Darwin’s Reach: 21st Century Applications of Evolutionary Biology

Length: 430 pages
Edition: 1
Language: English
Publisher: CRC Press
Publication Date: 2021-12-28
ISBN-10: 1138587397
ISBN-13: 9781138587397
Sales Rank: #0 (See Top 100 Books)

The application of evolutionary biology addresses a wide range of practical problems in medicine, agriculture, the environment, and society. Such cutting-edge applications are emerging due to recent advances in DNA sequencing, new gene editing tools, and computational methods. This book is about applied evolution – the application of the principles of and information about evolutionary biology to diverse practical matters. Although applied evolution has existed, unrecognized, for a very long time, today’s version has a much wider scope. Evolutionary medicine has formed into its own discipline. Evolutionary approaches have long been employed in agriculture and in conservation biology. But Darwin’s reach now extends beyond just these three fields. It now also includes forensic biology and the law. Ideas from evolutionary biology can be used to inform policy regarding foreign affairs and national security. Applied evolution is not only interdisciplinary, but also multidisciplinary. Consequently, this book is for experts in one field who are interested in expanding their evolutionary horizons. It is also for students, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. One of the public relations challenges faced by evolutionary biology is that most people do not see it being all that relevant to their daily lives. Even many who accept evolution do not grasp how far Darwin’s reach extends. This book will change that perception.

Key Features:

Emphasizes the expanding role evolutionary biology has in today’s world.
Includes examples from medicine, law, agriculture, conservation, and even national security
Summarizes new technologies and computational methods that originated as innovations based in part or whole on evolutionary theory.
Current. Has extensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent topics.
Documents the important role evolution plays in everyday life.
Illustrates the broadly interdisciplinary nature of evolutionary theory.

Related Titles

Rogers, S. O. Integrating Molecular Evolution (ISBN 9780367869526)

DeSalle, R. et al. Phylogenomics: A Primer (ISBN 9780367028497)

Bard, J. Evolution: The Origins and Mechanisms of Diversity (ISBN 9780367357016)

Cover Page
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents Page
Foreword Page
Preface Page
Acknowledgments Page
Introduction: What Is Evolution and Why Is It Important? Page
Section I Health
	Chapter 1 Paging Dr. Darwin: Evolutionary Medicine in the 21st Century
		Summary
		Fighting Resistance Is Not Futile
		Why We Get Sick
	Chapter 2 Going Viral: Evolution and Viral Diseases
		Summary
		A Tale of Two Pandemics
		A Closer Look at SARS-CoV-2 and Other Coronaviruses
		Evolution and Coronavirus Spillover
		Using Evolution to Track Viruses
		Evolving Viruses
		What Genetic Variants Affect COVID Susceptibility and Why?
		Vaccines
		HIV/AIDS: The Other Pandemic
		Coda
		Further Reading
	Chapter 3 Vectors of Disease
		Summary
		The Lethal Mosquito
		Malaria’s Genetic Legacy
		Why Are Some Mosquitoes Vectors?
		Antimalarials and Evolution of Resistance
		Mosquito Control
		Gene Drives
		Further Reading
	Chapter 4 Mismatch: Are We Stuck With Our Past?
		Summary
		The Consequences of Missing Old Friends
		Mismatch
		Paleofantasy
		Climb Every Mountain
		Blessed Are the Cheesemakers
		Evolutionary Mutant Models
		How Are We Evolving?
	Chapter 5 From Genetic Mapping to Personalized Medicine
		Summary
		The Potential of Personalized Medicine
		Cystic Fibrosis: A Success Story
		Association Mapping, Linkage Disequilibrium, and Haplotype Blocks
		GWAS Success Stories in Autoimmune Diseases
		Getting the Dose Right
		Watson’s ApoE Status: A Tale of Genetic Privacy
		Limitations of GWAS
	Chapter 6 Cancer: Darwin Meets the Emperor of All Maladies
		Summary
		We Have Met the Emperor
		Hallmarks and Snowflakes
		Cancer’s Long History
		Peto’s Paradox and the Elephant Genes in the Room
		Comparative Oncology: Beyond Peto’s Paradox
		Drivers and Passengers
		Genotype by Environment Interaction and Cancer
		Cancer and Tradeoffs
		Resisting Cancer Drug Resistance
		Coda
		Further Reading
	Chapter 7 Human Life History
		Summary
		Prader–Willi and the Pregnancy Tug-of-War
		Progesterone and Its Receptor
		Why Are Human Babies Born So Helpless?
		Why Do Human Females Have Such a Long Post-Reproductive Life?
		Fathers Provide Most Mutations
Section II Food
	Chapter 8 Darwin at the Farm
		Summary
		Lessons From Potatoes
		Making a Better Tomato
		Mornings Are for Coffee and Contemplation
		Unintended Consequences of Improving Crop Yield
		Vavilov’s Legacy
		Further Reading
	Chapter 9 Managing Agriculture
		Summary
		Benjamin Walsh, Darwinism, and Pest Control
		Herbicide Resistance
		Insecticide Resistance
		Biological Control
		Gene Drives to Thwart Agricultural Pests
	Chapter 10 Buccaneers of Buzz: Bees and Pollination Services
		Summary
		The Benefits of Bees
		A Closer Look at Bee Diversity
		Genetic Oddities of Bees
		A Closer Look at Honey Bees
		Threats to Bees
		Pesticides
		Pathogens and Parasites
		Darwinian Beekeeping and the Wisdom of the Hive
Section III Environment
	Chapter 11 The Biodiversity Crisis
		Summary
		The Biodiversity Crisis
		Barcoding to Catalogue Biodiversity
		Genetic Rescue
		Minimal Viable Population Size
		The New Threat: Climate Change
		Genetic Rescue Revisited
		Conservation and the Microbiota
		Further Reading
	Chapter 12 Challenges in the Oceans
		Summary
		The Threats to Life in the Oceans
		The Deepwater Horizon Disaster
		Chronic Exposure to Toxins
		Warming in the Oceans
		Ocean Acidification
		Corals
		The Big Picture
	Chapter 13 Challenges in the City
		Summary
		Cities Are Full of Life
		The Peppered Moth
		Urbanization and the Great Sort
		Urban Foxes Evolve Short Snouts and Urban Plants Evolve to Stop Dispersing
		Hot Time—Summer in the City!
		Big Brains in the Big City?
		Roads and Evolution
		Speciation in the City
		Urbanization and the Microbiota
		Rats
		Further Reading
	Chapter 14 Challenge From Invasive Species
		Summary
		The Cane Toad Invasion
		Gough Island and Its Rodents of Unusual Size
		The Threat From Invasive Species
		Herbert Baker and the Ideal Weed
		Becoming Invasive
		Native Species Responses to Invasive Species
		Invasive Pathogens: The Case of the Amphibian-Killing Fungus
Section IV Society
	Chapter 15 The Sequence on the Stand
		Summary
		The Search for the Golden State Killer
		DNA Fingerprinting
		The Sequence on the Stand
		The Microbes of Death
	Chapter 16 Darwinian Security
		Summary
		Rafe Sagarin’s Quest
		Games Animals, People, and Nations Play
		Arms Races and Extreme Weapons
		Living With Threats
		Direct Application to Asymmetric Warfare
	Chapter 17 Human Genetic Diversity and the Non-Existence of Biological Races
		Summary
		Cheddar Man
		Race in America
		No Races, Only Clines
		Ancient DNA and Neanderthals
		Ancient DNA: Denisovans and Ghosts
		Only Skin Deep
		Troublesome Science
		Coda
		Further Reading
Epilogue: Lessons Learned and Lamentable Lacunae
References
Index