Review by Choice Review
This work is the outcome of a September 2008 symposium to mark the "formal" retirement from teaching of Peter Grant and Rosemary Grant. Their contributions to the evolution of Darwin's finches continue unabated; e.g., they recently published a paper dealing with fitness in fluctuating environments (PNAS, January 3, 2011). Chapters by 18 experts in evolutionary biology are organized in four sections, each of which is introduced by a short essay by the Grants. Just under 20 pages each, these chapters are accessible, up-to-date, and authoritative summaries of the current status of the search for mechanisms of evolution (some may quibble with the term "causes" in the title). Sixteen color plates provide a visual perspective on the topics covered, all of which deal with multicellular organisms, plants, and animals, although the universal tree of life is discussed in several chapters. What stood out for this reviewer was the overarching theme of evolution as an ongoing process that is being studied in the field and laboratory. Most chapters deal with the evolution of structures (microevolution) or of groups of organisms (macroevolution). The book also covers performance and behavior as well as evo-devo. Surprisingly, fitness and variation are given less treatment. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. B. K. Hall emeritus, Dalhousie University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
