Books by Chapter
Chapter 1
Bowler P.J. 1989. Evolution: The history of an idea. University of California Press, Berkeley.
An excellent history of evolutionary thinking, which covers much of Chapter 1.
Browne E.J. 1996, 2002, 2 volumes. Charles Darwin: A biography. Princeton University Press, Princeton,New Jersey.
An excellent recent biography of Darwin; the second volume also gives a good account of the reception of Darwinism.
Carlson E.A. 2004. Mendel’s legacy: The origin of classical genetics. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
A readable and well-illustrated account of the development of classical genetics through the first half of the twentieth century.
Darwin C. 1839. Journal of researches into the geology and natural history of the various countries visited by H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain FitzRoy, R.N., from 1832 to 1836. Henry Colburn, London.
Both a fine travel book and an account of the observations and thinking that led Darwin to the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Darwin C. 1859. On the origin of species by means of natural selection. John Murray, London.
There are many reprints of this key work. We recommend reading reprints of the first edition.
Darwin C. 1871. The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. John Murray, London.
Darwin sets out the case for the continuity between humans and animals and argues for the importance of sexual selection in human evolution.
Desmond A. and Moore J.R. 1991. Darwin (2 volumes). Michael Joseph, London; Viking Penguin, New York.
An excellent recent biography of Darwin.
Dobzhansky T. 1937. Genetics and the origin of species. Columbia University Press, New York.
The textbook that applied population genetics to the study of natural populations; crucial in establishing the “modern synthesis.”
Eldredge N. 2005. Darwin: Discovering the tree of life. W.W. Norton, New York.
Written as an accompaniment to the 2005–2006 Darwin exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org), it combines an account of the development of Darwin’s ideas with their present place in biology and in society.
Fisher R.A. 1930. The genetical theory of natural selection. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
A concise summary of population genetics, which introduces many key ideas that have been developed only recently, followed by Fisher’s views on eugenics. The second edition (published in 1958) differs substantially; a variorum edition was published in 1999 by Oxford University Press, and compares the 1930 and 1958 editions, with commentary.
Haldane J.B.S. 1932. The causes of evolution. Longmans, New York.
A classic work from the Evolutionary Synthesis and still one of the most readable accounts. This classic account includes an appendix that gives a concise summary of the basic models of population genetics.
Hill W.G. 1984. Quantitative genetics (Benchmark Papers in Genetics; two volumes) Van Nostrand Reinhold International, New York.
An anthology of classic works, including Fisher’s (1918) paper, and the original papers by Weinberg, with helpful commentaries.
Kohler R.E. 1994. Lords of the fly: Drosophila genetics and the experimental life. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
A fascinating history of Morgan’s Drosophila laboratory, whose members played key roles in the origin of modern genetics and evolution.
Kohn M. 2004. A reason for everything. Faber and Faber, London.
An engaging account of the English contribution to the Evolutionary Synthesis.
Lewontin R.C. 1974. The genetic basis of evolutionary change. Columbia University Press, New York.
A classic text, written soon after the discovery of extensive genetic variation, that describes the extent of variation detected using electrophoresis and the difficulties in explaining this variation in term of the neutral theory.
Lewontin R.C., Moore J.A., Provine W.B., and Wallace B. 1981. Dobzhansky’s “Genetics of natural populations” I-XLIII. Columbia University Press, New York.
The series of papers in which Dobzhansky established the study of natural populations of Drosophila. Includes helpful commentaries by Provine and by Lewontin.
Provine W. 1986. Sewall Wright and evolutionary biology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
A biography of Wright that includes insightful discussions of the scientific issues: adaptive landscapes, the role of random drift in evolution, and Wright’s “shifting balance” theory.
Provine W.B. 2001. The origins of theoretical population genetics, 2nd ed. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
A fascinating account of the bitter disputes over genetics and evolution in the early 20th century and their resolution in the “evolutionary synthesis.”
Raby P. 2002. Alfred Russel Wallace: A life. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A recent biography of the codiscoverer of natural selection.
Ridley M. 2003. Evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A selection from classic papers in evolution, with helpful commentaries.
Ruse M. 1996. Monad to man: The concept of progress in evolutionary biology. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ruse examines the influence of ideas of “progress” on evolutionary biology. An excellent history of evolutionary thinking, right up to the present.
