Conceptual Breakthroughs in the Evolutionary Biology of Aging continues the innovative Conceptual Breakthroughs series by providing a comprehensive outline of the major breakthroughs that built the evolutionary biology of aging as a leading scientific field. Following the evolutionary study of aging from its humble origins to the present, the book's chapters treat the field’s breakthroughs one at a time. Users will find a concise and accessible analysis of the science of aging viewed through an evolutionary lens. Building upon widely-cited studies conducted by author Michael Rose, this book covers 30 subsequent years of growth and development within the field. The book highlights key publications for those who are not experts in the field, providing an important resource for researchers. Given the prevailing interest in changing the aging process dramatically, it is a powerful tool for readers who have a vested interest in understanding its causes and future control measures.

"Conceptual Breakthroughs in Evolutionary Genetics" is a pithy, lively book occupying a special niche-the conceptual history of evolutionary genetics- not inhabited by any other available treatment. Written by a world-leading authority in evolutionary genetics, this work encapsulates and ranks 70 of the most significant paradigm shifts in evolutionary biology and genetics during the century-and-a-half since Darwin and Mendel. The science of evolutionary genetics is central to all of biology, but many students and other practitioners have little knowledge of its historical roots and conceptual developments. This book fills that knowledge gap in a thought-provoking and readable format.

This fascinating chronological journey along the many conceptual pathways to our modern understanding of evolutionary and genetic principles is a wonderful springboard for discussions in undergraduate or graduate seminars in evolutionary biology and genetics. But more than that, anyone interested in the history and philosophy of science will find much of value between its covers.
Provides a relative ranking of 70 seminal breakthroughs and paradigm shifts in the field of evolutionary biology and geneticsModular format permits ready access to each described subjectHistorical overview of a field whose concepts are central to all of biology and relevant to a broad audience of biologists, science historians, and philosophers of scienceExtensively cross-referenced with a guide to landmark papers and books for each topic

Approximately 99.9% of vertebrate species reproduce sexually. The exceptional 0.1% reproduce via asexual or clonal means, which vary wildly and are fascinating in their own right. In this book, John C. Avise describes the genetics, ecology, natural history, and evolution of the world's approximately 100 species of vertebrate animal that routinely display one form or another of clonal or quasi-clonal reproduction. Approximately 99.9% of vertebrate species reproduce sexually. The exceptional 0.1% reproduce via asexual or clonal means, which vary wildly and are fascinating in their own right. In this book, John C. Avise describes the genetics, ecology, natural history, and evolution of the world's approximately 100 species of vertebrate animal that routinely display one form or another of clonal or quasi-clonal reproduction. By considering the many facets of sexual abstinence and clonal reproduction in vertebrate animals, Avise sheds new light on the biological meaning and ramifications of standard sexuality.

Humanity's physical design flaws have long been apparent--we get hemorrhoids and impacted wisdom teeth, for instance--but do the imperfections extend down to the level of our genes? Inside the Human Genome is the first book to examine the philosophical question of why, from the perspectives of biochemistry and molecular genetics, flaws exist in the biological world. Distinguished evolutionary geneticist John Avise offers a panoramic yet penetrating exploration of the many gross deficiencies in human DNA--ranging from mutational defects to built-in design faults--while at the same time offering a comprehensive treatment of recent findings about the human genome. The author shows that the overwhelming scientific evidence for genomic imperfection provides a compelling counterargument to intelligent design. He also develops a case that theologians should welcome rather than disavow these discoveries. The evolutionary sciences can help mainstream religions escape the shackles of Intelligent Design, and thereby return religion to its rightful realm--not as the secular interpreter of the biological minutiae of our physical existence, but rather as a respectable philosophical counselor on grander matters of ultimate concern.

This visually appealing book recounts the history of molecular ecology and evolution as seen through the personal lens of one of its most prolific practitioners, who has studied a panorama of creatures ranging from corals, sponges, and other invertebrates to a wide variety of vertebrate animals including numerous birds, mammals, herps, and fishes. The sketches are of two types: evocative drawings of the animals themselves, and more than 230 written abstracts summarizing the author's eclectic research on ecological-genetic topics spanning the microevolutionary to macroevolutionary. With the abstracts arranged by organismal group and placed in chronological order, the chapters in this book lead readers on a fascinating historical journey into the realm of molecular genetics as applied across the past four decades to intriguing questions in ecology, evolution, animal behavior, and natural history.

