Morphogenesis and Evolution

by Thomson, Keith Stewart

• ISBN13: 9780195049121
• ISBN10: 0195049128
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1988-09-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Today developmental and evolutionary biologists are focussing renewed attention on the developmental process--those genetic and cellular factors that influence variation in individual body shape or metabolism--in an attempt to better understand how evolutionary trends and patterns within individuals might be limited and controlled. In this important work, the author reviews the classical literature on embryology, morphogenesis, and paleontology, and presents recent genetic and molecular studies on development. The result is a unique perspective on a set of problems of fundamental importance to developmental and evolutionary biologists.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 3
Theory, Reduction, and Hierarchy	p. 8
Development: Pattern and Process	p. 18
Early Pattern Formation	p. 25
Example: Early Pattern Formation in Amphibia	p. 38
Later Pattern Formation: Morphogenesis	p. 47
Some General Properties of Morphogenetic Systems	p. 69
Patterns of Evolution	p. 97
Morphogenesis and Evolution	p. 120
References	p. 139
Index	p. 151
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.