Old Questions and Young Approaches to Animal Evolution

Old Questions and Young Approaches to Animal Evolution
Author: José M. Martín-Durán
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2019-07-22
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030182029

Animal evolution has always been at the core of Biology, but even today many fundamental questions remain open. The field of animal ‘evo-devo’ is leveraging recent technical and conceptual advances in development, paleontology, genomics and transcriptomics to propose radically different answers to traditional evolutionary controversies. This book is divided into four parts, each of which approaches animal evolution from a different perspective. The first part (chapters 2 and 3) investigates how new sources of evidence have changed conventional views of animal origins, while the second (chapters 4–8) addresses the connection between embryogenesis and evolution, and the genesis of cellular, tissue and morphological diversity. The third part (chapters 9 and 10) investigates how big data in molecular biology is transforming our understanding of the mechanisms governing morphological change in animals. In closing, the fourth part (chapters 11–13) explores new theoretical and conceptual approaches to animal evolution. ‘Old questions and young approaches to animal evolution’ offers a comprehensive and updated view of animal evolutionary biology that will serve both as a first step into this fascinating field for students and university educators, and as a review of complementary approaches for researchers.

Evolution and Development

Evolution and Development
Author: Alan C. Love
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 91
Release: 2024-03-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1108575072

A philosophical exploration of the interdisciplinary nature of evo-devo and its concepts, including conserved mechanisms, deep homology, and evolutionary novelty. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Microbiomes

Microbiomes
Author: Eugene Rosenberg
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 439
Release: 2021-03-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 303065317X

This book examines an important paradigm shift in biology: Plants and animals, traditionally viewed as individuals, are now considered to be complex systems and host to a plethora of microorganisms. After first presenting historical aspects of microbiota research, bacterial compositions of individual microbiomes and the critical analysis of current methods, the book discusses how microbial communities inside the human body are profoundly affected by numerous factors, such as macro- and micro-nutrients, physical exercise, antibiotics, gender and age. As described by current research, the author highlights how microbiomes contribute to the fitness of the host by providing nutrients, inhibiting pathogens, aiding in the storage of fat during pregnancy, and contributing to development and behavior. The author not only focusses on prokaryotic components in microbiomes, but also addresses single-cell eukaryotes and viruses. This follow-up to the successful book The Hologenome Concept: Human, Animal and Plant Microbiota, published in 2013, provides a contemporary overview of microbiomes. It appeals to anyone working in the life sciences and biomedicine.

Evolution of Neurosensory Cells and Systems

Evolution of Neurosensory Cells and Systems
Author: Bernd Fritzsch
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2022-05-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1000514463

This book is an overview of primary sensory maps of vertebrates, characterized by continuous and discrete properties. The eight primary sensory maps of vertebrates have unique features and use distinct molecular cues, cell cycle exit, and activity combinations during development, regeneration, and plasticity. As an introduction and overview, the book provides a short overview for all eight sensory senses and presents through evolution and gene regulatory networks, the molecular cues needed for sensory processing. Independent contributions are included for olfactory, vision, trigeminal, taste, vestibular, auditory, lateral line, and electroreception.

Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science

Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science
Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 150
Release: 1998-05-06
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0309063647

Today many school students are shielded from one of the most important concepts in modern science: evolution. In engaging and conversational style, Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science provides a well-structured framework for understanding and teaching evolution. Written for teachers, parents, and community officials as well as scientists and educators, this book describes how evolution reveals both the great diversity and similarity among the Earth's organisms; it explores how scientists approach the question of evolution; and it illustrates the nature of science as a way of knowing about the natural world. In addition, the book provides answers to frequently asked questions to help readers understand many of the issues and misconceptions about evolution. The book includes sample activities for teaching about evolution and the nature of science. For example, the book includes activities that investigate fossil footprints and population growth that teachers of science can use to introduce principles of evolution. Background information, materials, and step-by-step presentations are provided for each activity. In addition, this volume: Presents the evidence for evolution, including how evolution can be observed today. Explains the nature of science through a variety of examples. Describes how science differs from other human endeavors and why evolution is one of the best avenues for helping students understand this distinction. Answers frequently asked questions about evolution. Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science builds on the 1996 National Science Education Standards released by the National Research Councilâ€"and offers detailed guidance on how to evaluate and choose instructional materials that support the standards. Comprehensive and practical, this book brings one of today's educational challenges into focus in a balanced and reasoned discussion. It will be of special interest to teachers of science, school administrators, and interested members of the community.

