics include the evolutionary history of the snake, feeding, locomotion, the structure and function of skin, circulation and respiration, sense organs, sound production, and reproduction. Containing all the latest research and advances in our biological knowledge of the snake, How Snakes Work is an indispensable asset to professional zoologists and enthusiasts alike.Trade ReviewI think this is a terrific book for readers with a variety of knowledge levels...Perhaps the reason [the author] is so successfuland why this is such a terrific bookis because the author is an insider, a professional research scientist who has studied how snakes work for his entire career...I like the encouraging, upbeat style of writing that gets the reader excited about the topics. * Brian I. Crother, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation *Original and pleasant, filling a vacuum, this book is to recommend in all the libraries. We learned a great deal and our admiration for the serpents and their perfection increases with the reading of each of its chapters. * Ivan Ineich, Bulletin de la Soci^'et^'e Herp^'etologique de France *There is a particular satisfaction in reading a wellcrafted, richly detailed scientific textbook written by an expert with an obvious passion for his or her subject -- a person who has clearly spent a lifetime immersed in an arcane field, and has the fortuitous ability to draw others in with skillful prose. Harvey B. Lillywhite has produced an exemplar of such a volume. * Rulon W. Clark, The Quarterly Review of Biology *Table of ContentsTable of Contents ; Chapter 1: Evolutionary History and Classification of the World's Snakes ; Chapter 2: Feeding, Digestion and Water Balance ; Chapter 3: Locomotion: How Snakes Move ; Chapter 4: Temperature and Ectothermy ; Chapter 5: Structure and Function of Skin ; Chapter 6: Internal Transport: Circulation and Respiration ; Chapter 7: Perceiving the Snake's World: Structure and Function of Sense Organs ; Chapter 8: Sound Production ; Chapter 9: Courtship and Reproduction ; Glossary of Terms

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of a profound revolution in the way biologists explore life''s history, understand its evolutionary processes, and reveal its diversity. It is about life''s smallest entities, deepest diversity, and greatest cellular biomass: the microbiosphere. Jan Sapp introduces us to a new field of evolutionary biology and a new brand of molecular evolutionists who descend to the foundations of evolution on Earth to explore the origins of the genetic system and the primary life forms from which all others have emerged. In so doing, he examines-from Lamarck to the present-the means of pursuing the evolution of complexity, and of depicting the greatest differences among organisms. The New Foundations of Evolution takes us into a world that classical evolutionists could never have imagined: a deep phylogeny based on three domains of life and multiple kingdoms, and created by mechanisms very unlike those considered by Darwin and his followers. Evolution by leaps seems to occur regulTrade ReviewIt is a must-read for anyone with the slightest interest in the historical background to the current controversies regarding the role of horizontal gene transfer and how this affects the notion of a tree of life for prokaryotes. * Systematic Biology *Table of ContentsFOREWORD; PREFACE; CONCLUDING REMARKS

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Book SynopsisAdaptive 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 Galápagos 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 aTrade Review[Schluter's] book is an ideal basis for graduate student seminar courses, and can both educate and spark spirited discussion ... finely crafted, deeply thoughtful. * Evolution *... a scholarly work of great clarity and force of argument. It is essential reading for all students of evolution ... a book that will take its place near the ones by Dobzhansky, Lack, Mayr and Simpson that inspired it. * Peter R. Grant, Quarterly Review of Biology *... in each decade, one book stands out in terms of its influence on the field of evolutionary biology ... Although only one-year old, this decade might have already produced its member of this pantheon: Dolph Schluter" The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation ... it will lead to new avenues of research and new ways of thinking about adaptive radiation. * Jonathan B. Losos, Trends in Ecology and Evolution *... presents and impressively thorough evaluation of the empirical evidence that has accumulated since Simpson's snythesis ... an absolute "must read" for all graduate students in the fields of ecology and evolution and for anyone interested in evolutionary diversity. It will become a classic. * Axel Meyer, Science *... should be read and regularly consulted by anybody interested in adaptive radiation, in natural selection, and in speciation. * Konrad Bachmann, Plant Systematics and Evolution *Table of Contents1. The origins of ecological diversity ; 2. Detecting adaptive radiation ; 3. The progress of adaptive radiation ; 4. The ecological theory of adaptive radiation ; 5. Divergent natural selection between environments ; 6. Divergence and species interactions ; 7. Ecological opportunity ; 8. The ecological basis of speciation ; 9. Divergence along genetic lines of least resistance ; 10. The ecology of adaptive radiation