Simpson G.G. 1953. The major features of evolution. Columbia University Press, New York.
The key work that brought paleontology into the Evolutionary Synthesis.
Smocovitis V.B. 1996. Unifying biology: The evolutionary synthesis and evolutionary biology. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A history of the origins of the “Evolutionary Synthesis” in mid-twentieth century.
Chapter 2
Hunter G.K. 2000. Vital forces: The discovery of the molecular basis of life. Academic Press, New York.
A history of biochemistry from its earliest years.
Judson H.F. 1995. The eighth day of creation: Makers of the revolution in biology. Penguin Books Ltd., London.
An impressively detailed account of the origins of classical molecular biology based on interviews with the key figures. It includes in-depth descriptions of the seminal papers.
Monod J. 1971. Chance and necessity: An essay on the natural philosophy of modern biology. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
An elegant discussion of the nature of life by the codiscoverer of the mechanism of gene regulation.
Morange M. 1998. A history of molecular biology. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Summarizes the history of more recent advances in molecular biology.
Chapter 3
Charlesworth B. and Charlesworth D. 2003. Evolution: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A clear and concise summary of the whole subject.
Dawkins R. 1986. The blind watchmaker. Longman, London.
The title is taken from Paley’s argument that the complex and well-adapted structure of a watch implies a divine watchmaker. Dawkins makes the case that natural selection is the better explanation for organismal adaptation.
Dawkins R. 1997. Climbing Mount Improbable. Penguin Science, London.
Persuasive arguments for the power of Darwinian natural selection to generate complex adaptations.
Eldredge N. 2005. Darwin: Discovering the tree of life. W.W. Norton, New York.
Written as an accompaniment to the 2005–2006 Darwin exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org), it combines an account of the development of Darwin’s ideas with their present place in biology and in society.
Futuyma D.J. 1995. Science on trial: The case for evolution. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts.
A counter to creationism, but written before arguments for “intelligent design” emerged.
Futuyma D.J. 2005. Evolution. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts.
Chapter 22 gives a concise summary of the evidence for evolution.
Hinde R.A. 1999. Why gods persist. Routledge, New York.
A sympathetic study of why religion is a pervasive feature of human society.
Mann W.E. 2005. The Blackwell Guide to the philosophy of religion. Blackwell, Oxford.
Includes interesting contributions from Sober and Kitcher.
Maynard Smith J. 1993. The theory of evolution. Third edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
First published in 1962, this remains an excellent concise introduction.
Pennock R. 1999. The tower of Babel: Evidence against the new creationism. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
One of several recent books refuting arguments for “intelligent design.”
Ridley M. 2003. Evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A selection from classic papers in evolution, with helpful commentaries.
Ruse M. 2003. Darwin and design. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
An extended discussion of the “argument from design” and its historical influence.
Young M. and Edis T. (eds.). 2004. Why intelligent design fails. Rutgers University Press, Piscataway, New Jersey.
One of several recent books refuting arguments for “intelligent design.”
Chapter 4
Dalrymple G.B. 1991. The age of the earth. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.
Fenchel T. 2002. The origin and early evolution of life. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A very nicely written and authoritative account of how life may have originated and of microbial evolution.
Knoll A.H. 2003. Life on a young planet: The first three billion years of evolution on Earth. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A very readable account of the history of our planet and the early evolution of life.
Lynch M. 2007. The origins of genome architecture. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachussetts.
A comprehensive account of genome structure. Lynch argues that nonadaptive processes—especially, reduced population size—have allowed expansion of the genome, forming the basis for subsequent adaptation.
Maynard Smith J. and Szathmáry E. 1995. The major transitions in evolution. W.H. Freeman, Oxford.
Brings together the major transitions in evolution in a common framework, which emphasizes cooperation among previously independent individuals. Szathmáry and Maynard Smith (1995, Nature 374: 227–231) summarize the argument.
Maynard Smith J. and Szathmáry E. 1999. The origins of life. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
An accessible condensed version of their (1995) The major transitions in evolution.
Chapter 5
Dawkins R. 2004. The ancestor’s tale: A pilgrimage to the dawn of life. Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London.
An engaging account of the history of life, tracing from our species back through the forty-odd points where our lineage coalesces with the lineages of other living species.
Chapter 6
No books for this chapter.
