Population Biology: Ecological and Evolutionary Viewpoints

ISBN-13: 9783642744761 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 456 str.

K. W. Hrmann; S. K. Jain

Opis

Fascinated by the diversity of living organisms, humans have always been curious about its origin. Darwin was the first to provide the scholary and persuasive thesis for gradual evolution and speciation under natural selection. Although we now have much information on evolution, we still don't understand it in detail. Many questions still remain open due to the complexity and multiplicity of interacting factors. Several approaches mainly arising from population ecology and genetics are presented in this book in order to help understand genetic variation and evolution.

Spis treści

1 Genetic Variation: Prerequisite and Consequence of Evolution.- DNA, the Basis of Inheritance.- Factors Causing Variation in DNA.- Population Genetic Consequences of Transposable Elements.- Evolution of Genome Size.- Gene Families.- Polyploidy.- Gene Activity.- Gene Regulation.- Neutrality.- Gene Interaction.- Recombination.- Phenotype-Genotype Transformation and the Role of Polygenic Analyses of Variation.- 2 Natural Selection: Measures and Modes.- Differential Survival of Zygotes.- Differential Fertility of Adults.- Deviations from Random Mating.- Sexual Selection and Nonrandom Mating.- The Estimation of Fitness Values.- Selection with Overlapping Generations.- Fitness Maximization.- Selection and the Biotic Environment.- 3 Mating Systems and Evolutionary Genetics.- Direct Estimation of the Mating System.- Inbreeding Other than Self-Fertilization.- Variation in Pollen Allele Frequencies.- One-Pollen Parent and Committed-Mating Models.- Selection Before Determination of Progeny Genotype.- Population Genetic Consequences of the Mating System.- Equilibrium Inbreeding.- Selection.- Association of Fitness and Heterozygosity.- Spatial Variation in Selection, Gene Flow, and Inbreeding.- Two-Locus Inbreeding Equilibrium.- Two-Locus Selection.- Genetic Hitchhiking.- Factors Affecting the Mating System.- Environmental Variation in the Mating System.- Genetic Factors Affecting the Mating System.- Overview.- 4 Population Structure and Process in Evolution.- Evolution and Population Structure.- Population Structure with Strictly Neutral Genetic Variation.- Migration and Drift: The Island Model.- The Diffusion Approximation.- Isolation by Distance and Neighborhood Size.- Stepping Stone Models.- Statistical Measures of Population Structure.- Inferences from Rare Alleles.- Empirical Studies of Population Structure.- Natural Selection and Population Subdivision.- Within-Population Effects.- Geographic Subdivision.- Group Selection, Kin Selection and the “Shifting Balance”.- 5 Genetic Diversity and the Ecology of Asexual Populations.- Asexual Modes of Reproduction.- Genotypic Diversity in Asexual Populations.- Spontaneous Origins.- Hybrid Origins.- Mutation and Muller’s Ratchet.- Polyploidy.- Recombination.- Heterozygosity.- Phenotypic Variation.- The Ecology of Clones.- Sperm Dependence.- Colonization Abilities and Geographic Parthenogenesis.- Weedy Species.- Hybridization and Ecological Intermediacy.- General-Purpose Genotypes.- Frozen-Niche Variation and the Tangled Bank.- The Red Queen Hypothesis.- Summary and Conclusions.- 6 Variation and Selection in Plant Populations.- Spatial Patterns of Variation.- Genetic Variation in Breeding Systems.- Some Crop Examples.- Evolution of Inbreeders.- Breeding Systems and Variation Surveys in Limnanthes spp.- Variation in Different Species Groups.- Genetic Structure in Colonizing Species.- Genetic Variation in Patchily Distributed Species.- Variation in Inbreeding Species.- Variation Under Domestication.- Rare Versus Common Species.- Variation in Hybrid Swarms: Evidence for Introgression.- Genetic Variation in a Highly Localized Context.- Molecular and Morphological Variation.- Kinds and Intensities of Natural Selection.- Variation and Evolution of Life Histories.