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Why do the best-known examples of evolutionary change involve the
alteration of one kind of animal into another very similar one,
like the evolution of a bigger beak in a bird? Wouldn't it be much
more interesting to understand how beaks originated? Most people
would agree, but until recently we didn't know much about such
origins. That is now changing, with the growth of the
interdisciplinary field evo-devo, which deals with the relationship
between how embryos develop in the short term and how they (and the
adults they grow into) evolve in the long term. One of the key
questions is: can the origins of structures such as beaks, eyes,
and shells be explained within a Darwinian framework? The answer
seems to be yes, but only by expanding that framework. This book
discusses the required expansion, and the current state of play
regarding our understanding of evolutionary and developmental
origins.
The two most fascinating questions about extraterrestrial life are
where it is found and what it is like. In particular, from our
Earth-based vantage point, we are keen to know where the closest
life to us is, and how similar it might be to life on our home
planet. This book deals with both of these key issues. It considers
possible homes for life, with a focus on Earth-like exoplanets. And
it examines the possibility that life elsewhere might be similar to
life here, due to the existence of parallel environments, which may
result in Darwinian selection producing parallel trees of life
between one planet and another. Understanding Life in the Universe
provides an engaging and myth-busting overview for any reader
interested in the existence and nature of extraterrestrial life,
and the realistic possibility of discovering credible evidence for
it in the near future.
All humans share three origins: the beginning of our individual
lives, the appearance of life on Earth, and the formation of our
planetary home. Life through Time and Space brings together the
latest discoveries in both biology and astronomy to examine our
deepest questions about where we came from, where we are going, and
whether we are alone in the cosmos. A distinctive voice in the
growing field of astrobiology, Wallace Arthur combines
embryological, evolutionary, and cosmological perspectives to tell
the story of life on Earth and its potential to exist elsewhere in
the universe. He guides us on a journey through the myriad events
that started with the big bang and led to the universe we inhabit
today. Along the way, readers learn about the evolution of life
from a primordial soup of organic molecules to complex plants and
animals, about Earth's geological transformation from barren rock
to diverse ecosystems, and about human development from embryo to
infant to adult. Arthur looks closely at the history of mass
extinctions and the prospects for humanity's future on our precious
planet. Do intelligent aliens exist on a distant planet in the
Milky Way, sharing the three origins that characterize all life on
Earth? In addressing this question, Life through Time and Space
tackles the many riddles of our place and fate in the universe that
have intrigued human beings since they first gazed in wonder at the
nighttime sky.
What determines the direction of evolutionary change? This book
provides a revolutionary answer to this question. Many biologists,
from Darwin's day to our own, have been satisfied with the answer
'natural selection'. Professor Wallace Arthur is not. He takes the
controversial view that biases in the ways that embryos can be
altered are just as important as natural selection in determining
the directions that evolution has taken, including the one that led
to the origin of humans. This argument forms the core of the book.
However, in addition, the book summarizes other important issues
relating to how embryonic (and post-embryonic) development evolves.
Written in an easy, conversational style, this is the first book
for students and the general reader that provides an account of the
exciting new field of Evolutionary Developmental Biology
('Evo-Devo' to its proponents).
Are we alone in the universe, or are there other life forms 'out
there'? This is one of the most scientifically and philosophically
important questions that humanity can ask. Now, in the early 2020s,
we are tantalizingly close to an answer. As this book shows, the
answer will almost certainly be that life forms are to be found
across the Milky Way and beyond. They will be thinly spread, to be
sure. Yet the number of inhabited planets probably runs into the
trillions. Some are close enough for us to detect evidence of life
by analysing their atmospheres. This evidence may be found within a
couple of decades. Its arrival will be momentous. But even before
it arrives we can anticipate what life elsewhere will be like by
examining the ecology and evolution of life on Earth. This book
considers the current state of play in relation to these titanic
issues.
The two most fascinating questions about extraterrestrial life are
where it is found and what it is like. In particular, from our
Earth-based vantage point, we are keen to know where the closest
life to us is, and how similar it might be to life on our home
planet. This book deals with both of these key issues. It considers
possible homes for life, with a focus on Earth-like exoplanets. And
it examines the possibility that life elsewhere might be similar to
life here, due to the existence of parallel environments, which may
result in Darwinian selection producing parallel trees of life
between one planet and another. Understanding Life in the Universe
provides an engaging and myth-busting overview for any reader
interested in the existence and nature of extraterrestrial life,
and the realistic possibility of discovering credible evidence for
it in the near future.
