Evolution

Mark Ridley’s Evolution has become the premier undergraduate text in the study of evolution. Readable and stimulating, yet well balanced and in–depth, this text tells the story of evolution, from the history of the study to the most recent developments in evolutionary theory.
The third edition of this successful textbook features updates and extensive new coverage. The sections on adaptation and diversity have been reorganized for improved clarity and flow, and a completely updated section on the evolution of sex and the inclusion of more plant examples have all helped to shape this new edition. Evolution also features strong, balanced coverage of population genetics, and scores of new applied plant and animal examples make this edition even more accessible and engaging.

Spis treści:
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Part I: Introduction.
1. The Rise Of Evolutionary Biology.
Evolution Means Change In Living Things By Descent With Modification.
Living Things Show Adaptations.
A Short History Of Evolutionary Biology.
Summary.
Further Reading.
Study And Review Questions.
2. Molecular And Mendelian Genetics.
Inheritance Is Caused By DNA Molecules, Which Are Physically Passed From Parent To Offspring.
DNA Structurally Encodes Information Used To Build The Body’s Proteins.
Information In DNA Is Decoded By Transcription And Translation.
Large Amounts Of Non–Coding DNA Exist In Some Species.
Mutational Errors May Occur During DNA Replication.
Rates Of Mutation Can Be Measured.
Diploid Organisms Inherit A Double Set Of Genes.
Genes Are Inherited In Characteristic Mendelian Ratios.
Darwin’s Theory Would Probably Not Work If There Was A Non–Mendelian Blending Mechanism Of Heredity.
Summary.
Further Reading.
Study And Review Questions.
3. The Evidence For Evolution.
We Distinguish Three Possible Theories Of The History Of Life.
On A Small Scale, Evolution Can Be Observed In Action.
Evolution Can Also Be Produced Experimentally.
Interbreeding And Phenotypic Similarity Provide Two Concepts Of Species.
Ring “Species” Show That The Variation Within A Species Can Be Extensive Enough To Produce A New Species.
New, Reproductively Distinct Species Can Be Produced Experimentally.
Small–Scale Observations Can Be Extrapolated Over The Long Term.
Groups Of Living Things Have Homologous Similarities.
Different Homologies Are Correlated, And Can Be Hierarchically Classified.
Fossil Evidence Exists For The Transformation Of Species.
The Order Of The Main Groups In The Fossil Record Suggests They Have Evolutionary Relationships.
Summary Of The Evidence For Evolution.
Creationism Offers No Explanation Of Adaptation.
Modern “Scientific Creationism” Is Scientifically Untenable.
Summary.
Further Reading.
Study And Review Questions.
4. Natural Selection And Variation.
In Nature, There Is A Struggle For Existence.
Natural Selection Operates If Some Conditions Are Met.
Natural Selection Explains Both Evolution And Adaptation.
Natural Selection Can Be Directional, Stabilizing, Or Disruptive.
Variation In Natural Populations Is Widespread.
Organisms In A Population Vary In Reproductive Success.
New Variation Is Generated By Mutation And Recombination.
New Variation Created By Recombination And Mutation Is Random With Respect To The Direction Of Adaptation.
Summary.
Further Reading.
Study And Review Questions.
Part II: Evolutionary Genetics.
5. The Theory Of Natural Selection.
Population Genetics Is Concerned With Genotype And Gene Frequencies.
An Elementary Population Genetic Model Has Four Main Steps.
Genotype Frequencies In The Absence Of Selection Go To The Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium.
We Can Test, By Simple Observation, Whether Genotypes In A Populatio n Are At The Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium.
The Hardy–Weinberg Theorem Is Important Conceptually, Historically, In Practical Research, And In The Workings Of Theoretical Models.
The Simplest Model Of Selection Is For One Favored Allele At One Locus.
The Model Of Selection Can Be Applied To The Peppered Moth.
Pesticide Resistance In Insects Is An Example Of Natural Selection.
Fitnesses Are Important Numbers In Evolutionary Theory And Can Be Estimated By Three Main Methods.
Natural Selection Operating On A Favored Allele At A Single Locus Is Not Meant To Be A General Model Of Evolution.
A Recurrent Disadvantageous Mutation Will Evolve To A Calculable Equilibrial Frequency.
Heterozygous Advantage.
The Fitness Of A Genotype May Depend On Its Frequency.
Subdivided Populations Require Special Population Genetic Principles.
Summary.
Further Reading.
Study And Review Questions.
6. Random Events In Population Genetics.
The Frequency Of Alleles Can Change At Random Through Time In A Process Called Genetic Drift.
A Small Founder Population May Have A Non–Representative Sample Of The Ancestral Population’s Genes.
One Gene Can Be Substituted For Another By Random Drift.
Hardy–Weinberg “Equilibrium” Assumes The Absence Of Genetic Drift.
Neutral Drift Over Time Produces A March To Homozygosity.
A Calculable Amount Of Polymorphism Will Exist In A Population Because Of Neutral Mutation.
Population Size And Effective Population Size.
Summary.
Further Reading.
Study And Review Questionss.
7. Natural Selection And Random Drift In Molecular Evolution.
Random Drift And Natural Selection Can Both Hypothetically Explain Molecular Evolution.
Rates Of Molecular Evolution And Amounts Of Genetic Variation Can Be Measured.
Rates Of Molecular Evolution Are Arguably Too Constant For A Process Controlled By Natural Selection.
The Molecular Clock Shows A Gener ation Time Effect.
The Nearly Neutral Theory.
Evolutionary Rate And Functional Constraint.
Conclusion And Comment: The Neutralist Paradigm Shift.
Genomic Sequences Have Led To New Ways Of Studying Molecular Evolution.
Conclusion: 35 Years Of Research On Molecular Evolution.
Summary.
Further Reading.
Study And Review Questions.
8. Two–Locus And Multilocus Population Genetics.
Mimicry In Papilio Is Controlled By More Than One Genetic Locus.
Genotypes At Different Loci In Papilio Memnon Are Coadapted.
Mimicry In Heliconius Is Controlled By More Than One Gene, But They Are Not Tightly Linked.
Two–Locus Genetics Is Concerned With Haplotype Frequencies.
Frequencies Of Haplotypes May Or May Not Be In Linkage Equilibrium.
Human HLA Genes Are A Multilocus Gene System.
Linkage Disequilibrium Can Exist For Several Reasons.
Two–Locus Models Of Natural Selection Can Be Built.
Hitch–Hiking Occurs In Two–Locus Selection Models.
Selective Sweeps Can Provide Evidence Of Selection In DNA Sequences.
Linkage Disequilibrium Can Be Advantageous, Neutral, Or Disadvantageous.
Wright Invented The Influential Concept Of An Adaptive Topography.
The Shifting Balance Theory Of Evolution.
Summary.
Further Reading.
Study And Review Questions.
9. Quantitative Genetics.
Climatic Changes Have Driven The Evolution Of Beak Size In One Of Darwin’s Finches.
Quantitative Genetics Is Concerned With Characters Controlled By Large Numbers Of Genes.
Variation Is First Divided Into Genetic And Environmental Effects.
Variance Of A Character Is Divided Into Genetic And Environmental Effects.
Relatives Have Similar Genotypes, Producing The Correlation Between Relatives.
Heritability Is The Proportion Of Phenotypic Variance That Is Additive.
A Character′s Heritability Determines Its Response To Artificial Selection.
Strength Of Selection Has Been Estimated