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Book SynopsisThis is a history of how sheep breeding contributed to knowledge of heredity, and how the theory was vigorously pursued during the early Nineteenth Century in Brno, where Mendel defined the basis of genetics in 1866. This original and perceptive work is rich in previously unpublished detail.Trade ReviewThis is a very valuable book analysing the period of animal breeding, especially sheep, before the discovering of heredity laws by Gregor Mendel. * Folia Mendeliana *Historians of technology will find here a rich case study of the diffusion of a technology, and the book's implications for the relations of science and technology are significant. * British Journal for the History of Science *In illuminating the milieu in which Mendel worked, Wood and Orel add usefully to our knowledge of nineteenth-century conceptions of heredity. * British Journal for the History of Science *Over the last 30 years Orel and Wood have reconstructured the context of Mendel's work more thoroughly than anyone else. This book is a welcome culmination of that project, integrating the various strands of their work into one long argument. * British Journal for the History of Science *Wood and Orel's book offers answers both intriguing and persuasive. * British Journal for the History of Science *Historians of genetics will find Wood and Orel's case compelling. * Journal of the History of Biology *... an interesting and a stimulating study. They have undertaken an impressive amount of research in the archives on sheep-breeding in Europe in the eighteenth and ninteenth centuries, and presented their findings and conclusions clearly and logically. I learnt a lot from the book. * Nature *Table of ContentsLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ; OVERVIEW ; REFERENCES ; INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe field of molecular evolution has experienced explosive growth in recent years due to the rapid accumulation of genetic sequence data, continuous improvements to computer hardware and software, and the development of sophisticated analytical methods. The increasing availability of large genomic data sets requires powerful statistical methods to analyse and interpret them, generating both computational and conceptual challenges for the field.Computational Molecular Evolution provides an up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of modern statistical and computational methods used in molecular evolutionary analysis, such as maximum likelihood and Bayesian statistics. Yang describes the models, methods and algorithms that are most useful for analysing the ever-increasing supply of molecular sequence data, with a view to furthering our understanding of the evolution of genes and genomes. The book emphasizes essential concepts rather than mathematical proofs. It includes detailed derivationsTrade ReviewWhat sets this books apart is the authority and thoughtfulness with which it is written, the thorough coverage of the relevant literature, and the great care that has been taken in the computational examples to compare different methods on the same set of data, and to present the results clearly. It will be an invaluable resource both for new graduate students and established researchers. It will be a major source for insight and enormously helpful for anyone who wants to understand molecular phylogenies. * The Quarterly Review of Biology *Table of ContentsPREFACE ; APPENDIXES ; REFERENCE

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Book SynopsisPsychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine are concerned with medical conditions affecting brain, mind and behaviour in manifold ways. Traditional approaches have focused on a restricted array of potential causes of psychiatric and psychosomatic conditions - including adverse experiences such as trauma, neglect or abuse, genetic vulnerability and epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Whilst essential for the understanding of mental disorders, these approaches have disregarded important questions such as why the human mind is vulnerable to dysfunction at all.The Textbook of Evolutionary Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine updates and expands the previous edition to provide answers to these questions by emphasising an evolutionary perspective on psychiatric and psychosomatic conditions. It explains how the human brain/mind has been shaped by natural and sexual selection; why adaptations to environmental conditions in our evolutionary past may nowadays work in suboptimal ways; and how huTrade ReviewThis superb book covers the evolutionary underpinnings and basis of psychotherapy...a significant contribution to psychiatry and should be essential reading for any psychiatrist in training...outstanding. * Michael J Schrift, DO, MA, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago *Table of ContentsPART I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND; PART II: PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS; PART III: SPECIAL TOPICS

