Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection
Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection

Author: Peter Godfrey-Smith

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2009-03-26

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 0191609552

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In 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 interested in evolutionary theory

In the Light of Evolution
In the Light of Evolution

Author: National Academy of Sciences

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13:

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The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Each year, four or five such colloquia are scheduled, typically two days in length and international in scope. Colloquia are organized by a member of the Academy, often with the assistance of an organizing committee, and feature presentations by leading scientists in the field and discussions with a hundred or more researchers with an interest in the topic. Colloquia presentations are recorded and posted on the National Academy of Sciences Sackler colloquia website and published on CD-ROM. These Colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.

Human Population Genetics and Genomics
Human Population Genetics and Genomics

Author: Alan R. Templeton

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2018-11-08

Total Pages: 498

ISBN-13: 0123860261

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Human Population Genetics and Genomics provides researchers/students with knowledge on population genetics and relevant statistical approaches to help them become more effective users of modern genetic, genomic and statistical tools. In-depth chapters offer thorough discussions of systems of mating, genetic drift, gene flow and subdivided populations, human population history, genotype and phenotype, detecting selection, units and targets of natural selection, adaptation to temporally and spatially variable environments, selection in age-structured populations, and genomics and society. As human genetics and genomics research often employs tools and approaches derived from population genetics, this book helps users understand the basic principles of these tools. In addition, studies often employ statistical approaches and analysis, so an understanding of basic statistical theory is also needed. Comprehensively explains the use of population genetics and genomics in medical applications and research Discusses the relevance of population genetics and genomics to major social issues, including race and the dangers of modern eugenics proposals Provides an overview of how population genetics and genomics helps us understand where we came from as a species and how we evolved into who we are now