Genetics of Populations (Biological Science (Jones and Bartlett))

Book Description

The study of population genetics is one of the keys to understanding the evolutionary process. Written by a leading expert in the field, Genetics of Populations, Third Edition, is the most current and comprehensive introduction to the field for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers in genetics, evolution, conservation, and related fields. In the past several years, interest in the application of population genetics principles to new molecular data has greatly increased, and Dr. Philip Hedrick's new edition keeps pace with this dynamic area of study by emphasizing this recent shift.

This text integrates coverage of theoretical issues with a clear presentation of experimental population genetics and empirical data. By drawing examples from both recent and classic studies, and by using a variety of organisms to illustrate the phenomena of population genetics, Genetics of Populations, Third Edition, provides students and researchers with the most comprehensive resource available.

Customer Reviews:

Buen servicio.......2007-02-20

El libro esta bien, solo que en la parte de abajo vino un poco roto. Pero por lo
demás esta bien. El tiempo de entrega fue el convenido.

Poorly structured, badly written.......2006-03-24

This and Hartl and Clark's book are the standard textbooks for population genetics. I am an applied math/bio grad student working in this area. Hedrick's book contains a huge amount of information, but honestly I think it is poorly organized and often poorly written. Rather than a clear explication of the theory with examples, it is constructed more like a collection of related ideas, facts and examples thrown together to make loose rather confusing chapters. Population genetics is a tricky subject and Hedrick does not make much of an effort to communicate the ideas clearly. For example, in the mutation chapter, rather than say something like: here is the general problem, here are types of mutations, here are some mutation models with examples, here are some ways to estimate mutation and here are some case studies from the literature, he mixes all these things together presenting formulas and data in an jumbled, intermingled way that is not particularly easy to read. The result is that it is difficult to extract (for me) the essence of the concepts and summarize everything for myself. If you are required to use this text for a class, I highly recommend looking at other resources. Hartl's book's good, but slightly more basic. Gillespe's Concise Guide is also really good, but again, the subject is difficult and requires a good amount of mathematical background. To summarize, if you study pop gen, you should really probably read and own this book because of its ubiquity and the information contained within. However, don't be surprised when you find it sub par.

A superbly presented and comprehensive introduction.......2004-12-05

A superbly presented and comprehensive introduction to population genetics as one of the fundamental underlying principles and processes of the evolutionary process, Genetics Of Populations is now published in a newly updated and significantly revised third edition. Author Philip W. Hedrick (Arizona State University) integrates theoretical issues with a clear and acceptable presentation of experimental population genetics with empirical data providing students and researchers with one of the most articulate and up-to-date texts available. Features new to this latest addition is a focus on data from genome projects that compare population samples to identify patterns of genetic diversity and genes that have been under selection. All of the individual chapters have been completely updated with the latest examples and approaches in this rapidly evolving field of study. Of special value for curriculum development are the new and updated tables, chapter exercises, end-of-chapter problems, art, photographs, featured researchers, extensive bibliography, and detailed index. Highly recommended.

A complete, up-to-date text book on population genetics.......2000-03-30

This text-book deals with population genetic theory in great detail, without loosing sight of the basics. This makes it a good introduction in population genetics as well as a complete reference work. With chapters on evolutionairy and quantative genetics and numerous examples this book describes the state of the art in population genetic research. Compared to Hartl and Clark's Principles of Population Genetics, Genetics of Populations is more detailed and more clearly structured. Overall an excellent book.

A complete, up-to-date text book on population genetics.......2000-03-30

This text-book deals with population genetic theory in great detail, without loosing sight of the basics. This makes it a good introduction in population genetics as well as a complete reference work. With chapters on evolutionairy and quantative genetics and numerous examples this book describes the state of the art in population genetic research. Compared to Hartl and Clark's Introduction to Population Genetics, Genetics of Populations is more detailed and more clearly structured. Overall an excellent book.

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland

Average customer rating:

important but disappointing
Sykes Latest Hit
More history than DNA
The Key: Oisin = R1b, Sigurd = R1a, Eshu = E3b, ...
Well writen.

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland
Bryan Sykes
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project
The Origins of the British
The Seven Daughters of Eve
Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree
The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey

ASIN: 0393062686

Book Description

WASPs finally get their due in this stimulating history by one of the world's leading geneticists.

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts is the most illuminating book yet to be written about the genetic history of Britain and Ireland. Through a systematic, ten-year DNA survey of more than 10,000 volunteers, Bryan Sykes has traced the true genetic makeup of British Islanders and their descendants. This historical travelogue and genetic tour of the fabled isles, which includes accounts of the Roman invasions and Norman conquests, takes readers from the Pontnewydd cave in North Wales, where a 300,000-year-old tooth was discovered, to the resting place of "The Red Lady" of Paviland, whose anatomically modern body was dyed with ochre by her grieving relatives nearly 29,000 years ago. A perfect work for anyone interested in the genealogy of England, Scotland, or Ireland, Saxons, Vikings, and Celts features a chapter specifically addressing the genetic makeup of those people in the United States who have descended from the British Isles.

