Beyond DNA : how epigenetics is transforming our understanding of evolution /
Uncover how a new approach to epigenetics affects the basis for our understanding of evolutionary biology. Beyond DNA is a journey through uncharted territory, advancing new ways of thinking about evolution and adaptation. For nearly a hundred years evolutionary biologists have understood that evolu...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Carlton, Victoria :
Melbourne University Press,
2023.
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| Summary: | Uncover how a new approach to epigenetics affects the basis for our understanding of evolutionary biology. Beyond DNA is a journey through uncharted territory, advancing new ways of thinking about evolution and adaptation. For nearly a hundred years evolutionary biologists have understood that evolution proceeds by substituting better genes for less good ones. But consensus is growing that this is not the whole story. Geneticists are now revealing that spores, sperm, pollen and ova are packed with personalised genetic information that plays an important role in offspring development and has lifelong effects. This epigenetic, or 'extra-genetic,' inheritance therefore makes significant contributions to evolutionary processes In this highly accessible book, packed with instructive examples, Benjamin Oldroyd explains how a greater appreciation of the role of epigenetics is helping to solve a multitude of previously intractable problems in evolutionary biology, puzzles as varied as why invasive plants and animals can rapidly adapt to changes in their environment and how worker bees and queen bees can develop. |
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| Physical Description: | xiv, 290 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780522878868 0522878865 |