An introductory tour into the stranger-than-fiction world of genetic engineering, a scientific realm inhabited by eager researchers intent upon fashioning a prodigious medley of genetically modified (GM) organisms to serve human needs.

Hundreds of animal species provide the cast of characters for these newly composed bio-limericks, arranged into 17 chapters by taxonomic group (such as Birds, Fishes, Insects) or biological subject (such as Ecology, Genetics, and Anthropology). Sometimes multiple verses on one organism or topic provide an extended story-line across successive poems. In addition, several stylistic vignettes recur throughout the book, such as: (a) "On the Farm", which ranges from barnyards to fish farms to oyster farms; and (b) "Let's Play Jeopardy", where the reader guesses an animal from poetic clues the author provides. Each little jingle can be read as a stand-alone offering a quick chuckle or biological insight. But watch out-these poetic tidbits can be as addictive as popcorn, such that some readers will feel compelled to consume each chapter and indeed the entire book at one sitting! Covering nearly every creature that any amateur or professional biologist has ever heard of, these pun-filled limericks provide humorous insight into each critter or its peculiar habits, in a sharply witty and cutely informative way.

Award-winning geneticist John C. Avise guides this delightful voyage around the planet in search of answers to nature's mysteries. He demonstrates how scientists directly examine DNA to address long-standing questions about wild animals, plants, and microbes. Through dozens of stories that span the world, nature emerges as a realm where truth can be far stranger than fiction. From a 100-ton mushroom to egg-swapping birds, extinct ground sloths to microbes inside our bodies, Avise examines a cornucopia of natural-history topics and explains how today's modern genetic techniques offer novel insights.
Do armadillo litters really contain clones? When is a fig tree not just a single tree? Where have migratory whales traveled? Who are the mothers of the embryos carried by pregnant male seahorses? What insect was the world's earliest farmer? How closely related are Neanderthals to modern humans? Answers to these and many more questions are presented here in a straightforwad manner that reveals Avise's enthusiasm for uncovering nature's hidden ways. Each entry is accompanied by a beautiful illustration from Trudy Nicholson, widely recognized as one of today's leading nature artists.

Two Centuries of Darwin is the outgrowth of an Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium, sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences on January 16-17, 2009. In the chapters of this book, leading evolutionary biologists and science historians reflect on and commemorate the Darwinian Revolution. They canvass modern research approaches and current scientific thought on each of the three main categories of selection (natural, artificial, and sexual) that Darwin addressed during his career. Although Darwin's legacy is associated primarily with the illumination of natural selection in The Origin, he also contemplated and wrote extensively about what we now term artificial selection and sexual selection. In a concluding section of this book, several science historians comment on Darwin's seminal contributions. Two Centuries of Darwin is the third book of the In the Light of Evolution series. Each installment in the series explores evolutionary perspectives on a particular biological topic that is scientifically intriguing but also has special relevance to contemporary societal issues or challenges. The ILE series aims to interpret phenomena in various areas of biology through the lens of evolution and address some of the most intellectually engaging, as well as pragmatically important societal issues of our times. Table of Contents Front Matter Part I: NATURAL SELECTION, OR ADAPTATION TO NATURE 1 Natural Selection inAction During Speciation--Sara Via 2 Adaptive Radiations:From Field to Genomic Studies--Scott A. Hodges and Nathan J. Derieg 3 Genetics and Ecological Speciation--Dolph Schluter and Gina L. Conte 4 Cascades of Convergent Evolution: The Corresponding Evolutionary Histories of Euglenozoans and Dinoflagellates--Julius Luke?, Brian S. Leander, and Patrick J. Keeling Part II: ARTIFICIAL SELECTION, OR ADAPTATION TO HUMAN DEMANDS 5 From Wild Animals to Domestic Pets, an Evolutionary View of Domestication--Carlos A. Driscoll, David W. Macdonald, and Stephen J. O'Brien 6 Tracking Footprints of Maize Domestication and Evidence for a Massive Selective Sweep on Chromosome 10--Feng Tian, Natalie M. Stevens, and Edward S. Buckler IV 7 Human-Induced Evolution Caused by Unnatural Selection Through Harvest of Wild Animals--Fred W. Allendorf and Jeffrey J. Hard 8 In the Light of Directed Evolution: Pathways of Adaptive Protein Evolution--Jesse D. Bloom and Frances H. Arnold Part III: SEXUAL SELECTION, OR ADAPTATION TO MATING DEMANDS 9 Mate Choice and Sexual Selection: What Have We Learned Since Darwin?--Adam G. Jones and Nicholas L. Ratterman 10 Sexual Selection and Mating Systems--Stephen M. Shuster 11 Reproductive Decisions Under Ecological Constraints: It's About Time--Patricia Adair Gowaty and Stephen P. Hubbell 12 Postcopulatory Sexual Selection: Darwin's Omission and Its Consequences--William G. Eberhard Part IV: THE DARWINIAN LEGACY, 150 YEARS LATER 13 Darwin and the Scientific Method--Francisco J. Ayala 14 The Darwinian Revolution: Rethinking Its Meaningand Significance--Michael Ruse 15 Did Darwin Write *the Origin* Backwards?--Elliott Sober 16 Darwin's Place in the History of Thought: A Reevaluation--Robert J. Richards 17 Darwin's "Strange Inversion of Reasoning"--Daniel Dennett References Index