Customer Reviews:

important but disappointing.......2007-09-03

In many ways this is a very important book, as it does away with the old Anglo-Saxon myth. But it's also quite disappointing. Having read an artilcle summarizing Sykes' discoveries before I lay my hands on a copy of 'Saxons...' I was already familiar with its main conclusion - most British have very ancient origins preceding Vikings, Saxons, and Romans and perhaps to some extent this was the source of my disappointment. But mostly it comes from my too high expectations. In short, I hoped for a solid work with plenty of data, information and analyses of the genetic roots of Britain and Ireland. But the hard data filled only a few pages and the rest was a waffle, inflating the book to over 300 pages where 10 sentences would suffice.
If somebody wants to read page after page on how Sykes and his team struggled to collect the blood samples then it's a book for them. However, if you want to know the genetic background of peoples who settled in the Isles in more detail, then perhaps wait for a more informative book.

Sykes Latest Hit.......2007-08-16

Brian Sykes does it again with this most interesting book about origins of the people of the British Isles. He makes technical information understandable for the average reader.

More history than DNA.......2007-08-13

I got this book because Oppenheimer's Origin of the British is out of print and not available until 2008. This Sykes book is excellent history, but not as much about the DNA story as I expected. But it is a good read. What is surprising and intersting is that Oppenheimer and Sykes, both Oxford scholars, do not acknowdege each other existance. Does anyone know why?

The Key: Oisin = R1b, Sigurd = R1a, Eshu = E3b, ..........2007-08-09

The apparent result of Sykes' study is that the underlying genetics of the Isles is Celtic through all of the regions: England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. This may not make Sykes popular with some people. The old stereotypes do not hold up.

In this work, Sykes continues to use the names for the founders of the haplogroups that he created in "The Seven Daughters of Eve" but he does not list all of the standard equivalents. You cannot tell the players without a scorecard. However, I have found the answer on the web. For yDNA: R1b, Oisin; R1a, Sigurd; I, Wodan; E3b, Eshu; J, Re. For mDNA: J, Jasmine; T, Tara; H, Helena; K, Katrina; U, Ursala; V, Velda; X, Xenia.

The Isles were the subject of waves of invasion from Romans, Saxons, Vikings, and Normans among others. One of the results of Sykes work is that two of the best known invaders left very little genetic trace. Sykes could find virtually no evidence of Roman DNA. Where was Titus Pullo? The Normans also left very little genetic evidence. It came as no surprise to me that my own Eshu or E3b yDNA was not significant, comprising a scattered percent or two. My E3b haplogroup is found mostly in the region of the warm and sunny Mediterranean, not the wet and cold Isles.

Well writen........2007-07-18

The book was fine,Bryan, but one suggestion I have for future editions is that a modern Map of the islands be incuded. the maps you have are fine, but they dont show the current locations, for those of us with a limited knowledge of English Geography.

The History and Geography of Human Genes

Average customer rating:

What I got out of this book
Great book, if you can get through it...
History and Geography of Homan Genes
A review of everything
Good Book, but Martel is Wrong

The History and Geography of Human Genes
Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza , Paolo Menozzi , and Alberto Piazza
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Genes, Peoples, and Languages
The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolution (Helix Books)
The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey
Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project
Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins

ASIN: 0691087504

Book Description

L. Luca Cavalli-Sforza and his collaborators Paolo Menozzi and Alberto Piazza have devoted fourteen years to one of the most compelling scientific projects of our time: the reconstruction of where human populations originated and the paths by which they spread throughout the world. In this volume, the culmination of their research, the authors explain their pathbreaking use of genetic data, which they integrate with insights from geography, ecology, archaeology, physical anthropology, and linguistics to create the first full-scale account of human evolution as it occurred across all continents. This interdisciplinary approach enables them to address a wide range of issues that continue to incite debate: the timing of the first appearance of our species, the problem of African origins and the significance of work recently done on mitochondrial DNA and the popular notion of an "African Eve," the controversy pertaining to the peopling of the Americas, and the reason for the presence of non-Indo-European languages--Basque, Finnish, and Hungarian--in Europe.

The authors reconstruct the history of our evolution by focusing on genetic divergence among human groups. Using genetic information accumulated over the last fifty years, they examined over 110 different inherited traits, such as blood types, HLA factors, proteins, and DNA markers, in over eighteen hundred, primarily aboriginal, populations. By mapping the worldwide geographic distribution of the genes, the scientists are now able to chart migrations and, in exploring genetic distance, devise a clock by which to date evolutionary history: the longer two populations are separated, the greater their genetic difference should be. This volume highlights the authors' contributions to genetic geography, particularly their technique for making geographic maps of gene frequencies and their synthetic method of detecting ancient migrations, as for example the migration of Neolithic farmers from the Middle East toward Europe, West Asia, and North Africa.

