Evolution Evolving: The Developmental Origins of Adaptation and Biodiversity

Kevin N Lala

ISBN 10: 0691262411 / ISBN 13: 9780691262413

Published by Princeton University Press, 2024

About this Item

The Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea by John Franklin details an arduous expedition undertaken between 1819 and 1822 to explore the Arctic regions of North America. This second volume focuses on the challenges faced by Franklin and his team as they wintered at Fort Enterprise. The narrative begins with the construction of their winter quarters and the difficulties encountered due to the harsh climate, including extreme cold and limited resources. The expedition members had to rely heavily on the local Indigenous populations, such as the Copper Indians, for guidance and sustenance. The text describes the interactions with these groups, highlighting cultural exchanges and the mutual dependence that developed. Franklin also provides detailed observations of the local wildlife, particularly the migratory patterns of the rein-deer, which were crucial for the expedition's survival. The narrative is interspersed with accounts of the scientific observations made by the team, including meteorological and astronomical data, which were significant for understanding the Arctic environment. Despite the severe conditions, the expedition members maintained a routine that included scientific work, hunting, and social activities to keep morale high. The volume concludes with the anticipation of further exploration and the hope of discovering a Northwest Passage, underscoring the expedition's broader goals of expanding geographical knowledge and contributing to scientific inquiry.

Seller Inventory # CIN0691262411G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Evolution Evolving: The Developmental Origins of Adaptation and Biodiversity
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691262411
• ISBN 13: 9780691262413
• Binding: Hardback
• Illustrator: Andrews, David
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

A new account of the central role developmental processes play in evolution

A new scientific view of evolution is emerging—one that challenges and expands our understanding of how evolution works. Recent research demonstrates that organisms differ greatly in how effective they are at evolving. Whether and how each organism adapts and diversifies depends critically on the mechanistic details of how that organism operates—its development, physiology, and behavior. That is because the evolutionary process itself has evolved over time, and continues to evolve. The scientific understanding of evolution is evolving too, with groundbreaking new ways of explaining evolutionary change. In this book, a group of leading biologists draw on the latest findings in evolutionary genetics and evo-devo, as well as novel insights from studies of epigenetics, symbiosis, and inheritance, to examine the central role that developmental processes play in evolution.

Written in an accessible style, and illustrated with fascinating examples of natural history, the book presents recent scientific discoveries that expand evolutionary biology beyond the classical view of gene transmission guided by natural selection. Without undermining the central importance of natural selection and other Darwinian foundations, new developmental insights indicate that all organisms possess their own characteristic sets of evolutionary mechanisms. The authors argue that a consideration of developmental phenomena is needed for evolutionary biologists to generate better explanations for adaptation and biodiversity. This book provides a new vision of adaptive evolution.

About the Author

Kevin N. Lala is professor of behavioral and evolutionary biology at the University of St. Andrews. He is the author of Darwin’s Unfinished Symphony: How Culture Made the Human Mind (Princeton) and other books. Tobias Uller is professor of evolutionary biology at Lund University, Sweden. He is the coeditor of Evolutionary Causation: Biological and Philosophical Reflections and Philosophy of Science for Biologists. Nathalie Feiner is a Lise Meitner group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology at Plön, Germany, and is affiliated with Lund University. Marcus W. Feldman is the Burnet C. and Mildred Finley Wohlford Professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University. He is the author of Niche Construction: The Neglected Process in Evolution (Princeton) and other books. Scott F. Gilbert is the Howard A. Schneiderman Professor of Biology Emeritus at Swarthmore College, the Finland Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Helsinki, and the author of the widely used textbook Developmental Biology.