From the moment it first began to contemplate the world, three questions have occupied the human mind: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? Artists (notably Paul Gauguin), religious thinkers, philosophers, and most recently scientists have all searched for answers. Here, the authors describe how scientists decipher human origin from the record encrypted in the DNA and protein molecules. After explaining the nature of descent and the methods available for studying genealogical relationships, they summarize the information revealed by the molecular archives about the Tree of...
From the moment it first began to contemplate the world, three questions have occupied the human mind: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are w...
This text provides summaries of the main systems of blood group antigens and MHC molecules. The human systems are used to explain the necessary background knowledge and the systems in nonhuman primates are then described and compared. The emphasis is on the molecular nature of the gene products, the evolutionary relationships among the various systems, and the presumed mechanism by which the systems have evolved. All articles are written in such a way that they can serve as an introduction to the field for nonexperts, and at the same time as a handbook for experts. Numerous tables, diagrams...
This text provides summaries of the main systems of blood group antigens and MHC molecules. The human systems are used to explain the necessary backgr...
From molecules to populations and back In biology, the most vigorous organisms often ensue from a union of two disparate, pure lines. In science, too, laws of hybrid vigor seem to operate at the interface between two disciplines, an interface that often proves to be fertile ground for germinating concepts and new outlooks. The fringes of research into the major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) have provided such an interface several times in the past and the encounters have invigorated fields such as transplantation biology, cellular immunology, and immunogenetics. In the last few years, a...
From molecules to populations and back In biology, the most vigorous organisms often ensue from a union of two disparate, pure lines. In science, too,...
Zoologists have categorized primates into a single order, and no one doubts today that they share a common ancestry. Humans and Old and New World non- human primate species, from the lemurs of Madagascar to the African anthro- poid apes, represent diverging branches of an evolutionary common trunk. Along with species-specific characters, all primates have retained a number of ancestral traits, relics of their common origin. The comparative study of these species-specific and ancestral traits makes it possible to reconstruct the evolu- tionary pathways of humans and nonhuman primates. The...
Zoologists have categorized primates into a single order, and no one doubts today that they share a common ancestry. Humans and Old and New World non-...
Gregor Johann Mendel continues to fascinate the general public as well as scholars, the former for his life and the latter for his achievements. Solitude of a Humble Genius is a two-volume biography presenting Mendel in the context of the history of biology and philosophy, and in the context of the setting in which he lived and worked. In this first volume the authors set the stage for a new interpretation of Mendel s achievements and personality. The period of Mendel s life covered by this volume is critical to understanding why he saw what other biologists, including Charles...
Gregor Johann Mendel continues to fascinate the general public as well as scholars, the former for his life and the latter for his achievements.