- Breeding Systems vs Life Histories.- Variation, Selection, and Adaptation.- Concluding Remarks.- 7 Patterns of Species Divergence and Genetic Theories of Speciation.- The Problem of Species Formation.- The Genetic Problem of Species Formation.- The Ecological Problem of Speciation.- Theoretical Models of Speciation.- Genetic Structure of Species.- The Approach.- Levels of Genetic Variation Within Populations.- Patterns of Genetic Variation Between Populations.- Some Macroscopic Features of Genic Diversity in Drosophila.- Genetic Divergence Between Species.- Measures of Genetic Divergence.- Patterns of Genetic Divergence Between Species and Higher Taxa.- Levels of Genetic Differentiation During the Early Stages of Speciation.- Evolutionary Constraints on Species Divergence.- The Nature of Genetic Variation and Theories of Speciation.- Genetic Models of Speciation.- Molecular Mechanisms of Speciation.- Genetic Mechanisms of Speciation in Plants vs. Animals.- Speciation, Adaptation, and Macroevolution.- New Directions.- Measuring Genetic Variation: a Change in Emphasis from “How much?” to “What Kind?”.- A New Genetic Model of Speciation.- Some Macroevolutionary Consequences of the Model.- Conclusions.- 8 The Evolution of Life Histories.- The Ecological and Demographic Background.- Life Tables, Age Structure, and Population Growth.- r-K Selection and Bet Hedging.- Reproductive Investment and Lifespan.- The Genetics of Life Histories.- Quantitative Genetics and Its Experimental Designs.- Quantitative Genetic Life History Models.- Genetical Analysis.- Environmental Complications.- Maternal Effects.- Genotype-Environment Correlations and Interactions.- Plasticity and Conditional Life Histories.- Discussion: The Genetical Ecology of Life Histories.- 9 The Methods of Genetical Ecology Applied to the Study of Evolutionary Change.- What Do Geneticists Study?.- Phenocopies and Gene Action.- Quantitative Genetics in Heterogeneous Environments.- Some Basic Concepts.- Quantitative Traits.- Studying Selection Is Counting.- Are the Environmental Conditions Unchanged?.- At What Rate Is the Genetic Variation Depleted?.- Selection on Pleiotropic Effects.- Appropriate Time-Scales.- Resemblance Between Relatives.- Measuring the Genetic Variance.- Problems in Natural Populations.- Bill Measurements in the Great Tit as an Example.- The Dynamics of Heritability Estimates.- Recommendations.- Genotype-Environment Interactions.- Migratory Behavior in Blackcaps.- Reproductive Effort in Ural Owls.- Quantitative Genetics Methods Used for Ecological Questions.- Discussion.- Evolutionary Biology Is Not For Specialists.- Evolution and Society.- Conclusions.- 10 In Search of Optima: Equilibrium Models of Phenotypic Evolution.- An Introductory Example.- Aim and Structure of Models.- Optimization Models in Evolutionary Biology.- Life History Problems.- Analysis of Feeding Strategies.- Various Problems in Behavioral Ecology.- Biomechanics and Physiology.- The Value, Problems, and Future of Optimization Models.- 11 Coevolution at Two Trophic Levels.- Coevolution in Action.- Myxomatosis.- Mimetic Coevolution.- Indirect Evidence: Phylogenetic and Fossil.- Genetics of Host-Parasite Interactions.- Crop and Pathogenic Fungi.- Plants and Insects.- Mathematical Models.- Prokaryotic Systems.- A Model in Ecological Population Genetics.- 12 Evolution and Competition.- Density Regulation and Intraspecific Competition.- Intraspecific and Interspecific Competition.- The Role of Parameters in Population Growth Models.- Exploitative Competition for Discrete Biotic Resources.- Exploitative Competition in a Spectrum of Biotic Resources.- Genotypic Variation in Resource Use.- Evolution of Exploitative Competition.- Symmetric Competition.- Polymorphism and Exploitative Competition.- Invasion and the Build-Up of Competitive Guilds.- 13 Evolution and Mutualism.- Population Dynamics.- Myrmecochory, Seed Predation, and Competition.- The Evolution of Mutualism.- Epilog.- References.