Beginning with an explanation of their major sources of data and concepts, the authors give an interdisciplinary account of human evolution at the world level. Chapters are then devoted to evolution on single continents and include analyses of genetic data and how these data relate to geographic, ecological, archaeological, anthropological, and linguistic information. Comprising a wide range of viewpoints, a vast store of new and recent information on genetics, and a generous supply of visual elements, including 522 geographic maps, this book is a unique source of facts and a catalyst for further debate and research.

Customer Reviews:

What I got out of this book.......2005-05-07

I learned who the people closest genetically to Basques are. The French! Makes sense the French have a a portion of Basque country in their political nation of France. I'm of French background myself. French-Canadian that is.

Great book, if you can get through it..........2005-04-06

This book is very hard to get through as someone with no backing in genetics or biology, but it is very interesting, and it shows how we humans are really just like a couple thousand breeds of dogs, all slightly different, but with the same ancestor, our distant ancestor though was probably no wolf. It is interesting when they mention the little unexplainable historical abnormalities (african genes and caucasian genes in latin american indigenous populations, perhaps?) that they see in the genes of some groups of humans.

I allmost want to dedicate my life to genetics because of all the damn interesting knowledge that could be spawned from the information presented by the authors of this book. If you know anyone studying in this field, you must give them this book for christmas or something, please.

It is now my theory that human language has been the driving force behind human evolution, how often do two parents without a common language stay together 18+ years to raise a family? Just think about that, and it explains the human diaspora pretty well. Humans very rarely mate outside of their language group. You have a group of people in africa that speak the same language, then later on, two languages develop, or three or four, these people migrate off, and form a tribe, this tribe doesnt mate with other tribes because romance and love just dont work without a common language. Tribal names and language names are usually connected anyway, and this is why. When you read this book, you need to view humanity as an animal group pretty much, its very objective without any feeling. Human beings are creatures of communication, communication has driven our evolution forward. Writing started cities, before even that farming started widespread language and trading. It seems that the natural path this should take is more communication, but most people dont like to talk, fewer like to read and write, though that is our path of destiny as humans. The average american spends more money on lottery tickets every year than books. TV is far too widespread now, the love for books is dying, though civilization has allways been built upon the libraries of past civilizations, the histories of the victors.

Anyway,
The things that could be done if these scientists who wrote this book could get together to do research with the people that are at the tip of the spear in supercomputer research...

If you want to have some mental fun/anguish, then this book should be read in conjunction with 'Forbidden Archaeology' by Michael Cremo.

Try it =)

Note that this book is not made for the layman, but if you are a layman, and have a biology textbook laying around, you can get through it no problem.

Any one who is thinking of reading this book, or anyone who has should really do a bit of research on National Geographic's Genographic project that is collecting genetic information all over the world right now (the same migratory route tracing that is in this book) and building a huge database...The cool thing though is that you can send National Geographic $100, and they will send you a kit, you send a cheek swab back, and later on, they tell you everything that you ever wanted to know about your ancestors, and their migratory routes, back 60,000 years...
The database is also building daily, so the information that you will first get about your genes will get more comprehensive as time goes on, and more genetic samples are collected from 10's or 100's of thousands of people all over the planet...
Anyone who reads this book actually MUST do a google search on this National Geographic Genographic Project, right now =)

History and Geography of Homan Genes.......2004-06-09

This work, in hardback, is written with the advanced researcher in mind. The author is world famous for his pioneering efforts in identifying traits in particular traits in ethnic groups with unique genetic markers. The color plates in the index section can be helpful to those who know how to intrepret them.
It's a scholarly treatment of a highly technical subject and a thorough one as well. This is ground-breaking work collected from many samples and analyzed in detail. I think this should be required reading for college students in the field of genetic research.

A review of everything.......2003-06-17

Cavalli-Sforza presents the nearest approximation possible to the correlation of all measurable human genes, markers and attributes. You might think of the work as the "unified field theory" for evloutionary biology, culture and linguistics.

While the heft even of the abridged version is imposing, the component parts are manageable for those who already have basic statistical knowledge or who are willing to pay attention to the author's explanations. The world's populations are addressed in geographic chunks, and then at various appropriate points, more general conclusions drawn from the pieces.

Given the advances in genetic research acheived since publication, the model may ultimately prove more valuable than the particular contents...but for this decade the contents are fascinating.

Good Book, but Martel is Wrong.......2003-04-11

The book provided a great deal of information about genetic distances and the relationships between populations. However, Mr. Martel's review includes lies and these lies must be addressed. First of all, the native North Africans were not "very blonde" or "nordic". In fact, the ORIGINAL population was as black as their rock art depictions of themselves (which just so happen to span the Sahara and date back nearly 10000yrs). Many of these Ancient Saharans were, however, completely abosorbed by an incoming of migrants from the Middle East. Perhaps these migrants are the people Mr. Martel is speaking of??? At any rate, with the dessication of the Sahara, most of the original Saharans (blacks) migrated South into The Sudan. In fact, they can still be found in West Africa today. They (especially the Fulani and Dogon) can be recognized in person as easily as they can be recognized in the Ancient Saharan depictions drawn by their ancestors.