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Book SynopsisRNA viruses provide unique insights into the patterns and processes of evolutionary change in real time. The study of viral evolution is especially topical given the growing awareness that emerging and re-emerging diseases (most of which are caused by RNA viruses) represent a major threat to public health. However, while the study of viral evolution has developed rapidly in the last 30 years, relatively little attention has been directed toward linking work on the mechanisms of viral evolution within cells or individual hosts, to the epidemiological outcomes of these processes. This novel book fills this gap by considering the patterns and processes of viral evolution across their entire range of spatial and temporal scales. The Evolution and Emergence of RNA Viruses provides a comprehensive overview of RNA virus evolution, with a particular focus on genomic and phylogenetic approaches. This is the first book to link mechanisms of viral evolution with disease dynamics, using high-profiTrade ReviewThe aim of the Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution is to stimulate ideas in new research fields, and The Evolution and Emergence of RNA viruses is an excellent addition to this series. * Robert Belshaw, Trends in Ecology and Evolution *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. The Origins of RNA Viruses ; 3. The Mechanisms of RNA Virus Evolution ; 4. The RNA Virus Quasispecies ; 5. Comparative Genomics and the Macroevolution of RNA Viruses ; 6. The Molecular Epidemiology, Phylogeography and Emergence of RNA Viruses ; 7. Case Studies in RNA Virus Evolution and Emergence ; 8. Epilogue ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisWhile much has been written about the life and works of Charles Darwin, the lives of his ten children remain largely unexamined. Most Darwin books consider his children as footnotes to the life of their famous father and close with the death of Charles Darwin. This is the only book that deals substantially with the lives of his children from their birth to their death, each in his or her own chapter. Tim Berra''s Darwin and His Children: His Other Legacy explores Darwin''s marriage to his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood, a devout Unitarian, who worried that her husband''s lack of faith would keep them apart in eternity, and describes the early death of three children of this consanguineous marriage. Many of the other children rose to prominence in their own fields. William Darwin became a banker and tended the Darwin family''s substantial wealth. Henrietta Darwin edited Charles'' books and wrote a biography of her mother. Three of Darwin''s sons were knighted and elected Fellows of the RoyTrade ReviewBerras writing is straightforward and therefore easy to read. * David A. Morrison, Systematic Biology *Table of ContentsContents ; Introduction ; 1 Darwin's Paradigm Shift ; 2 Charles and Emma ; 3 William Erasmus Darwin 1839-1914 ; 4 Anne Elizabeth Darwin 1841-1851 ; 5 Mary Eleanor Darwin 1842-1842 ; 6 Henrietta Emma Darwin 1843-1927 ; 7 George Howard Darwin 1845-1912 ; 8 Elizabeth Darwin 1847-1926 ; 8 Francis Darwin 1848-1925 ; 10 Leonard Darwin 1850-1943 ; 11 Horace Darwin 1851-1928 ; 12 Charles Waring Darwin 1856-1858 ; 13 Epilogue ; Appendices: ; Timeline?Biological and Literary Children ; Cast of Characters ; References ; Index ; About the Author ; Also by Tim M. Berra ; Figure legends

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Book SynopsisDoes natural selection act primarily on individual organisms, on groups, on genes, or on whole species? Samir Okasha provides a comprehensive analysis of the debate in evolutionary biology over the levels of selection, focusing on conceptual, philosophical and foundational questions. A systematic framework is developed for thinking about natural selection acting at multiple levels of the biological hierarchy; the framework is then used to help resolve outstanding issues. Considerable attention is paid to the concept of causality as it relates to the levels of selection, in particular the idea that natural selection at one hierarchical level can have effects that ''filter'' up or down to other levels. Unlike previous work in this area by philosophers of science, full account is taken of the recent biological literature on ''major evolutionary transitions'' and the recent resurgence of interest in multi-level selection theory among biologists. Other biological topics discussed include PrTrade ReviewA clearly written, unique and useful book * Elizabeth Lloyd, Trends in Ecology and Evolution *A major conceptual contribution to evolutionary theory... Okasha's book makes the sort of contribution that will not be able to be ignored by anyone interested in this field for many years to come. * Massimo Pigliucci, Biology and Philosophy *Evolution and the Levels of Selection is a major contribution toward putting this controversial area on a coherent conceptual and philosophical footing... Okasha has greatly clarified many of the central issues. I can't imagine anyone working on multilevel selection - or attempting to dismiss it - without reading this book. * David Jablonski, Science *Sam Okasha's wonderful new book... is a philosophical examination of the conceptual framework that multi-level selection theory deploys... It is gratifying that his book engages the details of mathematical models and at the same time connects those details with broader philosophical questions. * Elliott Sober, Bioscience *...an extremely thought-provoking and important book about a dificult and highly technical topic...This is not a book to pull a chapter out of, but instead demands a careful reading of the whole text. Those who do will be rightly rewarded. * Matt Haber MIND *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Natural Selection in the Abstract ; 2. Selection at Multiple Levels: Concepts and Methods ; 3. Causality and Multi-level Selection ; 4. Philosophical Issues in the Levels of Selection Debate ; 5. The Gene's Eye View and its Discontents ; 6. The Group Selection Controversy ; 7. Species Selection, Clade Selection and Macroevolution ; 8. Levels of Selection and the Major Evolutionary Transitions

