In Search of the Causes of Evolution

The Grants' gift to evolutionary biology--the characterization of evolution in action in the Galapagos finches--was enough to define extraordinary careers. Here they extend their reach by depicting the study of evolution as a process of discovery that spans levels of organization ranging from individual genes to development, adaptation, speciation, and even the origin and deep history of life. The contributors span generations of investigators who are among our best and brightest. -- David Reznick, University of California, Riverside These accessible and informative essays span the range of evolution, from its historical and environmental context to the nature of adaptation itself and the generation of biological diversity. Peter and Rosemary Grant have assembled a stellar cast of authors who, through their own work, pay tribute to the Grants' decades of research on Darwin's finches. Anyone wishing a thoroughly modern and readable account of evolution should start here. -- Robert E. Ricklefs, University of Missouri, St. Louis

Evolutionary biology has witnessed breathtaking advances over the years. This book describes the advances and explains why a cross-disciplinary and integrated approach to research questions is so essential. It discusses the origins of biological diversity, and mechanisms of evolutionary change at the molecular and developmental levels.Evolutionary biology has witnessed breathtaking advances in recent years. Some of its most exciting insights have come from the crossover of disciplines as varied as paleontology, molecular biology, ecology, and genetics. This book brings together many of today's pioneers in evolutionary biology to describe the latest advances and explain why a cross-disciplinary and integrated approach to research questions is so essential. Contributors discuss the origins of biological diversity, mechanisms of evolutionary change at the molecular and developmental levels, morphology and behavior, and the ecology of adaptive radiations and speciation. They highlight the mutual dependence of organisms and their environments, and reveal the different strategies today's researchers are using in the field and laboratory to explore this interdependence. Peter and Rosemary Grant--renowned for their influential work on Darwin's finches in the Galapagos--provide concise introductions to each section and identify the key questions future research needs to address. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Myra Awodey, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Rowan D. H. Barrett, May R. Berenbaum, Paul M. Brakefield, Philip J. Currie, Scott V. Edwards, Douglas J. Emlen, Joshua B. Gross, Hopi E. Hoekstra, Richard Hudson, David Jablonski, David T. Johnston, Mathieu Joron, David Kingsley, Andrew H. Knoll, Mimi A. R. Koehl, June Y. Lee, Jonathan B. Losos, Isabel Santos Magalhaes, Albert B. Phillimore, Trevor Price, Dolph Schluter, Ole Seehausen, Clifford J. Tabin, John N. Thompson, and David B. Wake.