Thus, despite Mr. Martel's comments to the contrary, the admixture seen in North Africans today is not so much the result of slaves (modern admixture) as it is the result of both modern admixture as well as ancient admixture - admixture which took place LONG before the Arabs ventured anywhere near the region. As for the Egyptians, they were from the same stock as the rest of North Africa and they almost always depicted themselves as brown and intermediate between and separate from both the white people of the North (Europe), the light skinned Semites (Middle East), and the darker, more Sudanese people of the South (Nubia).

Mr. Martel is not completely wrong in so far as SOME of these Middle Eastern migrants had blonde hair and light eyes (a few individual Lybians were depicted this way). But, such features were most probably seen at the same rate theyre seen in Middle Easterners and North Africans today. Neither people, however, are "Nordics", and to assume they descend from Nordics based on hair color alone is ridiculous. Blondism occurs in Aborigines... are we to believe they descend from Nordics as well? Somehow, I think not.

Average customer rating:

The Journey of Genetics

Very interesting thesis, very readable

The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey

Clear explication of a still uncertain theory

We all wonder where we come from . . .

The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey
Spencer Wells
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Journey of Man

Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project

The Seven Daughters of Eve

Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland

ASIN: 0812971469
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Amazon.com

Spencer Wells traces human evolution back to our very first ancestor in The Journey of Man. Along the way, he sums up the explosive effect of new techniques in genetics on the field of evolutionary biology and all available evidence from the fossil record. Wells's seemingly sexist title is purposeful: he argues that the Y chromosome gives us a unique opportunity to follow our migratory heritage back to a sort of Adam, just as earlier work in mitochondrial DNA allowed the identification of Eve, mother of all Homo sapiens. While his descriptions of the advances made by such luminary scientists as Richard Lewontin and Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza can be dry, Wells comes through with sparkling metaphors when it counts, as when he compares genetic drift to a bouillabaisse recipe handed down through a village's generations. Though finding our primal male is an exciting prospect, the real revolution Wells describes is racial. Or rather, nonracial, as he reiterates the scientific truth that our notions of what makes us different from each other are purely cultural, not based in biology. The case for an "out of Africa" scenario of human migration is solid in this book, though Wells makes it clear when he is hypothesizing anything controversial. Readers interested in a fairly technical, but not overwhelming, summary of the remarkable conclusions of 21st-century human evolutionary biology will find The Journey of Man a perfect primer. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Around 60,000 years ago, a man—genetically identical to us—lived in Africa. Every person alive today is descended from him. How did this real-life Adam wind up as the father of us all? What happened to the descendants of other men who lived at the same time? And why, if modern humans share a single prehistoric ancestor, do we come in so many sizes, shapes, and races?

Examining the hidden secrets of human evolution in our genetic code, Spencer Wells reveals how developments in the revolutionary science of population genetics have made it possible to create a family tree for the whole of humanity. Replete with marvelous anecdotes and remarkable information, from the truth about the real Adam and Eve to the way differing racial types emerged, The Journey of Man is an enthralling, epic tour through the history and development of early humankind.

Customer Reviews:

The Journey of Genetics.......2007-09-11

The Journey of Man, recently recommended by a friend in Dallas, is a story of state-of-the-art genetic research to trace the geographic history of homo sapiens based on, as I understand it, polymorphisms or mutations in human DNA. The idea is that by identifying these and analyzing their frequency of occurance in various areas of the world, the sequence in which they occurred can be deduced and, thus, the associated physical path by which we populated the world can be identified. The conclusion is that homo sapiens began about 50,000 years ago in north-eastern Africa, then spread to Australia, etc. The thought process nicely ties in related data from archaeology, anthropology, and other sciences to support and/or refute the genetic results. A very good book, aimed at laymen and easy to read, although not particularly well-edited and sometimes over-uses analogies to the point that you wish he'd just go ahead and say it.

Very interesting thesis, very readable.......2007-01-11

The book presents, based on genetic, archeological, climatological evidence, a possible (or probable?) route for the dispersion of men through our planet, from its birth in Africa. The evidence is clearly presented, in an organized and very understandable way. It makes a very interesting reading on a subject that is as appealing as it is controversial.

The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey.......2006-11-10

If you have ever questioned where Adam and Eve started and how planet earth was populated this is a must read. Doctor Wells located the oldest Africans he could find,took blood samples, then using his DNA knowledge, produced DNA markers. He continued this process around the world and by examining the DNA markers he could determine the path of primitive people and where they started. He produced a readable technical book that leaves the lay person with a clear understanding of where we started and where and when the first Adam and Eve left the trees and stood up on two feet.

