Ecological Genetics

Ecological Genetics was first published in 1981.Population genetics and population ecology originally developed independently, but are now merging into a discipline known as ecological genetics. Thus far, the union has been an uneasy one, and this book is an effort to further the union.The ecological geneticist is an experimental naturalist, concerned not just with the distribution and abundance of populations but with their genetic compositions as well. The methodology involves field and laboratory research and permits study of the ways that natural populations adapt to their physical and biological environments. In essence, ecological genetics is the study of evolution in progress. This approach can be applied to a variety of biological problems of both theoretical and practical interest, ranging from the origin of species to the origin of pesticide resistance. With this perspective, David J. Merrell discusses the population dynamics and the mechanism of evolution and speciation which includes mutation, selection, migration, and genetic drift.This book will be useful for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses in the biological sciences, especially for those dealing with population biology or evolution.