Beyond DNA is a journey through uncharted territory, advancing new ways of thinking about evolution and adaptation. For nearly a hundred years evolutionary biologists have understood that evolution proceeds by substituting better genes for less good ones. But consensus is growing that this is not the whole story: geneticists are now revealing that spores, sperm, pollen and ova are packed with personalised genetic information that plays an important role in offspring development an...

Now updated with the latest research, this pioneering, accessible study argues for a more complex view of evolution—proposing there is more to heredity than just genes.In this revised edition the widely read Evolution in Four Dimensions, Eva Jablonka and Marion Lamb propose that there are four “dimensions” in heredity. These four inheritance systems play a role in evolution which, they argue, can all provide variations upon which natural selection can act:...

Two biologists tackle the unresolved question in the field of evolution: how have living organisms on Earth developed with such variety and complexity?In the 150 years since Darwin, the field of evolutionary biology has left a glaring gap in understanding how animals developed their astounding variety and complexity. The standard answer has been that small genetic mutations accumulate over time to produce wondrous innovations such as eyes and wings. Drawing on cutt...

The earth's daily rotation affects just about every living creature. From dawn through to dusk, there are changes in light, temperature, humidity, and rainfall. However, these changes are regular, rhythmic and, therefore, predictable. Thus, the near 24 hour circadian rhythm is innate: a genetically programmed clock that essentially ticks of its own accord. This Very Short Introduction explains how organisms can "know" the time and reveals what we now understand of the nature and o...

Less than 450 years ago, all European scholars believed that the Earth was at the centre of a Universe that was at most a few million miles in extent, and that the planets, sun, and stars all rotated around this centre. Less than 250 years ago, they believed that the Universe was created essentially in its present state about 6000 years ago. Even less than 150 years ago, the view that living species were the result of special creation by God was still dominant. The recognition by Charles D...

Living organisms are astonishingly complex. And the more we know about them - their biochemistry, their anatomy, their behaviour - the more astonishing are the detailed adaptations that we discover. How could this complexity have arisen? Most of us are familiar with Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. The idea behind it being that, in nature, those individuals best able to survive and reproduce will transmit the characteristics that enabled them to do so to their offspring, ...

Popular science at its most exciting: the breaking new world of chronobiology - understanding the rhythm of life in humans and all plants and animals. The entire natural world is full of rhythms. The early bird catches the worm -and migrates to an internal calendar. Dormice hibernate away the winter. Plants open and close their flowers at the same hour each day. Bees search out nectar-rich flowers day after day. There are cicadas that can breed for only two weeks every 17 years. And in hum...

This concise, entry level text provides an introduction to the importance of genetic studies in conservation and presents the essentials of the discipline in an easy-to-follow format, with main points and terms clearly highlighted. The authors assume only a basic knowledge of Mendelian genetics and simple statistics, making the book accessible to those with a limited background in these areas. Connections between conservation genetics and the wider field of conservation biology are interwo...

The complete DNA molecules comprising the human genome were deciphered two decades ago. With this discovery began a remarkable genomic voyage back in time yielding a new science of human evolution. We are just beginning to unravel our full genomic history and answering age-old questions about how and when we evolved. For the first time, we are finding our ancestors in our genome and gleaning tantalizing clues about our past. Molecular anthropologist Eugene E. Harris now gives us an updated...

In The Big Questions: Evolution, one of the world's leading experts, Francisco Ayala, examines key facets of genetics, evolution and cloning. He uses the most up-to-date research to answer the 20 key questions of evolution, and investigate what they tell us about life on Earth.What is evolution? What is natural selection? Is evolution a random process? What are chromosomes, genes and DNA? What is molecular evolution? What is the tree of life? What does the fossil record tell us? Is...

50 Biology Ideas You Really Need to Know is your guide to the most significant and stimulating questions in the study of life.Why do species evolve? Can characteristics be inherited without DNA? Are all organisms made of cells? What makes us human? This book provides succinct answers to all these questions, and many more, in 50 lucid and engaging essays that cover both classic experiments and the latest research.From the mysteries of sex and sleep,...

Genetics in Minutes is your compact and accessible guide to the central concepts of the science of genetics, revealing how our genes shape our bodies and our lives, and how in turn we are beginning to shape them. Covering the basics of DNA, inheritance and evolution in animals, plants and humans alike - from the origins and development of life to the Human Genome and designer babies - this is the fastest, fullest path to understanding genetics.Contents include Gene...