Biased Embryos and Evolution [Paperback]

Wallace Arthur (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521541611 | ISBN-13: 978-0521541619 | Publication Date: June 14, 2004 | Edition: 1

Aimed primarily at a general readership and college students of biology, this book focuses on the question of how embryonic development changes in the course of evolution, thus giving rise to new types of creatures. It takes the view that biases in the ways that embryos can be altered are as important as natural selection in determining the directions that evolution has taken, including the one that led to the origin of humans.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is written with exemplary clarity and charm..." Nature

Book Description

This is the first book on the new field of Evolutionary Developmental Biology that is aimed primarily at an undergraduate and general readership. It focuses on the question of how embryonic development changes in the course of evolution, thus giving rise to new types of creatures. It takes the controversial view that biases in the ways that embryos can be altered are just as important as natural selection in determining the directions that evolution has taken, including the one that led to the origin of humans.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (June 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521541611
• ISBN-13: 978-0521541619
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,087,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great examples, easy read, informative, still leaves me wanting more..., December 22, 2011

By 

bugjah - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biased Embryos and Evolution (Paperback)

I just felt I needed to counteract that one other review currently posted.

This book is very easy to read, and the author takes great pains to make it very accessible to a wide range of audiences. He eschews jargon, and gives credit where credit is due (this in contrast, for example, to Sean Carroll's popular books on the subject which often are almost entirely devoid of references). He reduces complex subjects to a core of important concepts that he communicates playfully and succinctly. I tip my hat to him.

The key insight of the book is that "developmental constraints" is too negative a terminology, and "developmental bias" should be used instead. This is completely right on, in my opinion, and I hope the scientific community adopts his suggestion here.

My complaint is that he never really drives home the point about *why* development is biased. To do this, one needs to go into the details of biochemistry and molecular biology at a level to which that this book does not venture.

Nevertheless, the thoughts in this book are best understood as a set of guiding principles as we move forward, and as such, I recommend it to the EvoDevo researcher and the interested layman alike.

1 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lack details or examples, September 26, 2009

By 

N. H. Nifong - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Biased Embryos and Evolution (Paperback)

Lets see, The author wants to say that the constraints on how an embryo can be grown will affect what possible phenotypes are actualised. Well that seems plausible enough, I would be interesting in finding out more about HOW to actually grow an embryo? why cant you grow a wheel and axle? But the author doesn't know, too bad. All he can do is talk about how English he is and how great is its to be English and that development must have _somthing_ to do with evolution, Oh and by they way the author is English.