Reading the Story in DNA A Beginner's Guide to Molecular Evolution

by Bromham, Lindell

• ISBN13: 9780199290918
• ISBN10: 0199290911
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-10-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The world is full of DNA. The salad in your sandwich, the pollen in the air, even the dirt on your shoes contains DNA from which a vast amount of information can be gained, including the identification of individuals and species, the structure and distribution of populations, the origins oflineages and the pace and mechanisms of evolutionary change. Reading the story in DNA is a beginner's guide to molecular evolution, and is the perfect companion on the journey to a proper understanding of molecular data. The central theme of the book is that in order to get ecological or evolutionary information out of molecular data, you must understand the way that the molecular data evolves and the influence that the assumptions you make have on the answers you get. The book blends beautifully clear explanations with cutting-edge examples from the research literature, drawing on the fields of biodiversity, conservation biology, epidemiology, phylogeography, evolutionary development and ancient DNA to explore topics such as molecular evolutionary theory,phylogenetics, molecular clocks, detecting selection and recombination, and identifying individuals from molecular data.Technical detail is set apart from the main text, allowing the student to approach the material in different ways: read only the text and skip the finer details, use the text to understand the technical details or vice versa, or identify key case studies and read the concepts and methods particularto that case. The use of "bioinformatic" analyses has revolutionized biology, and there are now few areas of evolution and ecology that remain untouched by molecular data. Today's biology students and researchers need to be familiar with the application of molecular data to answering evolutionary questions. Butthe most pressing question is usually: "Where do I start?!" This book is the answer.Online Resource Centre:The Online Resource Centre features:- Figures from the book in electronic format, ready to download- Discussion questions and tutorial exercisesFor students:- Annotated weblinks- Topical updates: links to relevant journal articles and websites that describe advancements in the field since the book's publication

Author Biography

Lindell Bromham is a senior lecturer in the School of Botany and Zoology at The Australian National University.

Table of Contents

The Story in DNA

The Immortal Germline

Endless Copies

Origin of Species

We are all Mutants

Descent with Modification

Tree of Life

Molecular Clocks

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.