Fundamentals of Molecular Evolution / Edition 2

by Dan Graur, Wen-Hsiung Li Li

Overview

This book describes the dynamics of evolutionary change at the molecular level, the driving forces behind the evolutionary process, the effects of the various molecular mechanisms on the structure of genes, proteins, and genomes, the methodology involved in dealing with molecular data from an evolutionary perspective, and the logic of molecular hypothesis testing. The second edition incorporates newly acquired evolutionary insight from genome projects involving bacteria, plants, and animals, as well as analytical tools that have been developed and perfected in the last decade, and has been brought up to date in line with the many advances in genomics, protein engineering, computational biology, and bioinformatics.

The authors explain evolutionary phenomena at the molecular level in a way that can be understood without much prerequisite knowledge of molecular biology, evolution, or mathematics. Both mathematical and intuitive explanations are provided, and examples that support and clarify the many theoretical arguments and methodological discussions are included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780878932665
Publisher:	Sinauer Associates is an imprint of Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/15/2000
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	439
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 7.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Dan Graur is John and Rebecca Moores Professor in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston and Professor Emeritus of Zoology at Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Wen-Hsiung Li is James D. Watson Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Genes, Genetic Codes, and Mutation

Chapter 2: Dynamics of Genes in Populations

Chapter 3: Evolutionary Change in Nucleotide Sequences

Chapter 4: Rates and Patterns of Nucleotide Substitution

Chapter 5: Molecular Phylogenetics

Chapter 6: Gene Duplication, Exon Shuffling, and Concerted Evolution

Chapter 7: Evolution by Transposition

Chapter 8: Genome Evolution

Editorial Reviews

"Fundamentals Of Molecular Evolution can serve both as an excellent text book for students of different biological disciplines and as a very useful introduction into molecular evolution for professional readers. Undoubtedly, this book should be an essential purchase for all libraries in higher education institutions with biology departments."—V. N. Ksenzenko and Y. A. Trotsenko, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology

From the Publisher

Describes the dynamics of evolutionary change at the molecular level, the driving forces behind the evolutionary process, and the effects of the various molecular mechanisms on the long-term evolution of genomes, genes, and their products, providing basic methodological tools for comparative and phylogenetic analyses of molecular data from an evolutionary perspective. In describing evolutionary phenomena and mechanisms at the molecular level, both mathematical and intuitive explanations are provided, as well as a large number of examples to support and clarify the many theoretical arguments and methodological discussions. Includes an appendix on basics of probability. Graur is associated with Tel Aviv University; Li with the University of Chicago. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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