Chapter 7
Bushman F. 2002. Lateral DNA transfer: Mechanisms and consequences. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
Syvanen M. and Kado C. 2002. Horizontal gene transfer, 2nd ed. Academic, New York.
Chapter 8
Lynch M. 2007. The origins of genome architecture. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachussetts.
A comprehensive account of genome structure. Lynch argues that nonadaptive processes—especially, reduced population size—have allowed expansion of the genome, forming the basis for subsequent adaptation.
Chapter 9
Nüsslein-Volhard C. 2006. Coming to life. How genes drive development, 1st ed. Kales Press, Carlsbad, California.
Watson J., Baker T., Bell S., Gann A., Levine M., and Losick R. 2007. Molecular biology of the gene, 6th ed. Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco (copublished with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York).
This comprehensive book gives details of the various mechanisms of transcriptional regulation.
Wolpert L., Jessell T., Smith J., Lawrence P., Robertson E., and Meyerowitz E. 2006. Principles of development, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, New York.
An excellent book on the general principles of developmental biology.
Chapter 10
Briggs D.E.G. and Crowther P.R., eds. 2001. Palaeobiology II. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Briggs D.E.G., ed. 2005. Evolving form and function: Fossils and development. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, Connecticut.
Clack J.A. 2002. Gaining ground: The origin and evolution of tetrapods. Indiana University Press, Bloomington.
Dawkins R. 2004. The ancestor’s tale: A pilgrimage to the dawn of life. Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London.
An engaging account of the history of life, tracing from our species back through the forty-odd points where our lineage coalesces with the lineages of other living species.
Erwin D.H. 2006. Extinction: How life on earth nearly ended 250 million years ago. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey and Oxfordfordshire.
Gould S.J. 1989. Wonderful life: The Burgess Shale and the nature of history. W.W. Norton, New York.
The essential randomness of evolution was a strong theme in Stephen Jay Gould’s writings; this is one of several relevant references. (However, note that Gould’s interpretations of the Burgess Shale fauna are disputed.)
Hou X.-G., Aldridge R.J., Bergström J., Siveter David J., Siveter Derek J., and Feng X.-H. 2004. The Cambrian fossils of Chengjiang, China. The flowering of early animal life. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Knoll A.H. 2003. Life on a young planet: The first three billion years of evolution on Earth. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A very readable account of the history of our planet and the early evolution of life.
Chapter 11
Carroll S.B., Grenier J.K., and Wetherbee S.D. 2005. From DNA to diversity: Molecular genetics and the evolution of animal design. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
A review of recent work in “EvoDevo.”
Coen E. 2000. The art of genes: How organisms make themselves. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Argues that complex organisms develop through an interaction between the genes and the developing organism, rather than by simple execution of a “genetic blueprint.” This makes it easier to see how novel features can evolve without disrupting existing function.
Chapter 12
Bushman F. 2002. Lateral DNA transfer: Mechanisms and consequences. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
Syvanen M. and Kado C. 2002. Horizontal gene transfer, 2nd ed. Academic, New York.
Watson J., Baker T., Bell S., Gann A., Levine M., and Losick R. 2007. Molecular biology of the gene, 6th ed. Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco (copublished with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York).
This comprehensive book gives details of the various mechanisms of transcriptional regulation.
Chapter 13
Kimura M. 1983. The neutral theory of molecular evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
A very clear summary of the extent of variation within and between species, in both protein and DNA sequence. Summarizes Kimura’s arguments for the neutral theory and also gives a good introduction to the interaction between random drift and mutation. Although written at the very beginning of studies of DNA sequence, the basic arguments and evidence still hold.
Lewontin R.C. 1974. The genetic basis of evolutionary change. Columbia University Press, New York.
A classic text, written soon after the discovery of extensive genetic variation, that describes the extent of variation detected using electrophoresis and the difficulties in explaining this variation in term of the neutral theory.
Chapter 14
Burger R. 2000. The mathematical theory of selection, recombination and mutation. Wiley, Chichester, United Kingdom.
An advanced textbook on theoretical population genetics, but not covering random drift.
Falconer D.S. and Mackay T.F.C. 1995. Introduction to quantitative genetics. Longman, London.
The classic textbook on quantitative genetics, which covers most of the material in this chapter. Chapter 20 summarizes arguments over how quantitative variation is maintained in nature.
Hill W.G. 1984. Quantitative genetics (Benchmark Papers in Genetics; two volumes) Van Nostrand Reinhold International, New York.