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Book SynopsisIn 1859 Darwin described a deceptively simple mechanism that he called natural selection, a combination of variation, inheritance, and reproductive success. He argued that this mechanism was the key to explaining the most puzzling features of the natural world, and science and philosophy were changed forever as a result. The exact nature of the Darwinian process has been controversial ever since, however. Godfrey-Smith draws on new developments in biology, philosophy of science, and other fields to give a new analysis and extension of Darwin''s idea. The central concept used is that of a Darwinian population, a collection of things with the capacity to undergo change by natural selection. From this starting point, new analyses of the role of genes in evolution, the application of Darwinian ideas to cultural change, and evolutionary transitions that produce complex organisms and societies are developed. Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection will be essential reading for anyone intTrade ReviewReview from previous edition Peter Godfrey-Smith's Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection is a dense and deep work on the foundations of evolutionary biology... Godfrey-Smith's book fruitfully forces us to think in new ways about evolution and natural selection. * Jay Odenbaugh, Science *Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection will be something to be reckoned with for anybody interested in the conceptual foundations of evolutionary theory and in the applicability of Darwinian ideas beyond the strict confines of biological evolution. * Massimo Pigliucci, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of Contents1. Introduction and Overview ; 2. Natural Selection and its Representation ; 3. Variation, Selection, and Origins ; 4. Reproduction and Individuality ; 5. Bottlenecks, Germ Lines, and Queen Bees ; 6. Levels and Transitions ; 7. The Gene's Eye View ; 8. Cultural Evolution ; Appendix. Models

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Book SynopsisThroughout their lives animals must complete many tasks, including finding food, avoiding predators, attracting mates, and navigating through a complex and dynamic environment. Consequently, they have evolved a staggering array of sensory organs that are fundamental to survival and reproduction and shape much of their evolution and behaviour. Sensory ecology deals with how animals acquire, process, and use information in their lives, and the sensory systems involved. It investigates the type of information that is gathered by animals, how it is used in a range of behaviours, and the evolution of such traits. It deals with both mechanistic questions (e.g. how sensory receptors capture information from the environment, and how the physical attributes of the environment affect information transmission) and functional questions (e.g. the adaptive significance of the information used by the animal to make a decision). Recent research has dealt more explicitly with how sensory systems are involved with and even drive evolutionary change, including the formation of new species.Sensory Ecology, Behaviour, and Evolution provides a broad introduction to sensory ecology across a wide range of taxonomic groups, covering all the various sensory modalities (e.g. sound, visual, chemical, magnetic, and electric) relating to diverse areas spanning anti-predator strategies, foraging, mate choice, navigation and more, with the aim being to illustrate key principles and differences. This accessible textbook is suitable for senior undergraduates, graduate students, and professional academics taking courses or conducting research in sensory ecology/biology, neuroethology, behavioural and evolutionary ecology, communication, and signalling. It will also be of relevance and use to psychologists interested in sensory information and behaviour.Trade ReviewThis book is an ambitious and successful attempt to integrate mechanistic and functional aspects of communication by the authors ... essential reading. * Tim Caro, The Quarterly Review of Biology *Table of ContentsPART 1: INTRODUCTION; PART 2: SENSORY PROCESSING; PART 3: COMMUNICATION; PART 4: DIVERSIFICATION AND DIVERGENCE; PART 5: CONCLUSIONS