Clear explication of a still uncertain theory.......2006-10-31

Not much more than 50,000 years ago, something happened in East Africa that set humans on the move, and by about 10,000 years ago they had occupied almost every place on Earth, though it took another 9,000 years or so to get to the really good spots like Maui.
At least, that is how geneticist Spencer Wells interprets the evidence. The very short time span requires severe revision of the archaeological evidence.
Fully modern human bones have been found in Israel that are dated to about 100,000 years ago. Although equally modern fossils don't show up in Europe for another 60,000 years or so, the assumption has been that man's move out of Africa began at least 100,000 years ago.
Using changes in the molecular structure of the Y-chromosome, Wells and other geneticists believe that something -- he calls it the First Big Bang -- happened to a human, who lived somewhere in or near Ethiopia, around 50,000-60,000 years ago. That something did not show up in our skeletons but did mark the final evolutionary step to our current level of ability.
It could have been behavioral, although Wells is inclined to think it was some form of structural change in the brain that was closely tied to the beginning of language.
The new capabilities then made it possible to survive in novel habitats, and worsening climatic conditions in East Africa made it desirable to find some.
Genetics tells us we are all very closely related -- there is hardly any variation in our genes as between "races," a doubtful concept in human taxonomy anyway.
Variation piles up over time, particularly in long stretches of DNA that are, so far as anybody has been able to determine, inactive.
When a small band of people move, they take with them only a tiny fraction of the total variation of their larger group. Therefore, the more variation today within a local group, the longer it has been intact.
There is more variation on the Y-chromosomes of the men in an African village than among all the men in the rest of the world. Therefore, humans originated in Africa.
Geneticists believe they can not only measure but time these changes, although the timing is dependent on various assumptions that are uncertain to a degree. The goal of researchers like Wells is to interpret the gene sequences to fit other, paleontological or climatological, data without torturing the evidence too much.
The Y-chromosome determines male sex and therefore passes down from father to son. There is a strictly female record of descent in our cells, too, the mitochondrial DNA; but there is much less of it, so changes on the Y give much more precision in measuring mutations.
In "The Journey of Man," geneticists deduce that around 50,000 years ago, Africans started migrating, sticking to the coastal areas they already knew how to exploit. Within 10,000 years, they were in Australia.
We humans spread quickly but not equally quickly in every direction. In some areas, humans had to wait tens of thousands of years for the slow processes of climate to open up desert and mountain barriers that were too hard to cross.
Thus, Europe was settled very late, despite its closeness to Africa.
The same evidence says modern humans replaced Neanderthal humans; we did not descend from them.
The Y evidence also tends to shoot down evidence -- already equivocal -- that put humans in the New World more than about 12,000 years ago.
And it demonstrates, Wells says, some unexpected relationships. For example, northern Han Chinese are more closely related to their northern neighbors than they are to southern Han Chinese, despite the closer connection of their language dialects.
These various lines of evidence should allow us to retrace our ancestral steps, says Wells, but "many indigenous peoples are now refusing to participate in scientific studies."
He regrets this, not only professionally, but because the Third Big Bang -- the transportation revolution that is mixing up populations more than ever before -- will within a couple of generations obliterate the kind of genetic sleuthing that made "The Journey of Man" possible.
The Second Big Bang was agriculture, and that, he says, led humans to Hawaii. Hunter-gatherers had to go where the food was; Polynesian navigators could choose where to sail.
Wells' explication of what researchers like Wells think they know is first rate. I remain somewhat skeptical about the accuracy of the so-called molecular genetic clocks. Therefore, 3 stars. if the doubts about the 'clock' are resolved in the favor of Wells et al., then the rating would bump up to 4.

We all wonder where we come from . . ........2006-09-01

. . . and Spencer Wells provides many of the answers. Those of you who have seen his National Geographic special, also entitled _The Journey of Man_, will recognize the outline of this book, an exploration of what our genes (and those of people around the world) tell us about where and when our species got started, and how and when people occupied just about every part of the world. The book is able to go into far more detail, presenting clearly and convincingly our relatively recent African origins and the timing and likely routes of the migrations that brought modern humans to Australia, Europe and Asia, and, more recently, to the Americas and Polynesia. Along the way you'll learn why our genes clearly show that the Neandertals were cousins, but not ancestors, and that today's geographic "races" are far too closely related to have evolved from ancient to modern human form independently. The book is graced by pages of striking photos of people from around the globe, which add greatly to the fascinating scientific story that Wells tells. If you're at all interested in human origins, this is a must read. Robert Adler, author of _Science Firsts_ and _Medical Firsts_.

Average customer rating:

Not very "introductory"
place to start to learn pop gen
Simply superb...

Population Genetics: A Concise Guide
John H. Gillespie
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Principles of Population Genetics, Fourth Edition
Mathematical Population Genetics
Fundamentals of Molecular Evolution
A Primer of Population Genetics
Genetics of Populations (Biological Science (Jones and Bartlett))

ASIN: 0801880092

Book Description

This concise introduction offers students and researchers an overview of the discipline that connects genetics and evolution. Addressing the theories behind population genetics and relevant empirical evidence, John Gillespie discusses genetic drift, natural selection, nonrandom mating, quantitative genetics, and the evolutionary advantage of sex. First published to wide acclaim in 1998, this brilliant primer has been updated to include new sections on molecular evolution, genetic drift, genetic load, the stationary distribution, and two-locus dynamics. This book is indispensable for students working in a laboratory setting or studying free-ranging populations.