Why do the best-known examples of evolutionary change involve the
alteration of one kind of animal into another very similar one,
like the evolution of a bigger beak in a bird? Wouldn't it be much
more interesting to understand how beaks originated? Most people
would agree, but until recently we didn't know much about such
origins. That is now changing, with the growth of the
interdisciplinary field evo-devo, which deals with the relationship
between how embryos develop in the short term and how they (and the
adults they grow into) evolve in the long term. One of the key
questions is: can the origins of structures such as beaks, eyes,
and shells be explained within a Darwinian framework? The answer
seems to be yes, but only by expanding that framework. This book
discusses the required expansion, and the current state of play
regarding our understanding of evolutionary and developmental
origins.
What determines the direction of evolutionary change? This book
provides a revolutionary answer to this question. Many biologists,
from Darwin's day to our own, have been satisfied with the answer
'natural selection'. Professor Wallace Arthur is not. He takes the
controversial view that biases in the ways that embryos can be
altered are just as important as natural selection in determining
the directions that evolution has taken, including the one that led
to the origin of humans. This argument forms the core of the book.
However, in addition, the book summarizes other important issues
relating to how embryonic (and post-embryonic) development evolves.
Written in an easy, conversational style, this is the first book
for students and the general reader that provides an account of the
exciting new field of Evolutionary Developmental Biology
('Evo-Devo' to its proponents).
While neo-Darwinism has considerable explanatory power, it is widely recognized as lacking a component dealing with individual development, or ontogeny. This lack is particularly conspicuous when attempting to explain the evolutionary origin of the thirty-five or so animal body plans, and of the developmental trajectories that generate them. This significant work examines both the origin of body plans in particular and the evolution of animal development in general. Wallace Arthur ranges widely in his treatment, covering topics as diverse as comparative developmental genetics, selection theory, and Vendian/Cambrian fossils. He places particular emphasis on gene duplication, changes in spatio-temporal gene-expression patterns, internal selection, coevolution of interacting genes, and coadaptation. The book will be of particular interest to students and researchers in evolutionary biology, genetics, paleontology, and developmental biology.
The most important aspect of evolution, from a philosophical
viewpoint, is the rise of complex, advanced creatures from simple,
primitive ones. This "vertical" dimension of evolution has been
downplayed in both the specialist and popular literature on
evolution, in large part because it was in the past associated with
unsavory political views. The avoidance of evolution's vertical
dimension has, however, left evolutionary biology open to the
perception, from outside, that it deals merely with the
diversification of rather similar creatures, all at the same level
of "advancedness" from a common ancestor--for example, the classic
case studies of finches with different beaks or moths of different
colors.
The latest incarnation of creationism, dubbed intelligent design
(or ID), has taken advantage of this situation. It portrays an
evolutionary process that is constantly guided--especially in its
upward direction--by the hand of an unseen Creator, who is able to
ensure that it ends up producing humans. "Creatures of Accident"
attacks the antiscience ID worldview, mainly by building a
persuasive picture of how "unaided" evolution produces advanced
creatures from simple ones by an essentially accidental process.
Having built this picture, in the final chapter the book reflects
on its religious implications.
What do we know about animal evolution in the early twenty-first
century? How much more do we know today than Darwin did? What are
the most exciting discoveries that have been made in the last few
decades? Covering all the main animal groups, from jellyfish to
mammals, this book considers all of these questions and more. Its
30 short chapters, each written in a conversational, nontechnical
style and accompanied by numerous original illustrations, deal
equally with the pattern and the process of evolution - with both
evolutionary trees and evolutionary mechanisms. They cover diverse
evolutionary themes, including: the animal toolkit, natural
selection, embryos and larvae, animal consciousness, fossils, human
evolution, and even the possibility of animal life existing
elsewhere than on Earth. This unique text will make an excellent
introduction for undergraduates and others with an interest in the
subject.
What do we know about animal evolution in the early twenty-first
century? How much more do we know today than Darwin did? What are
the most exciting discoveries that have been made in the last few
decades? Covering all the main animal groups, from jellyfish to
mammals, this book considers all of these questions and more. Its
30 short chapters, each written in a conversational, nontechnical
style and accompanied by numerous original illustrations, deal
equally with the pattern and the process of evolution - with both
evolutionary trees and evolutionary mechanisms. They cover diverse
evolutionary themes, including: the animal toolkit, natural
selection, embryos and larvae, animal consciousness, fossils, human
evolution, and even the possibility of animal life existing
elsewhere than on Earth. This unique text will make an excellent
introduction for undergraduates and others with an interest in the
subject.
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