An anthology of classic works, including Fisher’s (1918) paper, and the original papers by Weinberg, with helpful commentaries.
Lynch M. and Walsh J.B. 1998. Genetics and analysis of quantitative traits. Sinauer Press, Sunderland, Massachusetts.
An advanced reference on modern methods in quantitative genetics.
Ridley M. 2003. Nature via nurture: The origin of the individual. Fourth Estate, London.
A thoughtful discussion of how genes and environment interact to shape the phenotype.
Roff D.A. 1997. Evolutionary quantitative genetics. Chapman and Hall, New York.
A straightforward textbook, somewhat more advanced than Falconer and Mackay (1995), and emphasizing application to natural populations.
Chapter 15
Crow J.F. and Kimura M. 1970. An introduction to population genetics theory. Harper & Row, New York.
The classic textbook that sets out the population genetics of random drift. The most accessible reference for drift of allele frequencies and for inbreeding, but it does not cover the recent development of the coalescent process.
Dawkins R. 2004. The ancestor’s tale: A pilgrimage to the dawn of life. Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London.
An engaging account of the history of life, tracing from our species back through the forty-odd points where our lineage coalesces with the lineages of other living species.
Ewens W.J. 2004. Mathematical population genetics: Theoretical introduction. Springer Verlag, Berlin.
Advanced textbook that details the mathematical theory of classical population genetics.
Felsenstein J. Lecture notes in population genetics. http://evolution.gs.washington.edu/index.html
An excellent introduction to mathematical models of random genetic drift and population structure.
Gould S.J. 1989. Wonderful life: The Burgess Shale and the nature of history. W.W. Norton, New York.
The essential randomness of evolution was a strong theme in Stephen Jay Gould’s writings; this is one of several relevant references. (However, note that Gould’s interpretations of the Burgess Shale fauna are disputed.)
Kimura M. 1983. The neutral theory of molecular evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
A very clear summary of the extent of variation within and between species, in both protein and DNA sequence. Summarizes Kimura’s arguments for the neutral theory and also gives a good introduction to the interaction between random drift and mutation. Although written at the very beginning of studies of DNA sequence, the basic arguments and evidence still hold.
Roughgarden J. 1979. Theory of population genetics and evolutionary ecology: An introduction. Macmillan, New York.
Gives a clear summary of the theory of clines (pp. 500–505) and of selection in heterogeneous environments (pp. 505–510).
Wakeley J. 2006. Coalescent theory: An introduction. Roberts and Company, Englewood, Colorado.
A excellent summary of the coalescent process.
Chapter 16
Avise J.C. 2004. Molecular markers, natural history and evolution. Sinauer Press, Sunderland, Massachusetts.
A comprehensive overview of phylogeography.
Felsenstein J. Lecture notes in population genetics. http://evolution.gs.washington.edu/index.html
An excellent introduction to mathematical models of random genetic drift and population structure.
Hanski I. 1999. Metapopulation ecology. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A clear and comprehensive account of the ecology and evolution of populations that are subdivided into many transient demes.
Roughgarden J. 1979. Theory of population genetics and evolutionary ecology: An introduction. Macmillan, New York.
Gives a clear summary of the theory of clines (pp. 500–505) and of selection in heterogeneous environments (pp. 505–510).
Chapter 17
Bell G. 1997. Selection: The mechanism of evolution. Chapman and Hall, New York.
A detailed review of direct measurements of selection on genes and on quantitative traits and, more generally, of the key role of selection in evolution. Strong on experimental evolution.
Crow J.F. and Kimura M. 1970. An introduction to population genetics theory. Harper & Row, New York.
The classic textbook that sets out the population genetics of random drift. The most accessible reference for drift of allele frequencies and for inbreeding, but it does not cover the recent development of the coalescent process.
Dawkins R. 1986. The blind watchmaker. Longman, London.
The title is taken from Paley’s argument that the complex and well-adapted structure of a watch implies a divine watchmaker. Dawkins makes the case that natural selection is the better explanation for organismal adaptation.
Dawkins R. 1997. Climbing Mount Improbable. Penguin Science, London.
Persuasive arguments for the power of Darwinian natural selection to generate complex adaptations.
Ewens W.J. 2004. Mathematical population genetics: Theoretical introduction. Springer Verlag, Berlin.
