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Radiations, or Evolution in Action We have just celebrated the
"Darwin Year" with the double anniversary of his 200th birthday and
150th year of his masterpiece, "On the Origin of Species by means
of Natural Selection". In this work, Darwin established the factual
evidence of biological evolution, that species change over time,
and that new organisms arise by the splitting of ancestral forms
into two or more descendant species. However, above all, Darwin
provided the mechanisms by arguing convincingly that it is by
natural selection - as well as by sexual selection (as he later
added) - that organisms adapt to their environment. The many
discoveries since then have essentially con?rmed and strengthened
Darwin's central theses, with latest evidence, for example, from
molecular genetics, revealing the evolutionary relationships of all
life forms through one shared history of descent from a common
ancestor. We have also come a long way to progressively understand
more on how new species actually originate, i. e. on speciation
which remained Darwin's "mystery of m- teries", as noted in one of
his earliest transmutation notebooks. Since speciation is the
underlying mechanism for radiations, it is the ultimate causation
for the biological diversity of life that surrounds us.
We have come a long way towards better understanding how new
species originate, i.e. speciation, which long remained Darwin's
"mystery of mysteries." Since speciation is the underlying
mechanism for radiations, it is the ultimate causation for the
biological diversity of life that surrounds us. Without a doubt,
Charles Darwin's contribution to our understanding of the origin of
biodiversity cannot be overestimated. This book is a contribution
to both the Darwin Year we celebrated in 2009 and to the Year of
Biodiversity and Conservation 2010. The studies and model cases
presented show the progress and dynamics of research based on
Darwinian theories and sheds light on its implications in the
context of current biodiversity crises. The great importance of
adaptive (and non-adaptive) radiations for biodiversity is widely
accepted, but our understanding of the processes and mechanisms
involved is still limited and generalizations need to be based on
the accumulation of more evidence from additional case studies. The
studies presented in this volume are those urgently needed and
focus on a variety of organisms and different aspects of
radiations. The scientific results presented therein are excellent
examples not only of evolution in action, but also of active
research on evolutionary processes and their most apparent outcome
-- biodiversity.
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