Variation
Variation

Author: Benedikt Hallgrímsson

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2011-05-04

Total Pages: 594

ISBN-13: 0080454461

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Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was based on the observation that there is variation between individuals within the same species. This fundamental observation is a central concept in evolutionary biology. However, variation is only rarely treated directly. It has remained peripheral to the study of mechanisms of evolutionary change. The explosion of knowledge in genetics, developmental biology, and the ongoing synthesis of evolutionary and developmental biology has made it possible for us to study the factors that limit, enhance, or structure variation at the level of an animals' physical appearance and behavior. Knowledge of the significance of variability is crucial to this emerging synthesis. Variation situates the role of variability within this broad framework, bringing variation back to the center of the evolutionary stage. - Provides an overview of current thinking on variation in evolutionary biology, functional morphology, and evolutionary developmental biology - Written by a team of leading scholars specializing on the study of variation - Reviews of statistical analysis of variation by leading authorities - Key chapters focus on the role of the study of phenotypic variation for evolutionary, developmental, and post-genomic biology

Robustness and Evolvability in Living Systems
Robustness and Evolvability in Living Systems

Author: Andreas Wagner

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2007-07-22

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 0691134049

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All living things are remarkably complex, yet their DNA is unstable, undergoing countless random mutations over generations. Despite this instability, most animals do not grow two heads or die, plants continue to thrive, and bacteria continue to divide. Robustness and Evolvability in Living Systems tackles this perplexing paradox. The book explores why genetic changes do not cause organisms to fail catastrophically and how evolution shapes organisms' robustness. Andreas Wagner looks at this problem from the ground up, starting with the alphabet of DNA, the genetic code, RNA, and protein molecules, moving on to genetic networks and embryonic development, and working his way up to whole organisms. He then develops an evolutionary explanation for robustness. Wagner shows how evolution by natural selection preferentially finds and favors robust solutions to the problems organisms face in surviving and reproducing. Such robustness, he argues, also enhances the potential for future evolutionary innovation. Wagner also argues that robustness has less to do with organisms having plenty of spare parts (the redundancy theory that has been popular) and more to do with the reality that mutations can change organisms in ways that do not substantively affect their fitness. Unparalleled in its field, this book offers the most detailed analysis available of all facets of robustness within organisms. It will appeal not only to biologists but also to engineers interested in the design of robust systems and to social scientists concerned with robustness in human communities and populations.

Human Growth and Development
Human Growth and Development

Author: Noel Cameron

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2012-06-08

Total Pages: 625

ISBN-13: 0123838827

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Offering a study of biological, biomedical and biocultural approaches, this book is suitable for researchers, professors and graduate students across the interdisciplinary area of human development. It is presented in the form of lectures to facilitate student programming.

Evolutionary Biology
Evolutionary Biology

Author: Max Hecht

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 510

ISBN-13: 1461569710

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Sixteen volumes and one supplement have now appeared in the series known as Evolutionary Biology. The editors continue to seek critical re views, original papers, and commentaries on controversial topics. It is our aim to publish papers primarily of greater length and depth than those normally published by society journals and quarterlies. The editors make every attempt to solicit manuscripts on an international scale and to see that every facet of evolutionary biology-classical or modern-is cov ered. Manuscripts should be sent to anyone of the following: Max K. Hecht, Department of Biology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367; Bruce Wallace, Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061; Ghillean T. Prance, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458. The Editors vii Contents 1. Darwinian Selection of Self-Replicating RNA Molecules 1 Christ(~r K. Biehricher Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replication of Virus RNA in Vitro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Extracellular Darwinian Experiments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Characterization of the QI3 Replicase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Nonviral RNA Templates of QI3 Replicase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II The Mechanism of RNA Replication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Initiation of Replication and Template Specificity . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Mechanism of Replica Chain Elongation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Termination of Replication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Replication of RNA Variants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 The Quasispecies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 De NOl'O Synthesis of Self-Replicating RNA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 The Mechanism of Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Selection in the Exponential Growth Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Selection in the Linear Growth Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Appendix I. Replication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Appendix II. The Quasispecies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Appendix III. Selection under Various Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Evolutionary Genetics
Evolutionary Genetics

Author: Charles W. Fox

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2006-04-27

Total Pages: 618

ISBN-13: 9780199775040

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Charles Fox and Jason Wolf have brought together leading researchers to produce a cutting-edge primer introducing readers to the major concepts in modern evolutionary genetics. This book spans the continuum of scale, from studies of DNA sequence evolution through proteins and development to multivariate phenotypic evolution, and the continuum of time, from ancient events that lead to current species diversity to the rapid evolution seen over relatively short time scales in experimental evolution studies. Chapters are accessible to an audience lacking extensive background in evolutionaryy genetics but also current and in-depth enough to be of value to established researchers in evolution biology.