Advanced textbook that details the mathematical theory of classical population genetics.
Felsenstein J. Lecture notes in population genetics. http://evolution.gs.washington.edu/index.html
An excellent introduction to mathematical models of random genetic drift and population structure.
Fisher R.A. 1930. The genetical theory of natural selection. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
A concise summary of population genetics, which introduces many key ideas that have been developed only recently, followed by Fisher’s views on eugenics. The second edition (published in 1958) differs substantially; a variorum edition was published in 1999 by Oxford University Press, and compares the 1930 and 1958 editions, with commentary.
Grant P.R. 1986. The evolution and ecology of Darwin’s finches. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Summarizes many years’ fieldwork on the Galapagos finches, including some of the best evidence for the action of natural selection in the wild.
Haldane J.B.S. 1932. The causes of evolution. Longmans, New York.
A classic work from the Evolutionary Synthesis and still one of the most readable accounts. This classic account includes an appendix that gives a concise summary of the basic models of population genetics.
Mitchell M. 1998. An introduction to genetic algorithms. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A textbook that introduces the use of natural selection as a method for producing efficient computation. Makes surprisingly little reference to evolutionary biology, however.
Ruse M. 2003. Darwin and design. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
An extended discussion of the “argument from design” and its historical influence.
Weiner J. 1995. The beak of the finch. Jonathan Cape, London.
An excellent account of the Grant’s work, set in the wider context of evolutionary biology.
Williams G.C. 1966. Adaptation and natural selection. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Classic work that emphasises the importance of selection between individuals.
Chapter 18
Burger R. 2000. The mathematical theory of selection, recombination and mutation. Wiley, Chichester, United Kingdom.
An advanced textbook on theoretical population genetics, but not covering random drift.
Endler J.A. 1977. Geographic variation, speciation, and clines. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.
A broad review of spatial variation.
Falconer D.S. and Mackay T.F.C. 1995. Introduction to quantitative genetics. Longman, London.
The classic textbook on quantitative genetics, which covers most of the material in this chapter. Chapter 20 summarizes arguments over how quantitative variation is maintained in nature.
Haldane J.B.S. 1932. The causes of evolution. Longmans, New York.
A classic work from the Evolutionary Synthesis and still one of the most readable accounts. This classic account includes an appendix that gives a concise summary of the basic models of population genetics.
Roughgarden J. 1979. Theory of population genetics and evolutionary ecology: An introduction. Macmillan, New York.
Gives a clear summary of the theory of clines (pp. 500–505) and of selection in heterogeneous environments (pp. 505–510).
Vogel F. and Motulsky A.G. 1997. Human genetics: Problems and approaches. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
A comprehensive review of the human examples used in this book. See Chapters 9 (mutation-selection balance), 12 (malaria resistance), and 13 (inbreeding).
Chapter 19
Bell G. 1997. Selection: The mechanism of evolution. Chapman and Hall, New York.
A detailed review of direct measurements of selection on genes and on quantitative traits and, more generally, of the key role of selection in evolution. Strong on experimental evolution.
Endler J.A. 1986. Natural selection in the wild. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.
An early review of measurements of selection in natural populations, which explains the methods and background of this research program. See Web Notes for more recent reviews.
Gillespie J.H. 1991. The causes of molecular evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Gillespie counters Kimura’s (1983) view that molecular evolution is largely neutral.
Lewontin R.C., Moore J.A., Provine W.B., and Wallace B. 1981. Dobzhansky’s “Genetics of natural populations” I-XLIII. Columbia University Press, New York.
The series of papers in which Dobzhansky established the study of natural populations of Drosophila. Includes helpful commentaries by Provine and by Lewontin.
Chapter 20
Andersson M. 1994. Sexual selection. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A balanced and comprehensive text.
Charlesworth B. 1980. Evolution in age-structured populations. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
The definitive explanation of the theoretical population genetics of age-structured populations.
Cronin H. 1991. The ant and the peacock. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
A readable history of ideas on sexual selection, and on the evolution of altruism.
Darwin C. 1871. The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. John Murray, London.
Darwin sets out the case for the continuity between humans and animals and argues for the importance of sexual selection in human evolution.
Guarente L. 2002. Ageless quest: One scientist’s search for genes that prolong youth. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
An accessible account of recent research on aging in yeast.