Customer Reviews:

Not very "introductory".......2007-07-15

I bought this book because I thought it would be a straightforward introduction to population genetics. The first two reviews were written by people who already seem to understand population genetics fairly well; for someone who was genuinely just starting out, however, I cannot say I found it particularly digestible.

Terms are used in this text without any definitions until much later on. Topics are also divided in such a way that they are introduced in one chapter in an advanced form, and then a basic form revealed later! A friend with ADHD attempted to explain a Monte Carlo simulation to me once, and reading this book kind of reminded of me of that.

Also, the book is littered with complex formulae that students are intended to decypher for themselves, with random notes in the back of the book that may or may not assist with this - often, no verbal/written attempt is made to explain what they are for. Students require clear descriptions of what a formula does, and how it can be applied, and in what sort of circumstances long, long before they give a damn about the proofs.

This was written by somebody very fond of navel gazing and showing off their 9th grade algebra and less about providing any instruction about population genetics. This needs to be a lot clearer and more concise in the future. More descriptions of when/where to use formulae, and what they are for. Use examples from actual organisms to make it interesting, and maybe somebody will actually read it.

place to start to learn pop gen.......2004-07-14

This is a wonderfully clear and concise introduction to population genetics. The emphasis is on fundamental insights gleaned from relatively simple models. If you want to learn something about this approach to studying evolution, start here.

Simply superb..........1998-09-19

Many authors make population genetics a boring, and often a formidable discipline in Biology. Therefore, many students avoid taking population genetics, inspite of its central importance in understanding many biological processes. John Gillespie has intertwined theory with superb experimental data. He has made population genetics accessable by all biologists, and even enjoyable, which is an incredible achievement. Besides, his writing style is rare among science writers. His style is comparable to the other great stylist among geneticists, Professor James F. Crow.

Principles of Population Genetics, Fourth Edition

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Principles of Population Genetics
Check covers
A must-own.

Principles of Population Genetics, Fourth Edition
Daniel L. Hartl , and Andrew G. Clark
Manufacturer: Sinauer Associates, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Population Genetics: A Concise Guide
A Primer of Population Genetics
Molecular Markers, Natural History, and Evolution
The Origins of Genome Architecture
Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th Edition)

ASIN: 0878933085
Release Date: 2006-12-31

Book Description

Principles of Population Genetics, Third Edition, provides a balanced presentation of theory and observation for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In response to suggestions from students and instructors, the book has been trimmed more than 100 pages and rewritten with the goal to optimize its use as a teaching aid. It introduces the principles of genetics and statistics that are relevant to population studies, and examines the forces affecting genetic variation from the molecular to the organismic level. Integrated throughout the book are descriptions of molecular methods used to study variation in natural populations, as well as explanations of the relevant estimation theory using actual data. Chapter 1 presents the fundamental genetic and statistical concepts in population genetics. Chapter 2 reviews the types and prevalence of genetic variation in natural populations. This is followed in Chapter 3 by a detailed examination of the implications of random mating for one locus and multiple loci. Chapter 4 examines population subdivision and its consequences for the distribution of genetic variation among subpopulations, including the hierarchical F statistics used in estimating these effects. Chapters 5 through 7 deal with mutation, migration, natural selection in all its varieties, and the consequences of random genetic drift. Molecular population genetics, including coalescent theory, is the subject of Chapter 8. Quantitative genetics is covered in Chapter 9, from the standpoint of genetic variance and covariance components as well as with respect to molecular markers used to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Applications of principles discussed in the text are illustrated by numerous examples of worked problems, using actual data. Each chapter end, in addition to a complete summary, offers several problems for solution, to reinforce and further develop the concepts.

Customer Reviews:

Principles of Population Genetics.......2007-01-28

It is a classical text, but it lack of a chapter on Conservation Genetics

Check covers.......2005-09-22

Comparing this book with others purchased before this is in a very bad condition. I have to fix the cover.

A must-own........1998-02-06

A new revision of a work I already thought perfect. Adds population genetic approaches using new molecular techniques. Superb.

Population Genetics and Microevolutionary Theory

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New textbook in population genetics offers unique perspectives
A New Text Reflecting the Latest Developments

Population Genetics and Microevolutionary Theory
Alan R. Templeton
Manufacturer: Wiley-Liss
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Principles of Population Genetics, Fourth Edition
Gene Genealogies, Variation and Evolution: A Primer in Coalescent Theory
Computational Molecular Evolution (Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution)
Evolutionary Pathways in Nature: A Phylogenetic Approach
Statistical Methods in Molecular Evolution (Statistics for Biology and Health)

ASIN: 0471409510

Book Description

The advances made possible by the development of molecular techniques have in recent years revolutionized quantitative genetics and its relevance for population genetics. Population Genetics and Microevolutionary Theory takes a modern approach to population genetics, incorporating modern molecular biology, species-level evolutionary biology, and a thorough acknowledgment of quantitative genetics as the theoretical basis for population genetics.

