Product Description
The field of evolutionary biology arose from the desire to understand the origin and diversity of biological forms. In recent years, however, evolutionary genetics, with its focus on the modification and inheritance of presumed genetic programs, has all but overwhelmed other aspects of evolutionary biology. This has led to the neglect of the study of the generative origins of biological form.Drawing on work from developmental biology, paleontology, developmental and population genetics, cancer research, physics, and theoretical biology, this book explores the multiple factors responsible for the origination of biological form. It examines the essential problems of morphological evolution--why, for example, the basic body plans of nearly all metazoans arose within a relatively short time span, why similar morphological design motifs appear in phylogenetically independent lineages, and how new structural elements are added to the body plan of a given phylogenetic lineage. It also examines discordances between genetic and phenotypic change, the physical determinants of morphogenesis, and the role of epigenetic processes in evolution. The book discusses these and other topics within the framework of evolutionary developmental biology, a new research agenda that concerns the interaction of development and evolution in the generation of biological form. By placing epigenetic processes, rather than gene sequence and gene expression changes, at the center of morphological origination, this book points the way to a more comprehensive theory of evolution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Documents the major problems with neo-Darwinism
Origination of Organismal Form: Beyond The Gene In Developmental And Evolutionary Biology is a collection of excellent essays by scientists who assume Darwinian evolution, but whose work reveals various major evidential and conceptual problems with the theory. They are part of a growing number of scientists who find major problems with Darwinism but are not any type of creationist. The problems with Darwinism are usually buried deep in technical publications but they are there if one looks. Anyone with the training and inclination to read this book could benefit greatly from it.I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in evolutionary biology. We can no longer ignore these problems. They are too great and must be dealt with. This book is an excellent introduction to these problems. A must read book!!!

In Search of a Theory of Evolution
The public Darwin debate doesn't really match the progress of biological research. And experts in the field seem reticent to point to the limits of the standard theories. Here we are told plainly,Darwinism has no theory of the generative. And the breakthroughs in developmental genetics fail to explicate the sources of organismic form. The text acknowledges that concern with the gene has overshadowed all other aspects of the discussion.
This highly interesting, not too technical, work explores the work being done on evolutionary innovation. A theory of evolution should explicate both innovation and diversification.But natural selection can only explain how what already exists is maintained or transformed in the process of ecological survival. The standard explanations of variation and natural selection do not really explain this '
source of form' aspect of evolution, and we are presented with ambiguous statements about an evolutionary toolkit, in the developmental version, whose origins could not spring from the processes described in the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis. It seems an advance that a technical work by experts in the field would point this out. This is a very useful glimpse of the real work needed in biology, and should prove a useful refuge from the confusing public discourse on evolution that is generally less than helpful. ... Read more

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Comprised of essays by top scholars in the field, this volume offers detailed overviews of philosophical issues raised by biology.

• Brings together a team of eminent scholars to explore the philosophical issues raised by biology
• Addresses traditional and emerging topics, spanning molecular biology and genetics, evolution, developmental biology, immunology, ecology, mind and behaviour, neuroscience, and experimentation
• Begins with a thorough introduction to the field
• Goes beyond previous treatments that focused only on evolution to give equal attention to other areas, such as molecular and developmental biology
• Represents both an authoritative guide to philosophy of biology, and an accessible reference work for anyone seeking to learn about this rapidly-changing field

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Abstract and conceptual models have become an indispensable tool for analyzing the flood of highly detailed empirical data generated in recent years by advanced techniques in the biosciences. Scientists are developing new modeling strategies for analyzing data, integrating results into the conceptual framework of theoretical biology, and formulating new hypotheses. In Modeling Biology, leading scholars investigate new modeling strategies in the domains of morphology, development, behavior, and evolution.

The emphasis on models in the biological sciences has been accompanied by a new focus on conceptual issues and a more complex understanding of epistemological concepts. Contributors to Modeling Biology discuss models and modeling strategies from the perspectives of philosophy, history, and applied mathematics. Individual chapters discuss specific approaches to modeling in such domains as biological form, development, and behavior. Finally, the book addresses the modeling of these properties in the context of evolution, with a particular emphasis on the emerging field of evolutionary developmental biology (or evo-devo).