Harder L.D. and Barrett S.C. 2006. The ecology and evolution of flowers. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
An advanced textbook, which reviews the evolutionary causes of floral diversity.
Hauser M.D. 1997. Animal communication. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Excellent and comprehensive textbook on animal communication, including sexual selection.
Maynard Smith J. 1982. Evolution and the theory of games. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
The classic account of evolutionary game theory.
Maynard Smith J. and Harper D. 2003. Animal signals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A recent survey of animal signaling, including signaling between males and females in sexual selection.
Stearns S.C. 1992. The evolution of life histories. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A comprehensive textbook that covers much of the material in Chapter 20.
Chapter 21
Cronin H. 1991. The ant and the peacock. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
A readable history of ideas on sexual selection, and on the evolution of altruism.
Hamilton W.D. 1996a. Narrow roads of gene land volume 1: Evolution of social behaviour. W.H. Freeman, Oxford.
Includes Hamilton’s collected papers on social evolution, accompanied by interesting (and idiosyncratic) autobiographical notes.
Lynch M. 2007. The origins of genome architecture. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachussetts.
A comprehensive account of genome structure. Lynch argues that nonadaptive processes—especially, reduced population size—have allowed expansion of the genome, forming the basis for subsequent adaptation.
Maynard Smith J. and Szathmáry E. 1995. The major transitions in evolution. W.H. Freeman, Oxford.
Brings together the major transitions in evolution in a common framework, which emphasizes cooperation among previously independent individuals. Szathmáry and Maynard Smith (1995, Nature 374: 227–231) summarize the argument.
Maynard Smith J. and Szathmáry E. 1999. The origins of life. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
An accessible condensed version of their (1995) The major transitions in evolution.
Provine W. 1986. Sewall Wright and evolutionary biology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
A biography of Wright that includes insightful discussions of the scientific issues: adaptive landscapes, the role of random drift in evolution, and Wright’s “shifting balance” theory.
Williams G.C. 1966. Adaptation and natural selection. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Classic work that emphasises the importance of selection between individuals.
Williams G.C. 1992. Natural selection: Domains, levels and challenges. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Includes a discussion of the inefficiency of group selection
Chapter 22
Coyne J.A. and Orr H.A. 2004. Speciation. Sinauer Press, Sunderland, Massachusetts.
An excellent and up-to-date overview of the whole subject.
Dobzhansky T. 1937. Genetics and the origin of species. Columbia University Press, New York.
The textbook that applied population genetics to the study of natural populations; crucial in establishing the “modern synthesis.”
Gavrilets S. 2004. Fitness landscapes and the origin of species. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A thorough review of mathematical models of speciation.
Goldschmidt T. 1998. Darwin’s dreampond: Drama in Lake Victoria. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A nice popular account of the remarkable diversification of these fishes.
Howard D.J. and Berlocher S.H. 1997. Endless forms: Species and speciation. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A collection of articles that show the diversity of views on the origin of species.
Mayr E. 1963. Animal species and evolution. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A classic text, which shows how systematics can be brought into the Evolutionary Synthesis.
Sawyer G.J., Tattersall I., Sarmiento E., and Deak V. 2007. The last human: A guide to twenty species of extinct humans. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut.
Schluter D. 2000. The ecology of adaptive radiation. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Schluter discusses cases of adaptive radiation, where many species have formed to fill diverse ecological niches.
Chapter 23
Bell G. 1982. The masterpiece of nature: The evolution and genetics of sexuality. University of California Press, Berkeley.
A comprehensive review of the diversity of sexual reproduction, and its implications for understanding why sex is so widespread.
Bell G. 1997. Selection: The mechanism of evolution. Chapman and Hall, New York.
A detailed review of direct measurements of selection on genes and on quantitative traits and, more generally, of the key role of selection in evolution. Strong on experimental evolution.
Fisher R.A. 1930. The genetical theory of natural selection. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
A concise summary of population genetics, which introduces many key ideas that have been developed only recently, followed by Fisher’s views on eugenics. The second edition (published in 1958) differs substantially; a variorum edition was published in 1999 by Oxford University Press, and compares the 1930 and 1958 editions, with commentary.
Harder L.D. and Barrett S.C. 2006. The ecology and evolution of flowers. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
An advanced textbook, which reviews the evolutionary causes of floral diversity.