Logically organized into three main sections on population structure and history, genotype-phenotype interactions, and selection/adaptation
Extensive use of real examples to illustrate concepts
Written in a clear and accessible manner and devoid of complex mathematical equations
Includes the author's introduction to background material as well as a conclusion for a handy overview of the field and its modern applications
Each chapter ends with a set of review questions and answers
Offers helpful general references and Internet links

Customer Reviews:

New textbook in population genetics offers unique perspectives .......2007-02-19

This latest textbook in population genetics flies above and beyond any other textbook I've read in the field because of its clarity and depth of coverage.

Templeton offers new and unique insights in several key topics in population genetics, and he gives plenty of caveats throughout where important population genetics concepts have been misunderstood. For example, his coverage of inbreeding cofficients is exceptional, and he rightly points out how different inbreeding coefficients are wrongly used in the literature. His approach throughout is multi-dimentional, encompassing the interaction between different evolutionary forces and always stressing the prime importance of population history. A very thorough discussion on the use of linkage disequilibrium in medical genetics is also included.

Does this book have any weak points? It's hard to point out any, such was my overall highly positive impression from reading the book.

Templeton's scholarship is vast and deep, as is his publication record. The unique perspectives offered by this book certainly puts it among the best science books I own.

A New Text Reflecting the Latest Developments.......2006-09-29

Population genetics is concerned with the origin, amount, and distribution of genetic variation present in populations of organisms and the fate of this variation through space and time. As such it is dealing with the mechanisms by which evolution occurs within populations and species, the ultimate basis for all evolutionary change.

It is not a new science, but like the rest of biology has seen significant change occurring as problems of species extinction and environmental degradation became important to students of conservation biology, and as the analytical methods developed for population genetics have been found to be useful in many areas of genomics.

This book provides a basic foundation in population genetics for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. While the book is not primarily mathematical in its approach, the student should have at least a beginning understanding of calculus.

Dr. Templeton is the Charles Rebstock Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis with joint appointments in Genetics and Biomedical Engineering.

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DNA and British Ancestors
Musguided interpretation of a scientific fact extrapolated into junk
Very interesting!
There are better books about the subject
Good, informative book

The Seven Daughters of Eve
Bryan Sykes
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland
Adam's Curse: A Future without Men
The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey
Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree
Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project

ASIN: 0393323145

Book Description

The national bestseller that reveals how we are descended from seven prehistoric women. One of the most dramatic stories of genetic discovery since James Watson's The Double Helix, The Seven Daughters of Eve reveals the remarkable story behind a groundbreaking scientific discovery. After being summoned in 1997 to an archaeological site to examine the remains of a five-thousand-year-old man, Bryan Sykes ultimately was able to prove not only that the man was a European but also that he has living relatives in England today. In this lucid, absorbing account, Sykes reveals how the identification of a particular strand of DNA that passes unbroken through the maternal line allows scientists to trace our genetic makeup all the way back to prehistoric times, to seven primeval women, the Seven Daughters of Eve.

Customer Reviews:

DNA and British Ancestors.......2007-07-14

The author writes with a wonderful style that explains scientific subjects fully. This book is the first of several on examining the groups found in Europe by DNA patterns. This book is of great interest to descendants of British ancestors. The author's categories of groups of "clan mothers" are both fascinating and informative, especially for those interested in genealogy. The reader can get a real thrill of the complexity of this science especially when you have had your DNA examined and you know which of the seven you belong to. Sykes has written stories based on archaeology showing the kinds of lives these "mothers" may have lived. To know that you have descended from a woman living in a cave and surviving the last Ice Age brings the meaning of survival right home. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history and genealogy.

Musguided interpretation of a scientific fact extrapolated into junk.......2007-05-18

This is a book popularizing a scientific fact. In it, the author describes several characters representing branches of a genetic tree, and brings them to life based on theoretical timelines, which could place these individuals in particular times and places. Because the "trait" being followed is passed only through females, the individuals represented in each genetic branch of the tree are female, and called "Eves".

One of many problems is that the author assumes that genetic mutations are introduced at a constant rate. By examining many different current versions of the " trait " - the DNA of a cellular component called mitrochondria - one could theorize how long it would take to go back in time to when there was only one version, or this case seven versions. In fact, genetic variation typically takes place at very different rates over long periods of time. The concept of punctuated equilibrium, for example, shows that a population may be rapidly enriched for a certain variation of a genetic trait, if one should suddenly prove more advantageous. Similarly, isolated populations may lack diversification for exceptionally long periods of time on a geological, or evolutionary scale. This wreaks havoc on placing fictional characters in specific times and locations, and describing their lives, without supporting anthropological data, for example.