Biodiversity-the genetic variety of life-is an exuberant product of the evolutionary past, a vast human-supportive resource (aesthetic, intellectual, and material) of the present, and a rich legacy to cherish and preserve for the future. Two urgent challenges, and opportunities, for 21st-century science are to gain deeper insights into the evolutionary processes that foster biotic diversity, and to translate that understanding into workable solutions for the regional and global crises that biodiversity currently faces. A grasp of evolutionary principles and processes is important in other societal arenas as well, such as education, medicine, sociology, and other applied fields including agriculture, pharmacology, and biotechnology. The ramifications of evolutionary thought also extend into learned realms traditionally reserved for philosophy and religion. The central goal of the In the Light of Evolution (ILE) series is to promote the evolutionary sciences through state-of-the-art colloquia-in the series of Arthur M. Sackler colloquia sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences-and their published proceedings. Each installment explores evolutionary perspectives on a particular biological topic that is scientifically intriguing but also has special relevance to contemporary societal issues or challenges. This tenth and final edition of the In the Light of Evolution series focuses on recent developments in phylogeographic research and their relevance to past accomplishments and future research directions. Table of Contents Front Matter Part I: COMPARATIVE PHYLOGEOGRAPHY IN A SPATIAL SENSE 1 Comparative Phylogeography of the Ocean Planet - Brian W. Bowen, Michelle R. Gaither, Joseph D. Di Battista, Matthew Iacchei, Kimberly R. Andrews, W. Stewart Grant, Robert J. Toonen, and John C. Briggs 2 Comparative Phylogeography Clarifies the Complexity and Problems of Continental Distribution That Drove A. R. Wallace to Favor Islands - Brett R. Riddle 3 Inferring Responses to Climate Dynamics from Historical Demography in Neotropical Forest Lizards - Ivan Prates, Alexander T. Xue, Jason L. Brown, Diego F. Alvarado-Serrano, Miguel T. Rodrigues, Michael J. Hickerson, and Ana C. Carnaval 4 Comparative Phylogeography of Oceanic Archipelagos: Hotspots for Inferences of Evolutionary Process - Kerry L. Shaw and Rosemary G. Gillespie Part II: COMPARATIVE PHYLOGEOGRAPHY IN A GENOMIC SENSE 5 Effects of the Population Pedigree on Genetic Signatures of Historical Demographic Events - John Wakeley, Landra King, and Peter R. Wilton 6 The Probability of Monophyly of a Sample of Gene Lineages on a Species Tree - Rohan S. Mehta, David Bryant, and Noah A. Rosenberg 7 Phylogeographic Model Selection Leads to Insight into the Evolutionary History of Four-Eyed Frogs - Maria Tereza C. Thom and Bryan C. Carstens 8 Toward a Paradigm Shift in Comparative Phylogeography Driven by Trait-Based Hypotheses - Anna Papadopoulou and L. Lacey Knowles 9 Reticulation, Divergence, and the PhylogeographyPhylogenetics Continuum - Scott V. Edwards, Sally Potter, C. Jonathan Schmitt, Jason G. Bragg, and Craig Moritz Part III: COMPARATIVE PHYLOGEOGRAPHY IN A TAXONOMIC SENSE 10 Global Biogeography of Microbial Nitrogen-Cycling Traits in Soil - Michaeline B. Nelson, Adam C. Martiny, and Jennifer B. H. Martiny 11 Phenotypes in Phylogeography: Species' Traits, Environmental Variation, and Vertebrate Diversification - Kelly R. Zamudio, Rayna C. Bell, and Nicholas A. Mason 12 Geogenetic Patterns in Mouse Lemurs (Genus *Microcebus*) Reveal the Ghosts of Madagascar's Forests Past - Anne D. Yoder, C. Ryan Campbell, Marina B. Blanco, Mario Dos Reis, Jrg U. Ganzhorn, Steven M. Goodman, Kelsie E. Hunnicutt, Peter A. Larsen, Peter M. Kappeler, Rodin M. Rasoloarison, Jos M. Ralison, David L. Swofford, and David W. Weisrock 13 Bison Phylogeography Constrains Dispersal and Viability of the Ice-Free Corridor in Western Canada - Peter D. Heintzman, Duane Froese, John W. Ives, Andr. E. R. Soares, Grant D. Zazula, Brandon Letts, Thomas D. Andrews, Jonathan C. Driver, Elizabeth Hall, P. Gregory Hare, Christopher N. Jass, Glen MacKay, John R. Southon, Mathias Stiller, Robin Woywitka, Marc A. Suchard, and Beth Shapiro 14 Evolutionary Lessons from California Plant Phylogeography - Victoria L. Sork, Paul F. Gugger, Jin-Ming Chen, and Silke Werth 15 Human Phylogeography and Diversity - Alexander H. Harcourt Part IV: COMPARATIVE PHYLOGEOGRAPHY IN A CONCEPTUAL SENSE 16 Union of Phylogeography and Landscape Genetics - Leslie J. Rissler References Index