Judson O.P. 2003. Dr. Tatiana’s sex advice to all creation: Definitive guide to the evolutionary biology of sex. Henry Holt and Company LLC, New York.
A popular presentation of ideas on the evolution of sex.
Kirschner M. and Gerhart J. 2005. The plausibility of life: Resolving Darwin’s dilemma. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut.
General discussions of the features that make biological systems robust, and thereby facilitate the evolution of novelties. The authors argue that gene regulation and development have evolved so as to facilitate further evolution—a controversial argument.
Maynard Smith J. 1978. The evolution of sex. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Classic works that helped establish our modern understanding of the evolution of sex and recombination.
Michod R.E. and Levin B.R. 1988. The evolution of sex. Sinauer Press, Sunderland, Massachusetts.
A collection of papers on the evolution of sex, with several excellent contributions.
Wagner A. 2005. Robustness and evolvability in living systems. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A thoughtful discussion of an issue that is currently receiving much attention.
Watson J., Baker T., Bell S., Gann A., Levine M., and Losick R. 2007. Molecular biology of the gene, 6th ed. Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco (copublished with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York).
This comprehensive book gives details of the various mechanisms of transcriptional regulation.
Chapter 24
Carroll S.B., Grenier J.K., and Wetherbee S.D. 2005. From DNA to diversity: Molecular genetics and the evolution of animal design. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
A review of recent work in “EvoDevo.”
Coen E. 2000. The art of genes: How organisms make themselves. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Argues that complex organisms develop through an interaction between the genes and the developing organism, rather than by simple execution of a “genetic blueprint.” This makes it easier to see how novel features can evolve without disrupting existing function.
Dawkins R. 1986. The blind watchmaker. Longman, London.
The title is taken from Paley’s argument that the complex and well-adapted structure of a watch implies a divine watchmaker. Dawkins makes the case that natural selection is the better explanation for organismal adaptation.
Dawkins R. 1997. Climbing Mount Improbable. Penguin Science, London.
Persuasive arguments for the power of Darwinian natural selection to generate complex adaptations.
Kirschner M. and Gerhart J. 2005. The plausibility of life: Resolving Darwin’s dilemma. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut.
General discussions of the features that make biological systems robust, and thereby facilitate the evolution of novelties. The authors argue that gene regulation and development have evolved so as to facilitate further evolution—a controversial argument.
Lynch M. 2007. The origins of genome architecture. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachussetts.
A comprehensive account of genome structure. Lynch argues that nonadaptive processes—especially, reduced population size—have allowed expansion of the genome, forming the basis for subsequent adaptation.
Mitchell M. 1998. An introduction to genetic algorithms. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A textbook that introduces the use of natural selection as a method for producing efficient computation. Makes surprisingly little reference to evolutionary biology, however.
Wagner A. 2005. Robustness and evolvability in living systems. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A thoughtful discussion of an issue that is currently receiving much attention.
Watson J., Baker T., Bell S., Gann A., Levine M., and Losick R. 2007. Molecular biology of the gene, 6th ed. Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco (copublished with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York).
This comprehensive book gives details of the various mechanisms of transcriptional regulation.
Chapter 25
Cavalli-Sforza L.L., Menozzi P., and Piazza A. 1994. The history and geography of human genes. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A comprehensive review of how variation in allele frequencies among human populations has been used to infer evolutionary relationship. It also provides succinct and accessible overviews of the histories of human populations on each of the continents.
Hurford J.R. 2007. The origins of meaning: Language in the light of evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A thoughtful discussion of the origin of thought and language; the first of two volumes. More explicitly evolutionary than Jackendoff (2003).
Jackendoff R. 2003. Foundations of language: Brain, meaning, grammar, evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Jackendoff discusses how our ability to use language might have evolved, in greater depth than Pinker (1995).
Lewin R. and Foley R.A. 1995. Principles of human evolution. Blackwell Science, London.
Pinker S. 1995. The language instinct: The new science of language and mind. Penguin, New York.
Pinker gives a highly readable account of the argument that humans have an innate “language instinct” and discusses how our ability to use language might have evolved.
Tattersall I. 1995. The fossil trail: How we know what we think we know about human evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York.
Wood B.A. 2006. Human evolution: A very short introduction. 2006. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Chapter 26
Barlow J.H., Cosmides L., and Tooby J. 1992. The adapted mind: Evolutionary psychology and the generation of culture. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
One of the works that established the field of evolutionary psychology.