The Vital Question

The Vital Question
Author: Nick Lane
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: Cells
ISBN: 9781781250372

A game-changing book on the origins of life, called the most important scientific discovery 'since the Copernican revolution' in The Observer.

The Princeton Guide to Evolution

The Princeton Guide to Evolution
Author: David A. Baum
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 886
Release: 2017-03-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 069117587X

The essential one-volume reference to evolution The Princeton Guide to Evolution is a comprehensive, concise, and authoritative reference to the major subjects and key concepts in evolutionary biology, from genes to mass extinctions. Edited by a distinguished team of evolutionary biologists, with contributions from leading researchers, the guide contains some 100 clear, accurate, and up-to-date articles on the most important topics in seven major areas: phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society. Complete with more than 100 illustrations (including eight pages in color), glossaries of key terms, suggestions for further reading on each topic, and an index, this is an essential volume for undergraduate and graduate students, scientists in related fields, and anyone else with a serious interest in evolution. Explains key topics in some 100 concise and authoritative articles written by a team of leading evolutionary biologists Contains more than 100 illustrations, including eight pages in color Each article includes an outline, glossary, bibliography, and cross-references Covers phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society

Organismic Animal Biology

Organismic Animal Biology
Author: Ariel Chipman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2023-12-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0192646893

Neither cellular/molecular nor ecosystem processes can be fully understood without a detailed understanding of the biology of the whole organism. Despite this, much of modern biology teaching tends to be focused on the cellular and molecular level, with the organism often neglected. This is particularly noticeable in many undergraduate biology programs, where introductory courses in animal biology are either given with limited evolutionary context or else use an outdated view of animal phylogeny. This accessible textbook provides a general conceptual framework for understanding the organismic level. It provides a broad overview of the diversity of animal life while focusing on general organizational principles with a few, carefully chosen examples rather than providing exhaustive specific details. The book adopts two parallel tracks, with most chapters focusing on one or the other. The first follows the general principles of organismic biology and animal organization, starting with the basic terminology and definitions in evolutionary biology before introducing the evolutionary framework for comparative biology. It then describes organizational principles and specific organ systems in a sequence of increasing complexity. The second track follows a phylogenetic journey, introducing the different animal phyla. Major phyla are given their own chapter with an overview of their common features and diversity. Organismic Animal Biology is an introductory textbook for an undergraduate course in organismal animal biology in a general biology or biotechnology program. It is explicitly aimed at students who will go on to be biomedical researchers, biochemists, cell biologists etc. and who need to understand the significance of the organism to their future research careers. It will also be a useful primer or easy reference for undergraduate and graduate students in more intensive organismic animal biology programs.

Animal Evolution

Animal Evolution
Author: NATURAL SCIENCES and MATHEMATICS (500)
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 441
Release: 2009-08-13
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0191579130

Animal life, now and over the past half billion years, is incredibly diverse. Describing and understanding the evolution of this diversity of body plans - from vertebrates such as humans and fish to the numerous invertebrate groups including sponges, insects, molluscs, and the many groups of worms - is a major goal of evolutionary biology. In this book, a group of leading researchers adopt a modern, integrated approach to describe how current molecular genetic techniques and disciplines as diverse as palaeontology, embryology, and genomics have been combined, resulting in a dramatic renaissance in the study of animal evolution. The last decade has seen growing interest in evolutionary biology fuelled by a wealth of data from molecular biology. Modern phylogenies integrating evidence from molecules, embryological data, and morphology of living and fossil taxa provide a wide consensus of the major branching patterns of the tree of life; moreover, the links between phenotype and genotype are increasingly well understood. This has resulted in a reliable tree of relationships that has been widely accepted and has spawned numerous new and exciting questions that require a reassessment of the origins and radiation of animal life. The focus of this volume is at the level of major animal groups, the morphological innovations that define them, and the mechanisms of change to their embryology that have resulted in their evolution. Current research themes and future prospects are highlighted including phylogeny reconstruction, comparative developmental biology, the value of different sources of data and the importance of fossils, homology assessment, character evolution, phylogeny of major groups of animals, and genome evolution. These topics are integrated in the light of a 'new animal phylogeny', to provide fresh insights into the patterns and processes of animal evolution. Animal Evolution provides a timely and comprehensive statement of progress in the field for academic researchers requiring an authoritative, balanced and up-to-date overview of the topic. It is also intended for both upper level undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in animal evolution, molecular phylogenetics, evo-devo, comparative genomics and associated disciplines.