The use of DNA and other biological macromolecules has revolutionized systematic studies of evolutionary history. Methods that use sequences of nucleotides and amino acids are now routinely used as data for addressing evolutionary questions that, although not new questions, have defied description and analysis. The world-renowned contributors use these new methods to unravel particular aspects of the evolutionary history of birds. Avian Molecular Evolution and Systematics presents an overview of the theory and application of molecular systematics, focusing on the phylogeny and evolutionary biology of birds.
The Mind of the Market: How Biology and Psychology Shape Our Economic Lives (Audio, MP3)
Captivating raconteur of all the greatest hits of behavioral, evolutionary and neuropsychology . . . Fascinating."—Los Angeles Times Book Review How did we make the leap from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumers, and why do people get so emotional about financial decisions? The national bestseller The Mind of the Market uncovers the evolutionary roots of our economic behavior.
Cultural and linguistic diversity: evolutionary approaches
Evolutionary approaches to cultural change are increasingly influential, and many scientists believe that a ‘grand synthesis’ is now in sight (e.g. Mesoudi, Whiten & Laland 2006). At the ‘microevolutionary’ scale, modern theories of cultural evolution recognize that cultural traditions and innovations are socially transmitted person-to-person between and within generations (respectively, by vertical or oblique and by horizontal transmission routes; Cavalli-Sforza & Feldman 1981),...
The Dawn of Symbolic Life: The Future of Human Evolution
Approaching evolution from a different point of view, The Dawn of Symbolic Life examines how the rise of civilization and ongoing current technological progress can be seen as an extension of biological evolution. A fascinating blend of biology, philosophy, and economics, the book outlines a formidable and compelling set of ideas that places mankind at the center of an epic evolutionary event. An event that the author believes could lead to a transformation of the world as we know it.
From the cat's meow to the bowerbird's bright-blue nest, animals constantly and variously exchange information. Avians, primates, seals, whales, even insects and lizards send signals in order to find and keep their mates; to deceive predators, or to warn them away; to mark their territories; to train their young; and to pass on useful information. Neurobiologist Rogers and social scientist Kaplan (also the author of books on Australian feminism) have written an accessible, consistently absorbing and scientifically scrupulous survey of how animals send signals and of what evolutionary theory tells us about how they came to do so.