Contributors:
Giorgio A. Ascoli, Chandrajit Bajaj, James P. Collins, Luciano da Fontoura Costa, Kerstin Dautenhahn, Nigel R. Franks, Scott Gilbert, Marta Ibañes Miguez, Juan Carlos Izpisúa-Belmonte, Alexander S. Klyubin, Thomas J. Koehnle, Manfred D. Laubichler, Sabina Leonelli, James A. R. Marshall, George R. McGhee Jr., Gerd B. Müller, Chrystopher L. Nehaniv, Karl J. Niklas, Lars Olsson, Eirikur Palsson, Daniel Polani, Diego Rasskin Gutman, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, Alexei V. Samsonovich, Jeffrey C. Schank, Harry B. M. Uylings, Jaap van Pelt, and Iain Werry ... Read more

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Developmental Neuroscience is one of the six core disciplines in Neuroscience, and yet no single volume, non-textbook reference exists on the market that provides researchers with more in-depth, high-level information on developmental neurobiology.  Currently, anyone interested in the field at a higher level must sift through review articles published frequently and the more specific handbooks that focus on aspects of development rather than the field as a whole.

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International authors provide researchers with an overview and synthesis of the latest research findings and contemporary thought in the area of Notch Signaling.

Product Description
By combining excerpts from key historical writings with editors’ introductions and further reading material, Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology offers a comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date collection of the field’s most significant works.

• Addresses central questions such as ‘What is life?’ and ‘How did it begin?’, and the most current research and arguments on evolution and developmental biology
• Editorial notes throughout the text define, clarify, and qualify ideas, concepts and arguments
• Includes material on evolutionary psychology and evolutionary developmental biology not found in other standard philosophy of biology anthologies
• Further reading material assists novices in delving deeper into research in philosophy of biology

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent with only a few carps
Wouold have liked brief particulars on the authors in one place (where they teach; their websites to consult for further reading, etc.) Some articles, like the last one on units of selection, seem a little pushy about where this particular field is going as if saying "Jump on board [e.g., the reaction train pulling out of the gene-based selection station] we're leaving." On the other hand, the selection of articles neither slights points of view nor soft-pedals the tendencies of this field to de jour theory modifications. ... Read more

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Philosophers of science have tended to avoid the problem of "development" by focusing primarily on evolutionary biology and, more recently, on molecular biology and genetics. Jason Scott Robert explores the nature of development as it relates to current concepts in biological theory and practice and analyzes the interrelations between development and evolution (evo-devo), an area of resurgent biological inquiry. ... Read more

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The large amount of information on fish reproduction available is not always readily accessible to all interested parties. Written to appeal to aquaculturalists, conservation managers, and scientific researchers, Methods in Reproductive Aquaculture provides an overview of available techniques and addresses ways to improve depleted stocks of endangered fish and other species.

The book focuses on gamete quality and management, exploring new objectives and areas of application and research, and new tools to deal with some aspects in reproduction of aquatic species. It begins with an examination of basic methods and techniques for gamete extraction, mainly sperm collection and egg stripping in different species, then describes techniques of spawning stimulation in males and females. The volume then highlights sperm and egg quality evaluation and considers sperm analysis from a practical broodstock management point of view and in the selection of appropriate breeders. The book goes on to discuss techniques used for artificial fertilization and the procedures for obtaining modified offspring. It introduces cryopreservation procedures for sperm, oocytes, and embryos, then discusses the materials and facilities required for gamete preparation and freezing-thawing procedures. The book concludes with an extensive section detailing sperm cryopreservation protocols for fifty-six marine and freshwater species.

Unique in its focus on both marine and freshwater aquaculture of fishes, the book provides information on endangered, highly profitable species for aquaculture or fisheries and species with high potential in laboratory research. Presenting the available information in an easily understandable way, this is not merely a techniques book, but also a complete guide to fish reproduction, gamete quality, and management.

