Molecular And Genome Evolution

This book describes the driving forces behind the evolutionary process at the molecular and genome levels, the effects of the various molecular mechanisms on the structure of genes, proteins, and genomes, the methodology and the analytical tools involved in dealing with molecular data from an evolutionary perspective, and the logic of evolutionary hypothesis testing. Evolutionary phenomena at the molecular level are detailed in a way that can be understood without much prerequisite knowledge of molecular biology, evolution, or mathematics. Numerous examples that support and clarify the theoretical arguments and methodological discussions are included.

An introductory text which strives to maintain the standards of the scientific method and to include quantitative treatments of the issues. Knowledge of molecular biology, evolution, and math is not prerequisite. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In the current era of complete genome sequencing, Bioinformatics and Molecular Evolution provides an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to bioinformatics in the context of evolutionary biology. This accessible text: provides a thorough examination of sequence analysis, biological databases, pattern recognition, and applications to genomics, microarrays, and proteomics emphasizes the theoretical and statistical methods used in bioinformatics programs in a way that is accessible to biological science students places bioinformatics in the context of evolutionary biology, including population genetics, molecular evolution, molecular phylogenetics, and their applications features end-of-chapter problems and self-tests to help students synthesize the materials and apply their understanding is accompanied by a dedicated website - www.blackwellpublishing.com/higgs - containing downloadable sequences, links to web resources, answers to self-test questions, and all artwork in downloadable format (artwork also available to instructors on CD-ROM). This important textbook will equip readers with a thorough understanding of the quantitative methods used in the analysis of molecular evolution, and will be essential reading for advanced undergraduates, graduates, and researchers in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, computational biology, and bioinformatics courses.

This book includes the most essential contributions presented at the 17th Evolutionary Biology Meeting in Marseille, which took place in September 2013. It consists of 18 chapters organized according to the following categories: · Molecular and Genome Evolution · Phylogeography of Speciation and Coevolution · Exobiology and Origin of Life The aims of the annual meetings in Marseille, which bring together leading evolutionary biologists and other scientists using evolutionary biology concepts, e.g. for medical research, are to promote the exchange of ideas and to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations. Offering an overview of the latest findings in the field of evolutionary biology, this book represents an invaluable source of information for scientists, teachers and advanced students.

In the years since the publication of Susumu Ohno's 1970 landmark book Evolution by gene duplication tremendous advances have been made in molecular biology and especially in genomics. Studies of genome structure and function prerequisite to testing hypotheses of genome evolution were all but impossible until recent methodological advances. This book evaluates newly generated empirical evidence as it pertains to theories of genomic evolutionary patterns and processes. Tests of hypotheses using analyses of complete genomes, interpreted in a phylogenetic context, provide evidence regarding the relative importance of gene duplication. The alternative explanation is that the evolution of regulatory elements that control the expression of and interactions among genes has been a more important force in shaping evolutionary innovation. This collection of papers will be of interest to all academic and industry researchers working in the fields of molecular biology, biotechnology, genomics and genome centers.

Smart genomes--an enthralling account of revolutionary discoveries at the cutting edge of genomics research Written by a molecular biologist at the forefront of genomics research, Darwin in the Genome is an exciting account of one of the hottest new theories in biology today: evolution by natural selection inevitably leads to strategic mutations. In the struggle for survival, from pathogens to flowers, birds to orangutans, baker's yeast to people, the fittest genomes are those that evolve effective molecular strategies that respond to, and in fact anticipate, challenges and opportunities in their environments. Writing in a clear, accessible style, Lynn Caporale describes the emergence of genomic mutation strategies, which researchers are just beginning to uncover. She also spells out some of the more profound implications of these findings, including the importance of biodiversity, indeed human diversity, for survival, the possibility of bold new directions for medical research, and the inherent dangers of attempting to fix perceived "errors" in a human genome.

This authoritative textbook/reference presents a comprehensive introduction to the field of evolutionary genomics. The opening chapters describe the fundamental concepts in molecular biology and genome evolution for readers without any prior background in this area. This is followed by a detailed examination of genome evolution in various different groups of organisms. The text then concludes with a review of practical methods essential to researchers in the field. This updated and revised new edition also features historical perspectives on contributions to evolutionary genomics from related fields such as molecular evolution, genetics, and numerical taxonomy. Topics and features: introduces the basics of molecular biology, covering protein structure and diversity, as well as DNA replication, transcription, and translation; examines the phylogenetic relationships of DNA sequences, and the processes of mutation, neutral evolution, and natural selection; presents a brief evolutionary history of life, surveying the key features of the genomes of prokaryotes, eukaryotes, viruses and phages, vertebrates, and humans; reviews the various biological “omic” databases, and discusses the analysis of homologous nucleotide and amino acid sequences; provides an overview of the experimental sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes, and the construction of phylogenetic trees; describes methods for estimating of evolutionary distances, and performing studies of population genetics; supplies additional supporting material at an associated website. Serving as an indispensable textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on evolutionary genomics, this accessible overview will also prove invaluable to researchers from both computer science and the biological sciences seeking a primer on the field.

This authoritative text/reference presents a review of the history, current status, and potential future directions of computational biology in molecular evolution. Gathering together the unique insights of an international selection of prestigious researchers, this must-read volume examines the latest developments in the field, the challenges that remain, and the new avenues emerging from the growing influx of sequence data. These viewpoints build upon the pioneering work of David Sankoff, one of the founding fathers of computational biology, and mark the 50th anniversary of his first scientific article. The broad spectrum of rich contributions in this essential collection will appeal to all computer scientists, mathematicians and biologists involved in comparative genomics, phylogenetics and related areas.