Peter R Grant

Molds, Molecules, and Metazoa: Growing Points in Evolutionary Biology - Princeton Legacy Library Peter R Grant

Marc Notes: Based on a symposium held at Princeton University on Oct. 13, 1990.; Includes bibliographical references (pages [159]-174) and index.; Description based on print version record. Review Quotes: "A richly textured tapestry that represents current trends in evolutionary biology. Rather than just taking a retrospective view of the evolutionary synthesis and the origins of evolutionary biology, the book takes a forward-looking view to chart the future course for evolutionary biology at six major 'growing points' of the discipline."--"Trends in Ecology and Evolution" Table of Contents: List of ContributorsPreface1Evolution and the Rest of Biology32Lessons from the History of Life173Five Properties of Environments334Behavior and Evolution575The Middle Ground of Biology: Themes in the Evolution of Development776Evolution of the Cell997Will Molecular Biology Solve Evolution?1278Overview: Variation and Change151References159Index175Publisher Marketing: Through an integration of systematics, genetics, and related disciplines, the Modern Synthesis of Evolutionary Biology came into being over fifty years ago. Knowledge of evolution has since been transformed by several revolutions: the way we interpret the fossil record has been radically affected by theories of continental drift and asteroid impacts; the way we classify organisms has been influenced by the development of cladistics. Perhaps the most dramatic revolution has been the explosion in molecular biology of information about the genome. Aiming to capture the excitement of modern evolutionary biology, six prominent scientists here explore important issues and problems in their areas of specialization and identify the most promising directions of future research. The scope of this volume ranges from macroevolutionary patterns in the Precambrian to molecular evolution of the genome. Major themes include the origin and maintenance of variation and the causes of evolutionary change. Chapters on paleontology, ecology, behavior, development, and cell and molecular biology are contributed by Jim Valentine, Graham Bell, Mary Jane West Eberhard, Leo Buss, Marc Kirschner, and Marty Kreitman. The book contains an introductory chapter by John Bonner, whose seminal work is honored here. Originally published in 1992. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Contributor Bio:  Grant, Peter R Grant is Professor of Biology at Princeton University.