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A laboratory manual for developmental biology offering basic, easy to use, laboratory investigations (18 experiments) spanning various models including echinoderm (Sea Urchin), amphibian (Frog), chick embryo, and fern gametophyte. ... Read more

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Computational structural biology has made tremendous progress over the last two decades, and this book provides a recent and broad overview of such computational methods in structural biology. It covers the impact of computational structural biology on protein structure prediction methods, macromolecular function and protein design, and key methods in drug discovery. It also addresses the computational challenges of experimental approaches in structural biology. In addition to reviewing the current state of computational structural biology, each chapter ends with a brief, visionary discussion on the future outlook, whereby the main challenges for the coming years are elucidated. Written by an international panel of expert contributors, this book can serve as a reference manual for students and practitioners alike.

Contents: Structure Prediction and Assessment Methods: Protein Fold Recognition and Threading (L J McGuffin); Assessment of Protein Structure Predictions (E Capriotti & M A Marti-Renom); From Structure to Function to Design: Evolution of Protein Folds (A N Lupas & K K Koretke); Atomistic Simulations of Reactions and Transition States (M Meuwly); Protein Protein Interactions and Aggregation Processes (R I Dima); Drug Discovery and Pharmacology: MD-Based Free Energy Simulations (M A Cuendet et al.); Structure-Based Computational Approaches to Drug Metabolism (M A Lill); New Frontiers in Experimental Methods: New Frontiers in X-ray Crystallography (C U Stirnimann & M G Grütter); New Frontiers in Characterizing Structure and Dynamics by NMR (M Nilges et al.); Selected Topics: Docking for Neglected Diseases as Community Efforts (M Podvinec et al.); Protein Structure Databases (M John et al.); Molecular Graphics in Structural Biology (A M Lesk et al.); and other chapters. ... Read more

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Drawing on state-of-the-art cellular and molecular techniques as well as new and sophisticated imaging and information technologies, this comprehensive, three-volume collection of cutting-edge protocols provides readily reproducible methods for studying and analyzing the events of embryonic development. Volume 1 (ISBN: 089603-574-3) contains techniques for establishing and characterizing several widely used experimental model systems, for the study of developmental patterns and morphogenesis, and for the examination of embryo structure and function. There are also step-by-step methods for the analaysis of cell lineage, the production and use of chimeras, and the experimental and molecular manipulation of embryos, including the application of viral vectors. Volume 2 (ISBN: 0-89603-575-1) describes state-of-the-art methods for the study of organogenesis, the analysis of abnormal development and teratology, the screening and mapping of novel genes and mutations, and the application of transgenesis, including the production of transgenic animals and gene knockouts. No less innovative, Volume 3 (ISBN: 0-89603-576-X) introduces powerful techniques for the manipulation of developmental gene expression and function, the analysis of gene expression, the characterization of tissue morphogenesis and development, the in vitro study of differentiation and development, and the genetic analysis of developmental models of diseases. Highly practical and richly annotated, the three volumes of Developmental Biology Protocols describe multiple experimental systems and details techniques adopted from the broadest array of biomedical disciplines.
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Univ. of Portsmouth, UK. Discusses the molecular and embryological techniques for studying Xenopus and zebrafish. Methods include cellular techniques, quantitative and spatial analysis of mRNA and proteins, and techniques for the expression of gene products in embryos. For students and researchers. Expanded-outline format. ... Read more

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This landmark publication provides the first definitive account of how and why subtle influences on the fetus and during early life can have such profound consequences for adult health and diseases. Although the epidemiological evidence for this link has long proved compelling, it is only much more recently that the scientific and physiological basis has begun to be studied in depth and fully understood.The compilation, written by many of the world's leading experts in this exciting field, summarizes these scientific and clinical advances. ... Read more