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Book SynopsisArchie Carr, one of the greatest biologists of the twentieth century, played a leading part in finding a new and critical role for natural history and systematics in a post-1950s world dominated by the glamorous science of molecular biology. With the rise of molecular biology came a growing popular awareness of species extinction. Carr championed endangered sea turtles, and his work reflects major shifts in the study of ecology and evolution. A gifted nature writer, his books on the natural history of sea turtles and their habitats in Florida, the Caribbean, and Africa entertained and educated a wide audience. Carr''s conservation ethic grew from his field work as well as his friendships with the fishermen who supplied him with many of the stories he retold so engagingly. With Archie Carr as the focus, The Man Who Saved Sea Turtles explores the evolution of the naturalist tradition, biology, and conservation during the twentieth century.Trade Review"Davis is successful in capturing what Archie Carr meant to people like me and I think anyone else similarly touched by Carr will enjoy this book. There are messages in his life for everyone interested in biology or conservation." -- The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 83 "In this book, you will come to know, as I did during the exciting years when I was his student and friend, a unique and inspiring scientist. Frederick Davis has beautifully captured the intertwined personal, public, and scientific lives of the extraordinary person who -- if anyone deserves the title -- really was the man who saved sea turtles." --David Ehrenfeld, Professor of Biology at Rutgers University and founding editor of Conservation Biology "Archie Carr aficionados will be perpetually grateful that their hero left such a rich heritage of both published writings and fifty years of correspondence with many of the leading naturalists of the 20th century. His fans will now be equally grateful to Fritz Davis for distilling this monumental wealth of data and anecdote, much of it little known, into what will surely be recognized as the definitive biography of the man."--Peter C. H. Pritchard, Director, Chelonian Research Institute "Archie Carr was a pioneering conservation biologist, an inspiring educator, a gifted nature writer, and a passionate advocate for endangered wildlife. No one has done more to unravel the mysteries of sea turtles or more to rescue these beleaguered creatures from the brink of extinction. This deeply researched biography brings to life the enduring legacies of an important but now largely forgotten figure who not only made fundamental scientific discoveries but also conveyed a sense of nature's wonder to a broader public."--Mark V. Barrow, Jr., Associate Professor of History, Virginia Tech "Faculty and advanced students in both herpetology and conservation biology will greatly appreciate this book's thoroughness."CHOICE "Davis gives us a picture of what it meant to be a naturalist in the twentieth century, and he ties Carr to the long tradition of naturalists going back to Linnaeus. But he does a lot more. He ties natural history to ecology, environmental science, and conservation biology. Carr is a perfect subject for doing this, and the book gives a wonderful picture of how closely these subjects are interrelated."-- Paul Farber, Professor of History of Science, Oregon State UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction ; Parallel Paths in Nature ; Dear Dr. Barbour ; Exploring Tropical Ecology in Honduras ; Study and Conservation of Sea Turtles ; The Ecology and Migrations of Sea Turtles ; In Africa on Ulendo ; "And for the turtles!" International Conservation Efforts ; Further Results of Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Biology ; Home to Florida ; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisDrawing on the latest fossil evidence Taylor argues, that every step of the way, humans made choices that assumed greater control over their own evolution. This is a process that continues today as we push the frontiers of scientific technology creating a new form of artificial humans.Trade Review'Taylor is an engaging and entertaining writer...this is a stimulating book...' - Engineering and Technology 'Taylor is a good storyteller.' -AntiquityTable of ContentsSurvival of the Weakest Unintelligent Design Walking and Chewing Gum Being Borne The Brno Effect Men in White Coats Darwin's Barbarians De-evolution and Counterbiology Sailing in Tradescant's Ark

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Book SynopsisThe author takes domestication as the starting point for his inquiry into human evolution. Wilson argues that settling down into a built environment was the most radical innovation in human development and that it had a crucial effect on human psychology and social relations.

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