Tinkering : The Microevolution of Development

This book addresses one of the hottest topics in modern biology: the molecular genetic changes that drive evolution.

Part of the prestigious "Novartis Foundation" series, this volume provides an excellent description of the microevolutionary changes known as tinkering.

It explores both theoretical and practical issues regarding small-scale evolutionary development.

The book features contributions from a broad range of viewpoints and addresses fundamental questions to do with evolution.

How does tinkering occur developmentally and how is it manifested phenotypically?

Are the developmental mechanisms by which tinkering occurs different from those that underlie larger evolutionary changes?

What are the developmental constraints on tinkering? And how do we test hypotheses about micro-evolutionary shifts in development from the fossil record? "Tinkering: The Microevolution of Development" examines in detail the mechanisms by which evolution occurs, looks at the role of tinkering in speciation, and asks how we can gain information about microevolution from the fossil record.This fascinating book is exciting reading for anyone working in the area of evolution, developmental biology, palaeontology, zoology or genetics.