Evolution For Dummies
1st Edition
Published on 28. March 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
388 pages
978-0-470-11773-6 (ISBN)
Description
Fascinating case studies highlight evolutionary research in the lab and in the wild
From Darwin to DNA -- your objective guide to the key concepts of evolution
Want to get a clear understanding of evolution? This plain-English guide explains what evolution is, how it works, and the ways it affects your life. You'll see how evolution impacts everything from body shape to behavior to choosing a mate, ways we can trace the past evolutionary history of species, and how humans continue to evolve.
Discover:
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What natural selection is and how it works
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The evolutionary history of modern humans
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The evolution of viruses and scientists' fight against them
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The role of genetics in the evolution of species
More details
Edition
1., Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
Chichester
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 23.5 cm
Width: 18.7 cm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
562 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-470-11773-6 (9780470117736)
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Dr. Greg Krukonis: Greg Kukonis has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from the University of Arizona, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He has been a postdoctoral researcher at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and Stanford University. He is currently an adjunct assistant professor of biology at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
Tracy Barr: Tracy Barr is a professional writer and editor who has authored or co-authored several other books for Wiley, including Adoption For Dummies, Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies, Yorkshire Terriers For Dummies, and Latin For Dummies. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and four children.
Content
Introduction.
Part I: What Evolution Is.
Chapter 1: What Evolution Is and Why You Need to Know.
Chapter 2: The Science -- Past and Present -- of Evolution.
Chapter 3: Getting into Your Genes: (Very) Basic Genetics.
Part II: How Evolution Works.
Chapter 4: Variation: A Key Requirement for Evolution.
Chapter 5: Natural Selection and Adaptations in Action.
Chapter 6: Random Evolution and Genetic Drift: Sometimes It's All about Chance.
Chapter 7: Quantitative Genetics: When Many Genes Act at Once.
Chapter 8: Species and Speciation.
Chapter 9: Phylogenetics: Reconstructing the Tree of Life.
Part III: What Evolution Does.
Chapter 10: The Evolution of Life History.
Chapter 11: Units of Selection and the Evolution of Social Behavior.
Chapter 12: Evolution and Sex.
Chapter 13: Co-evolution: The Evolution of Interacting Species.
Chapter 14: Evo-Devo: The Evolution of Development.
Chapter 15: Molecular Evolution.
Part IV: Evolution and Your World.
Chapter 16: Human Evolution.
Chapter 17: The Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance.
Chapter 18: HIV: The Origin and Evolution of a Virus.
Chapter 19: Influenza: One Flu, Two Flu, Your Flu, Bird Flu.
Part V: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 20: Ten Fascinating Fossil Finds.
Chapter 21: Ten Amazing Adaptations.
Chapter 22: Ten Arguments against Evolution and Why They're Wrong.
Index.