Reconstructing phylogenetic trees from DNA sequences has become a popular exercise in many branches of biology, and here the well-known geneticist John Avise explains why. Molecular phylogenies provide a genealogical backdrop for interpreting the evolutionary histories of many other types of biological traits (anatomical, behavioral, ecological, physiological, biochemical and even geographical). Guiding readers on a natural history tour along dozens of evolutionary pathways, the author describes how creatures ranging from microbes to elephants came to possess their current phenotypes. Essential reading for college students, professional biologists and anyone interested in natural history and biodiversity, this book is packed with fascinating examples of evolutionary puzzles from across the animal kingdom; how the toucan got its enormous bill, how reptiles grow back lost limbs and why Arctic fish don't freeze.

They mastermind our lives, shaping our features, our health, and our behavior, even in the sacrosanct realms of love and sex, religion, aging, and death. Yet we are the ones who house, perpetuate, and give the promise of immortality to these biological agents, our genetic gods. The link between genes and gods is hardly arbitrary, as the distinguished evolutionary geneticist John Avise reveals in this compelling book. In clear, straightforward terms, Avise reviews recent discoveries in molecular biology, evolutionary genetics, and human genetic engineering, and discusses the relevance of these findings to issues of ultimate concern traditionally reserved for mythology, theology, and religious faith. The book explains how the genetic gods figure in our development--not just our metabolism and physiology, but even our emotional disposition, personality, ethical leanings, and, indeed, religiosity. Yet genes are physical rather than metaphysical entities. Having arisen via an amoral evolutionary process--natural selection--genes have no consciousness, no sentient code of conduct, no reflective concern about the consequences of their actions. It is Avise's contention that current genetic knowledge can inform our attempts to answer typically religious questions--about origins, fate, and meaning. The Genetic Gods challenges us to make the necessary connection between what we know, what we believe, and what we embody.