Evolutionary Biology

Evolutionary Biology
Author: Pierre Pontarotti
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2009-08-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642009522

Since 1997, scientists of different disciplines sharing a deep interest in concepts and knowledge related to evolutionary biology have held the annual Evolutionary Biology Meetings in Marseille in order to discuss their research and promote collaboration. Lately scientists especially focusing on applications have also joined the group. This book starts with the report of the "12th Evolutionary Biology Meeting", which gives a general idea of the meeting’s epistemological stance. This is followed by 22 chapters, a selection of the most representative contributions, which are grouped under the following four themes: Part I Concepts and Knowledge - Part II Modelization - Part III Applied Evolutionary Biology - Part IV Applications in Other Fields -Part IV transcends the field of biology, presenting applications of evolutionary biology in economics and astronomy.

Modern Phylogenetic Comparative Methods and Their Application in Evolutionary Biology

Modern Phylogenetic Comparative Methods and Their Application in Evolutionary Biology
Author: László Zsolt Garamszegi
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 553
Release: 2014-07-29
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3662435500

Phylogenetic comparative approaches are powerful analytical tools for making evolutionary inferences from interspecific data and phylogenies. The phylogenetic toolkit available to evolutionary biologists is currently growing at an incredible speed, but most methodological papers are published in the specialized statistical literature and many are incomprehensible for the user community. This textbook provides an overview of several newly developed phylogenetic comparative methods that allow to investigate a broad array of questions on how phenotypic characters evolve along the branches of phylogeny and how such mechanisms shape complex animal communities and interspecific interactions. The individual chapters were written by the leading experts in the field and using a language that is accessible for practicing evolutionary biologists. The authors carefully explain the philosophy behind different methodologies and provide pointers – mostly using a dynamically developing online interface – on how these methods can be implemented in practice. These “conceptual” and “practical” materials are essential for expanding the qualification of both students and scientists, but also offer a valuable resource for educators. Another value of the book are the accompanying online resources (available at: http://www.mpcm-evolution.com), where the authors post and permanently update practical materials to help embed methods into practice.

The Character Concept in Evolutionary Biology

The Character Concept in Evolutionary Biology
Author: Günter P. Wagner
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 647
Release: 2000-10-31
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0080528902

Almost all evolutionary biologists, indeed all biologists, use particular features to study life. These characteristics or features used by evolutionary biologists are used in a particular way to unravel a tangled evolutionary history, document the rate of evolutionary change, or as evidence of biodiversity. "Characters" are the "data" of evolutionary biology and they can be employed differently in research providing both opportunities and limitations. The Character Concept in Evolutionary Biology is about characters, their use, how different sorts of characters are limited, and what are appropriate methods for character analysis. Leading evolutionary biologists from around the world are contributors to this authoritative review of the "character concept." Because characters and the conception of characters are central to all studies of evolution, and because evolution is the central organizing principle of biology, this book will appeal to a wide cross-section of biologists. - Focuses upon "characters" -- fundamental data for evolutionary biology - Covers the myriad ways in which characters are defined, described, and distinguished - Includes historical, morphological, molecular, behavioral, and philosophical perspectives

Evolutionary Biology

Evolutionary Biology
Author: R. Paul Thompson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2014-03-13
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1107027012

This volume explores the philosophical and biological richness of twenty-first-century evolution: its concepts, methods, structure and religious implications.

Making Sense of Evolution

Making Sense of Evolution
Author: Massimo Pigliucci
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2010-02-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0226668355

Making Sense of Evolution explores contemporary evolutionary biology, focusing on the elements of theories—selection, adaptation, and species—that are complex and open to multiple possible interpretations, many of which are incompatible with one another and with other accepted practices in the discipline. Particular experimental methods, for example, may demand one understanding of “selection,” while the application of the same concept to another area of evolutionary biology could necessitate a very different definition. Spotlighting these conceptual difficulties and presenting alternate theoretical interpretations that alleviate this incompatibility, Massimo Pigliucci and Jonathan Kaplan intertwine scientific and philosophical analysis to produce a coherent picture of evolutionary biology. Innovative and controversial, Making Sense of Evolution encourages further development of the Modern Synthesis and outlines what might be necessary for the continued refinement of this evolving field.

Evolutionary Biology from Concept to Application

Evolutionary Biology from Concept to Application
Author: Pierre Pontarotti
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2008-06-20
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3540789936

Every biological system is the outcome of its evolution; therefore, the deciphering of its evolutionary history is of tremendous importance to understand the biology of a system. Since 1997 scientists of different disciplines have held an annual "Evolutionary Biology Meeting" at Marseille (France) in order to discuss their research developments, exchange ideas and start collaborations. Consisting of the most representative talks of the 11th meeting, this book provides an up-to-date overview of evolutionary concepts and how these concepts can be applied to a better understanding of various biological aspects. It is divided into the following four parts: Modelization of Evolution - Concepts in Evolutionary Biology - Knowledge - Applied Evolutionary Biology. This book is an invaluable source of information not only for evolutionary biologists, but also for biologists in general.

Keywords and Concepts in Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Keywords and Concepts in Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Author: Brian K. Hall
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 506
Release: 2006-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780674022409

Covering more than 50 central terms and concepts in entries written by leading experts, this book offers an overview of this new subdiscipline of biology, providing the core insights and ideas that show how embryonic development relates to life-history evolution, adaptation, and responses to and integration with environmental factors.

Experimental Evolution

Experimental Evolution
Author: Theodore Garland
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 752
Release: 2009-12-03
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0520261801

This volume summarizes studies in experimental evolution, outlining current techniques and applications, and presenting the field's range of research.

The Adaptive Landscape in Evolutionary Biology

The Adaptive Landscape in Evolutionary Biology
Author: Erik Svensson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2012-05-17
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0199595372

The 'Adaptive Landscape' has been a central concept in population genetics and evolutionary biology since this powerful metaphor was first formulated in 1932. This volume brings together historians of science, philosophers, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists, to discuss the state of the art from several different perspectives.

Monad to Man

Monad to Man
Author: Michael Ruse
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 641
Release: 2009-06-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0674042999

In interviews with today's major figures in evolutionary biology--including Stephen Jay Gould, E. O. Wilson, Ernst Mayr, and John Maynard Smith--Ruse offers an unparalleled account of evolutionary theory, from popular books to museums to the most complex theorizing, at a time when its status as science is under greater scrutiny than ever before.