On Evolution

Publisher’s Note

Long a friend, and longer a fan, of John Avise, I approached him in  to see whether he would be willing to revise some of his most interesting writings to create a book “on evolution.” His clear, accessible writing style and his impeccable credentials—distinguished professor , member of the National Academy of Sciences, founder of phylogeography , author of numerous books and innumerable papers— made him, I reasoned, an ideal author for such a task. His insights, presented here with passion but without pretense, make complicated topics understandable. All of the pieces included have been rewritten and edited to provide the reader with an accessible look into the field of evolutionary biology. Insightful readers will also be able to follow the arc of evolutionary biology over the past three decades, from the early illumination provided by protein electrophoresis to the recent ability to scan entire genomes. Through it all, John Avise guides us with an unwavering hand, never losing sight of the fact that it’s not just molecules we are talking about, it’s also nature. These writings are indispensable reading for all who have an interest in evolution. Vincent Burke, Senior Editor The Johns Hopkins University Press Publisher’s Note This page intentionally left blank ...