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Discover the history of the brave settlers who faced and survived
innumerable hardships in the unforgiving St. Croix River Valley.
Sex is the queen of problems in evolutionary biology. Generations
of researchers have investigated one of the last remaining
evolutionary paradoxes: why sex exists at all. Given that sexual
reproduction is costly from an evolutionary point of view, one
could wonder why not all animals and plants reproduce asexually.
Dozens of contemporary hypotheses attempt to explain the prevalence
of sex and its advantages and predict the early extinction of fully
asexual lineages. The major theme of this book is: what is the fate
of animal and plant groups in which sex is lost? Initial chapters
discuss theory behind asexual life: what major disadvantages do
asexual groups have to face, what are the genetic and ecological
consequences and what does this theory predict for more applied
aspects of asexual life, for example in agricultural pests,
diseases as well as in cultural crops such as grapes. Cases studies
in many animals (focusing on both invertebrates and vertebrates)
and plants reveal parallel, but also singularly novel adaptations
to the absence of meiosis and syngamy. And last but not least, are
asexuals really doomed to early extinction or do genuine ancient
asexuals exist? This book assembles contributions from the most
important research groups dealing with asexual evolution in
eukaryotes. It is a milestone in research on parthenogenesis and
will be useful to undergraduate as well as graduate students and to
senior researchers in all fields of evolutionary biology, as the
paradox of sex remains its queen of problems. Written for: All who
are interested in parthenogenesis and evolutionary biology,
including undergraduate and graduate students and senior
researchers
Ostracoda (Crustacea) are potentially excellent model organisms for
evolutionary studies, because they combine an extensive fossil
record with a wide recent distribution and therefore allow studies
on both patterns and processes leading to extant diversity. The
main scientific domains contributing theories, concepts, and data
to evolutionary biology are morphology (including ontogeny),
palaeontology, genetics, and ecology, and to all of these aspects
ostracods can contribute. This is clearly illustrated by the
fifteen papers presented under Theme 3 of the 13th International
Symposium on Ostracoda (Chatham, UK) in 1997 which are grouped in
the present proceedings, one of three volumes resulting from this
meeting. The contributions deal with the evolution of both extant
and fossil forms (including most of the Phanaerozoic), ecology of
both marine and freshwater taxa, and (developmental) morphology of
both soft parts and valves. Although the canvas is wide, each paper
clearly shows how studies on Ostracoda can be relevant to general
theory on evolutionary biology and ecology.
Sex is the queen of problems in evolutionary biology. Generations
of researchers have investigated one of the last remaining
evolutionary paradoxes: why sex exists at all. Given that sexual
reproduction is costly from an evolutionary point of view, one
could wonder why not all animals and plants reproduce asexually.
Dozens of contemporary hypotheses attempt to explain the prevalence
of sex and its advantages and predict the early extinction of fully
asexual lineages. The major theme of this book is: what is the fate
of animal and plant groups in which sex is lost? Initial chapters
discuss theory behind asexual life: what major disadvantages do
asexual groups have to face, what are the genetic and ecological
consequences and what does this theory predict for more applied
aspects of asexual life, for example in agricultural pests,
diseases as well as in cultural crops such as grapes. Cases studies
in many animals (focusing on both invertebrates and vertebrates)
and plants reveal parallel, but also singularly novel adaptations
to the absence of meiosis and syngamy. And last but not least, are
asexuals really doomed to early extinction or do genuine ancient
asexuals exist? This book assembles contributions from the most
important research groups dealing with asexual evolution in
eukaryotes. It is a milestone in research on parthenogenesis and
will be useful to undergraduate as well as graduate students and to
senior researchers in all fields of evolutionary biology, as the
paradox of sex remains its queen of problems.
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