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From Darwin onward, it has been second nature for evolutionary biologists to think comparatively, because comparisons establish the generality of evolutionary phenomena. Do large genomes slow down development? What lifestyles select for large brains? Are extinction rates related to body size? These are all questions for the comparative method, and this book is about how such questions can be answered. It examines how the comparative method complements other approaches, identifies the biological causes of similarity among species, and discusses methods for reconstructing phylogenetic trees, along with many other topics. The book will interest all students, professionals, and researchers in evolutionary biology, ecology, genetics and related fields. ... Read more

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Highlighting latest advances in genetics and biochemistry, the completely revised Third Edition reviews the field from basic science, clinical, epidemiological, and regulatory perspectives. Contributions from top opinion leaders in the field bring together developments in molecular embryology and cell biology as they apply to problems in developmental toxicology. It covers testing of pharmaceutical and environmental agents and interpretation of developmental toxicology data, highlighting mathematical and statistical techniques, as well as the effects of toxic exposure on the functional development of various organs.

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This text is the first to provide a coherent theoretical treatment of the flourishing new field of developmental psychobiology which has arisen in recent years on the crest of exciting advances in evolutionary biology, developmental neuroscience, and dynamic systems theory.Michel and Moore, two of the field's key pioneers and researchers, integrate primary source information from research in both biological and psychological disciplines in a clear account of the frontier of biopsychological investigation and theorizing.Explicitly conceptual and historical, the first three chapters set the stage for a clear understanding of the field and its research, with particular attention to the nature-nurture question. The next three chapters each provide information about a basic subfield in biology (genetics, evolution, embryology) that is particularly relevant for developmental studies of behavior. These are followed by extended treatments of three spheres of inquiry (behavioral embryology, cognitive neuroscience, animal behavior) in terms of how a successful interdisciplinary approach to behavioral development might look. A final chapter comments on some of the unique aspects of development study.From this detailed and clearly organized text, students will achieve a firm grasp of some of science's most fertile questions about the relation between evolution and development, the relation between brain and cognitive development, the value of a natural history approach to animal behavior -- and what it teaches us about humans -- and much more. Each chapter contains material that questions the conventional wisdom held in many subdisciplines of biology and psychology. Throughout, the text challenges students to think creatively as it thoroughly grounds them in the field's approach to such topics as behavioral-genetic analysis, the concept of innateness, molecular genetics and development, neuroembryology, behavioral embryology, maturation, cognition, and ethology.A Bradford Book ... Read more

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What are the agents of life? Central to our conception of the biological world is the idea that it contains various kinds of individuals, including genes, organisms, and species. How we conceive of these agents of life is central to our understanding of the relationship between life and mind, the place of hierarchical thinking in the biological sciences, and pluralistic views of biological agency. Genes and the Agents of Life rethinks the place of the individual in the biological sciences, drawing parallels with the cognitive and social sciences. Genes, organisms, and species are all agents of life, but how are each of these conceptualized within genetics, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, and systematics? The book includes highly accessible discussions of genetic encoding, species and natural kinds, and pluralism above the levels of selection, drawing on work from across the biological sciences. A companion to Boundaries of the Mind, (Cambridge, 2004) where the focus is on the cognitive sciences, this volume will appeal to professionals and students in philosophy, biology, and the history of science.Robert A. Wilson is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alberta. He is the author of Cartesian Psychology and Physical Minds (Cambridge, 1995). ... Read more

