Plant Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Reviews / Votes

'An evo-devo tour de force through the flowering plants, written with the exceptional clarity that we have come to expect of Alessandro Minelli. The book encompasses long-established ideas such as heterochrony, newer approaches based on families of developmental genes, and controversial concepts such as a botanical phylotypic stage and the possible saltational evolution of floral organs. And all the topics are discussed against the background of a modern phylogenetic tree of the angiosperms. Of the many fascinating evo-devo phenomena discussed, two of my favourites are the evolutionary reduction in complexity in parasitic plants that have completely lost the ability to photosynthesize, and developmental reversals of floral symmetry, for example from zygomorphic to actinomorphic and back again. This is a scholarly work with considerable attention to detail, yet at the same time it is immensely readable.' Wallace Arthur, Emeritus Professor of Zoology, National University of Ireland, Galway 'It is a tour de force (94 pages of bibliography) and demonstrates the depth and enormous breadth of the literature examining gene expression in flowers and the various meristems of angiosperms. ... Yes, as the publisher claims, this is a volume that will be useful, whether the reader is a student, lecturer, or engaged in research.' Michael Christianson, The Quarterly Review of Biology '... this book is a valuable journey through the generalities of plant evo-devo with an added insight from an animal perspective ... By bringing his zoological experience into the plant scenario, Minelli shows that communication between different evo-devo branches not only is useful and beneficial to encourage new research questions and experimental programs, but also that is necessary for gaining a better understanding of evolutionary processes.' Evolution