The Shape of Life: Genes, Development, and the Evolution of Animal Form / Edition 1

by Rudolf A. Raff

Overview

Rudolf Raff is recognized as a pioneer in evolutionary developmental biology. In their 1983 book, Embryos, Genes, and Evolution, Raff and co-author Thomas Kaufman proposed a synthesis of developmental and evolutionary biology. In The Shape of Life, Raff analyzes the rise of this new experimental discipline and lays out new research questions, hypotheses, and approaches to guide its development.

Raff uses the evolution of animal body plans to exemplify the interplay between developmental mechanisms and evolutionary patterns. Animal body plans emerged half a billion years ago. Evolution within these body plans during this span of time has resulted in the tremendous diversity of living animal forms.

Raff argues for an integrated approach to the study of the intertwined roles of development and evolution involving phylogenetic, comparative, and functional biology. This new synthesis will interest not only scientists working in these areas, but also paleontologists, zoologists, morphologists, molecular biologists, and geneticists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780226702667
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Publication date:	06/15/1996
Edition description:	1
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.30(d)

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
1: Over the Ice for Ontogeny and Phylogeny
2: Metazoan Phyla and Body Plans
3: Deep Time and Metazoan Origins
4: Molecular Phylogeny: Dissecting the Metazoan Radiation
5: Recovering Data from the Past
6: The Developmental Basis of Body Plans
7: Building Similar Animals in Different Ways
8: It's Not All Heterochrony
9: Developmental Constraints
10: Modularity, Dissociation, and Co-option
11: Opportunistic Genomes
12: Evolving New Body Plans
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Raff (director, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology) analyzes the rise of evolutionary developmental biology and proposes new research questions for the field. He explains how research in diverse disciplines has forged closer links between developmental and evolutionary biology, and uses the evolution of animal body plans to demonstrate the interplay between developmental mechanisms and evolutionary patterns. Of interest to researchers in biology, paleontology, zoology, and genetics. Paper edition (unseen), $29.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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