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The first comprehensive synthesis on development and evolution: it applies to all aspects of development, at all levels of organization and in all organisms, taking advantage of modern findings on behavior, genetics, endocrinology, molecular biology, evolutionary theory and phylogenetics to show the connections between developmental mechanisms and evolutionary change. This book solves key problems that have impeded a definitive synthesis in the past. It uses new concepts and specific examples to show how to relate environmentally sensitive development to the genetic theory of adaptive evolution andto explain major patterns of change. In this book development includes not only embryology and the ontogeny of morphology, sometimes portrayed inadequately as governed by "regulatory genes," but also behavioral development and physiological adaptation, where plasticity is mediated by genetically complex mechanisms like hormones and learning. The book shows how the universal qualities of phenotypes--modular organization and plasticity--facilitate both integration and change. Here you will learn why it is wrong to describe organisms as genetically programmed; why environmental induction is likely to be more important in evolution than random mutation; and why it is crucial to consider both selection and developmental mechanism in explanations of adaptive evolution. This book satisfies the need for a truly general book on development, plasticity and evolution that applies to living organisms in all of their life stages and environments. Using an immense compendium of examples on many kinds of organisms, from viruses and bacteria to higher plants and animals, it shows how the phenotype is reorganized during evolution to produce novelties, and how alternative phenotypes occupy a pivotal role as a phase of evolution that fosters diversification and speeds change. The arguments of this book call for a new view of the major themes of evolutionary biology, as shown in chapters on gradualism, homology, environmental induction, speciation, radiation, macroevolution, punctuation, and the maintenance of sex. No other treatment of development and evolution since Darwin'soffers such a comprehensive and critical discussion of the relevant issues. Developmental Plasticity and Evolution is designed for biologists interested in the development and evolution of behavior, life-history patterns, ecology, physiology, morphology and speciation. It will also appeal to evolutionary paleontologists, anthropologists,psychologists, and teachers of general biology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Not a productive tome.
West-Eberhard has produced a 794 page tome that chokes the brain and deadens the senses. On the reverse cover, it asks a question about the picture on the cover, and refers to a chapter for the answer. As far as I can see, the question is never addressed.

This reveals two of the books problems. First, its grandiose aspirations, to be a new 'Modern Synthesis,' and to bring developmental biology into the fold, are never backed with a strength of data and arguments that equal her claims. Secondly, the book is a morass of arguments, constantly pointing to other parts of the book. I started drawing little circle around each time we were referred to another chapter, but I quickly stopped as my pages became tangled messes of circles.

The writing is murky at best, and the reader learns to treasure moments of lucidity, as they are long in coming. The structure often seems backwards, confusing, and generally awkward. This tome is in dire need of a biologically educated editor. Her tone is often confrontational and bullying towards other authors.

Technically speaking, her ideas within are vague, and while she lays out a clear path for phenotypic plasticity leading evolution, the reader quickly realizes her definitions of concepts like 'Phenotype' are so nebulous and removed from what any other average biologist uses that to argue against is to try and staple Jell-O to your roof. At times, she attempts to have things in two different ways - arguing phylogenetic inertia isn't a relevant or especially frequent, but also wanting traits to remain perfect and unexpressed for absurd periods of time.

The mathematical treatment of the subject in this book is non-existent. This is almost unforgivable, in a topic that clearly needs a mathematical treatment to establish its true importance in any given system beyond the examples given. Its testable predictions are rare in coming, often muddied in content, and frequently overlap with predictions made by alternate competing hypothesis. Those looking for a research programme had best look elsewhere. It definitely has not, and will not, sway any sceptics.

Its sole, redeeming quality is that it aggressively challenges the readers pre-existing notions of evolution, and forces the reader to reconsider long-held notions. But for those of us with limited time, a more succinct volume could accomplish the same introspection.

One of the important books no one reads
There seems to be a consensus in evolutionary biology that this is an important book representing a major advance in our understanding.However, most of the biologists saying this haven't read the book; or have, perhaps, skimmed a chapter or two.The reason for this is simple:this book is far too long, far too dense, and far too abstruse.There is a lot of potential here; rewritten as a 150-200 page book with a good editor, it could have been an excellent and influential book.At 640 pages of text with constant grammatical & spelling errors (Lamarck only has his "c" about half the time) and writing that is, even by academic standards, hopelessly tangled, this is bound to be only an excellent decoration for the academic bookshelf.

Nonetheless, for those willing to take the long slog through there really is a lot of value here.There are just so many more enjoyable ways to spend one's time...