Barnett L., Dunbar R., and Lycett J. 2002. Human evolutionary psychology. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A recent textbook on this new field.
Buller D.J. 2005. Adapting minds. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Buller criticizes the empirical evidence for the tenets of evolutionary psychology: that the human mind is “massively modular,” that we are adapted to a Pleistocene environment, and that specific traits are a universal part of human nature and are adaptations that evolved by natural selection.
Buss D. 2003. Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind. Allyn & Bacon, London.
A textbook that summarizes the field of evolutionary psychology.
Carlson E.A. 2004. Mendel’s legacy: The origin of classical genetics. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
A readable and well-illustrated account of the development of classical genetics through the first half of the twentieth century.
Frank S.A. 2002. Immunology and evolution of infectious disease. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Develops evolutionary models for the interaction between pathogens and the immune system.
Hinde R.A. 1999. Why gods persist. Routledge, New York.
A sympathetic study of why religion is a pervasive feature of human society.
Laland K. and Brown G.G. 2002. Sense and nonsense: Evolutionary perspectives on human behaviour. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Clear and critical overview of the various approaches to understanding the evolution of human nature.
Nesse R.M. and Williams G.C. 1994. Why we get sick: The new science of Darwinian medicine. Crown, New York.
A seminal work that helped establish “Darwinian Medicine”
Ott J. 1999. Analysis of human genetic linkage, 3rd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Comprehensive review of pedigree-based methods for detecting linkage.
Pinker S. 2002. The blank slate: The modern denial of human nature. Viking Penguin, New York.
Criticizes the view that human nature is primarily shaped by social environment, rather than by biology.
Ridley M. 2003. Nature via nurture: The origin of the individual. Fourth Estate, London.
A thoughtful discussion of how genes and environment interact to shape the phenotype.
Stearns S.C. 1999. Evolution in health and disease. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
A review of how evolutionary ideas help us understand disease.
Vogel F. and Motulsky A.G. 1997. Human genetics: Problems and approaches. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
A comprehensive review of the human examples used in this book. See Chapters 9 (mutation-selection balance), 12 (malaria resistance), and 13 (inbreeding).
Chapter 27
Dawkins R. 2004. The ancestor’s tale: A pilgrimage to the dawn of life. Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London.
An engaging account of the history of life, tracing from our species back through the forty-odd points where our lineage coalesces with the lineages of other living species.
Chapter 28
Burger R. 2000. The mathematical theory of selection, recombination and mutation. Wiley, Chichester, United Kingdom.
An advanced textbook on theoretical population genetics, but not covering random drift.
Crow J.F. and Kimura M. 1970. An introduction to population genetics theory. Harper & Row, New York.
The classic textbook that sets out the population genetics of random drift. The most accessible reference for drift of allele frequencies and for inbreeding, but it does not cover the recent development of the coalescent process.
Ewens W.J. 2004. Mathematical population genetics: Theoretical introduction. Springer Verlag, Berlin.
Advanced textbook that details the mathematical theory of classical population genetics.
Felsenstein J. Lecture notes in population genetics. http://evolution.gs.washington.edu/index.html
An excellent introduction to mathematical models of random genetic drift and population structure.
Hacking I. 1975. The emergence of probability. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
A concise history of ideas in probability and statistics; useful to thoroughly understand the basic concepts of probability.
Haldane J.B.S. 1932. The causes of evolution. Longmans, New York.
A classic work from the Evolutionary Synthesis and still one of the most readable accounts. This classic account includes an appendix that gives a concise summary of the basic models of population genetics.
Otto S.P. and Day T. 2007. A biologist’s guide to mathematical modeling in ecology and evolution. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
An excellent introduction to both deterministic and stochastic models in ecology and evolution.
Rice S.H. 2004. Evolutionary theory: Mathematical and conceptual foundations. Sinauer Press, Sunderland, Massachusetts.
Comprehensive introduction to the various theoretical approaches to understanding evolution.
Roughgarden J. 1979. Theory of population genetics and evolutionary ecology: An introduction. Macmillan, New York.
Gives a clear summary of the theory of clines (pp. 500–505) and of selection in heterogeneous environments (pp. 505–510).
Stigler S.M. 1999. Statistics on the table: The history of statistical concepts and methods. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A good history of statistics and probability.
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