Beyond DNA: How epigenetics is transforming our understanding of evolution (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780522878868)

Beyond DNA is a journey through uncharted territory, advancing new ways of thinking about evolution and adaptation. For nearly a hundred years evolutionary biologists have understood that evolution proceeds by substituting better genes for less good ones. But consensus is growing that this is not the whole story: geneticists are now revealing that spores, sperm, pollen and ova are packed with personalised genetic information that plays an important role in offspring development and has lifelong effects. This epigenetic - or 'extra-genetic '-inheritance therefore makes significant contributions to evolutionary processes. In this highly accessible book, packed with instructive examples, Benjamin Oldroyd explains how a greater appreciation of the role of epigenetics is helping to solve a multitude of previously intractable problems in evolutionary biology - puzzles as varied as why invasive plants and animals can rapidly adapt to changes in their environment, how worker bees and queen bees can develop from the same egg, and why cancer becomes more common as we age.

Author: Benjamin Oldroyd
ISBN-10: 0522878865
ISBN-13: 9780522878868
Publisher: Melbourne University
Language: English
Published: 11/27/2023
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.64d