OK but who's going to read this ?
I have a PhD in biochemistry (meaning I can understand a reasonable amount of jargon) and hoped that with this book I'd be able to understand what modern developmental biology (in particular developmental genetics, "evo-devo", etc.) is about, but this book bored me to death.There is no continuum, no logical progression in the teaching.When you reach the end of a chapter you've forgotten what it was about.I admire the central concept and the work but, frankly, as a book it's completely missed.It is not a textbook, it is not a popularization book, it's a 600+pages small print dissertation.Who wants to read that ?Who has the time to go to the library and check the details of any of the hundreds of referenced articles (all of them are treated only superficially) ? Not students, not professional scientists (their time would be better spent reading review articles), not laypersons.Who then ?

New ways of thinking about Biology
I think that Mary Jane West-Eberhard is trying to formulate a new Shyntesis in Biology, she is trying to include Development in Neo-Darwinism. Her book makes the difference in the role that gives to phenotype, every biologist needs to read it to express his/her own opinions. Really deserves to be read.

jump starting a revolutiion
Darwin developed his theory of evolution without knowing much about the mechanisms of heredity. These mechanisms were rediscovered in the 1900's as part of the science of genetics. By the 1930's a school of evolutionary thinkers came to the realization that Darwin's theory could be further developed by recasting it in terms of population genetics. The resulting synthetic theory of evolution has ruled mainstream biology ever since. But genetics has not stood still in the meantime. The rise of molecular biology has made possible a new discipline, evo-devo which seeks to explain how the genes control development. Evo-devo has developed a new approach to evolution. While the synthetic theory tended to see evolution as a matter of the loss of old genes within a population or the fixation of new ones, evo-devo has found that large parts of the genome are conserved over vast periods of time and shared by widely divergent phyla. Evolution has produced diversity by modifying the mechanisms which control the expression of these ancient genes. New ideas are now required to explain how this kind of diversity evolves. West-Eberhard proposes that genetic control mechanisms can be exposed to selection by the phenotypic adaptation of organisms to new kinds of environmemt. This phenotypic adaptation ultimately drives evolution. The germ of this idea had been put forward by J. Baldwim more than one hundred years ago but neither Baldwin or anybody else knew about evo-devo and the idea had little influence. Now its time may have come.
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Product Description
The advent of genome sequencing and associated technologies has transformed biologists' ability to measure important classes of molecules and their interactions. This expanded cellular view has opened the field to thousands of interactions that previously were outside the researchers' reach. The processing and interpretation of these new vast quantities of interconnected data call for sophisticated mathematical models and computational methods. Systems biology meets this need by combining genomic knowledge with theoretical, experimental and computational approaches from a number of traditional scientific disciplines to create a mechanistic explanation of cellular systems and processes.

Systems Biology I: Genomics and Systems Biology II: Networks, Models, and Applications offer a much-needed study of genomic principles and their associated networks and models. Written for a wide audience, each volume presents a timely compendium of essential information that is necessary for a comprehensive study of the subject. The chapters in the two volumes reflect the hierarchical nature of systems biology. Chapter authors-world-recognized experts in their fields-provide authoritative discussions on a wide range of topics along this hierarchy. Volume I explores issues pertaining to genomics that range from prebiotic chemistry to noncoding RNAs. Volume II covers an equally wide spectrum, from mass spectrometry to embryonic stem cells. The two volumes are meant to provide a reliable reference for students and researchers alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The State of the Art as it Exists Today
The term 'systems biology' was coined to describe the field of scientific inquiry which takes a global approach to the understanding of cells and the elucidation of biological processes and mechanisms. It is an integrated approach that brings together and leverages theoretical, experimental, and computational approaches in order to establish connections among important molecules or groups of molecules in order to aid the eventual mechanistic explanation of cellular processes and systems.

This is a field that simply did not exist a decade ago, and is the result of the advent of genome sequencing and associated technologies. This has spurred the development of specialized equipment and sophisticated computer programs that have basically developed into its own specialty as well as affecting virtually all aspects of biology.

This series of two books cover the present state of the art in the field by enlisting specialist writers from literally around the world to contribute chapters based on their own expertise and research. As such these volumes are well in advance of anything that can be written by any single individual.

The editors:

Isidore Rigoutsos is manager of Bioinformatics and Pattern Discovery at IBM.

Gregory Stephanopoulos is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at MIT. ... Read more