Evolution

Evolution permeates all of biology. But researchers in molecular and cellular biology, genetics, developmental biology, microbiology, and neuroscience have only recently begun to think seriously in terms of evolution. The chief reasons for this shift are the growing list of organisms with sequenced genomes; the increasingly sophisticated ways of interpreting those sequences; and the ever more powerful experimental techniques (and wider range of model organisms) with which to ask questions about evolution as well as mechanism. Evolution serves as a primary text for undergraduate and graduate courses in evolution. It is also a text working scientists can use to educate themselves on how evolution affects their fields. It differs from currently available alternatives in containing more molecular biology than is traditionally the case. But this is not at the expense of traditional evolutionary theory. Indeed, a glance at the Table of Contents and the authors' interests reveals the range of material covered in this book. The authors are world-renowned in population genetics, bacterial genomics, paleontology, human genetics, and developmental biology. The integration of molecular biology and evolutionary biology reflects the current direction of much research among evolutionary scientists.