About this Title
For too long, efforts to synthesize evolution and development have failed to build a united view of the origins and evolution of biological diversity. In this groundbreaking book, David Stern sets out to draw evolutionary biology and developmental biology together by cutting through the differences that divide the disciplines and by revealing their deeper similarities. He draws upon the insights of generations of evolutionary biologists and scores of developmental biologists to build a solid foundation for future investigation of the genetic and developmental causes of diversity. Along the way, and in plain English, he explicates many of the guiding principles of evolution, population genetics, and developmental biology. Each chapter offers a clear review of fundamental principles, together with thoughtprovoking ideas that will be tested only with data emerging from current and future studies. With the basic principles established, he then offers a new way of thinking about development—backwards—to clarify precisely how the mechanisms of development influence evolution. In the same spirit, he takes a fresh look at evolution in populations, arguing that population history influences precisely how developmental mechanisms evolve. Both Stern's new perspective on development and his reassessment of the role of populations leads to the surprising conclusion that the evolution of genomes appears to be predictable. Stern argues that developmental biology and evolutionary biology are intertwined: it is impossible to understand one of them fully without understanding the other. This book provides a clear and wide-ranging introduction to evolution and development for the basic reader; graduate students will be introduced to the cutting-edge of research in evolutionary developmental biology; and experts in evolution or development will receive both an uncomplicated introduction to the other discipline and an abundance of new, provocative ideas.
About the Author
David Stern is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Princeton University. His research addresses the genetic causes of evolution, and his laboratory is currently focused on the evolution of morphology and behavior.
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1 – In Order to Form a More Perfect Union
- Chapter 2 – Scale Matters
- Chapter 3 – Dominance
- Chapter 4 – Pleiotropy
- Chapter 5 – Epistasis
- Chapter 6 – Populations and Natural Selection
- Chapter 7 – Pathworks
- Chapter 8 – The Predictable Genome
- Historical Note
- Acknowledgements
- Bibliography
- Notes
- Index
Praise
"The integration of developmental biology into evolutionary theory is essential to our understanding of the evolutionary process. David Stern's Evolution, Development, & the Predictable Genome is an original, timely, and articulate contribution toward that goal. He has done a masterful job of framing the essential issues, concepts, and evidence in a very accessible, student-friendly style. This is essential reading for anyone interested in evolutionary biology." —Sean B. Carroll, HHMI and University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of Endless Forms Most Beautiful and The Making of the Fittest
"One of the most exciting areas in contemporary biology is the conjunction of evolutionary biology with rapid advances in developmental biology and genomics. David Stern provides a marvelously clear introduction to evolutionary developmental biology, by showing how genes affect the development of organisms' features, and how this knowledge helps us understand the diversification of life. This well written, beautifully produced book leads readers to one of the great frontiers in biology, and shows them the future." —Douglas J. Futuyma, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and author of Evolution
"This book is a deep, thoughtful, and timely work from one of the best scientists working in evo-devo today. It addresses, as no book has done before, the population genetic forces that shape the evolution of developmental programmes and so the diversity of life on earth. It builds on solid foundations to produce some novel and important predictions. It is rich in ideas; it is written with unsparing lucidity. It may become a classic." —Armand Marie Leroi, Imperial College London, and author of Mutants
"David Stern succeeds admirably in fusing developmental genetics of individuals with mechanisms of change in populations. The result is an insightful genomics understanding of evolution." —Peter R. Grant, Princeton University, and author of How and Why Species Multiply
"Drawing from the most recent empirical evidence, David Stern seamlessly unites the fields of population genetics and developmental biology and, in doing so, provides a novel perspective on the evolutionary process. Throughout, Stern generates new provocative theories about the mechanistic basis of organismal diversity. He does all this with clarity, insight, and enthusiasm." —Hopi E. Hoekstra, Harvard University
"A beautifully written synthesis of the causes of evolution in populations and the mechanisms of development. It builds a convincing genetic framework for understanding adaptation and the divergence of species." —Dolph Schluter, University of British Columbia, and (with Michael Whitlock) author of The Analysis of Biological Data