Several people that I spoke to who had read the book for a discussion group, all left with the impression that these "Eves" walked out of a forest fully formed, with no mention of the crushing onslaught of other evidence in human evolution, or the examination of the other 30,000 genes thus identified in the human genome. They were also drawn to the convenient coincidence that the author's lab, for a fee, will tell the reader which fictional character they are related to.

While mitochondrial DNA is actually passed only through female lines, the book took far too many liberties in extrapolating that fact into a bin of nonsense. Its lack of references, peer reviewed material, or mention of other relevant scientific, and evolutionary facts, was more than a little frightening to me, especially from the Department Head of a prestigious University, who should know better.

Very interesting!.......2007-04-20

This was one of those books I read in one day because I just couldn't put it down. It was so different from anything I'd read before (even given that I was an anthropology student back in the dark ages). Granted that his portraits of the seven clan mothers are fictitious, I found it interesting to speculate on their lives, given the time period and geographic areas in which they must have lived. I also found the whole scientific process interesting to follow - quite the drama in itself.

There are better books about the subject.......2007-03-02

I am interested about haplogroups and do not regret buying the book. However, I do not consider the book particularly good.
First half of the book was at least interesting reading (more about history of DNA science than those Seven Daughters).
Second half was quite different. I do not mind at all including the fictional stories about these "seven daughters" in the book - these stories were just not very interesting! And they appear to represent some "peaceful past" mythology where in distant past no human-to-humal violence exist, females had much more rights than their sisters in 21th century in most of world and only violent event could be attack of some carnivorous predator like leopard.
(I am surprised that Ursula was allowed to get pregnant at the age of 15, how come these nice and admirable law abinding citizens of 40000 BC were not heard that UK age of consent is 16)

Good, informative book.......2007-02-04

Bryan Sykes, a professor of genetics at Oxford, has written a very good, informative book, on how DNA has been used in an unlikely endeavor: to help trace the history of the human race, after they left Africa. You see, human DNA changes at a particular rate in time, so this allows us to identify when the different human groups split from one another. The book is a bit eurocentric (one can almost forgive that, given that Sykes is an European) as most of the book deals with the origins of the European people. He found that almost all (native, not recent immigrants) Europeans descend from a particular woman (the Eve of the title) who lived during the Ice Age (Sykes tentatively places her as having lived in what is today Syria). From "Eve" are descended seven different European subgroups that Sykes is able to identify in those who want it through a saliva sample (he has founded a company to do that, so he is a bit of an entrepeneur, something that fellow scientists probably will not like). More tentatively, and drawing on archaelogical records, Sykes imagines the lives of those seven daughters of Eve. Another thing to criticize in the book is Sykes egolatry: he always speaks about himself, and criticize those who in the scientific community had taken a different opinion on a particular issue.

Conservation and the Genetics of Populations

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Conservation and the Genetics of Populations

Conservation and the Genetics of Populations
Fred Allendorf , and Gordon Luikart
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Molecular Ecology
Introduction to Conservation Genetics
Evolutionary Pathways in Nature: A Phylogenetic Approach
Genetics of Populations (Biological Science (Jones and Bartlett))
Molecular Markers, Natural History, and Evolution

ASIN: 1405121459

Book Description

This important book provides a thorough understanding of the genetic basis of biological problems in conservation. Conservation and the Genetics of Populations gives a comprehensive overview of the essential background, concepts, and tools needed to understand how genetic information can be used to develop conservation plans for species threatened with extinction.Loss of biodiversity is among the greatest problems facing the world today, but thanks to new molecular technologies, statistical methods, and computer programs, genetic theories and methods are becoming increasingly useful in the conservation of biological diversity. Using a balance of data and theory, and basic and applied research, Conservation and the Genetics of Populations examines genetic and phenotypic variation in natural populations, the principles and mechanisms of evolutionary change, the interpretation of genetic data from natural populations, and how this may be applied to conservation. The book includes examples from both plants and animals, as well as from natural and captive populations.Written in an accessible style, each chapter includes discussion questions and problems to aid understanding, and also features a Guest Box authored by leading people in the field. An associated website (www.blackwellpublishing.com/allendorf) contains solutions to questions, example data sets, and software programs to illustrate population genetic processes and methods of data analysis.This book is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of conservation genetics, natural resource management, and conservation biology, as well as professional conservation biologists working for wildlife and habitat management agencies.

Customer Reviews:

Conservation and the Genetics of Populations .......2007-05-15

This is a good book for class preparation!!

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Essential Mathematical Biology
Nicholas F. Britton
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Mathematical Models in Biology: An Introduction
Mathematical Biology II
Mathematical Models in Biology (Classics in Applied Mathematics)
Differential Equations and Mathematical Biology
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Accessories:

Systems Biology: International Research and Development
Mathematics for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering)
Mathematics for Life Science and Medicine (Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering)

ASIN: 185233536X

Book Description

Essential Mathematical Biology is a self-contained introduction to the fast-growing field of mathematical biology. Written for students with a mathematical background, it sets the subject in its historical context and then guides the reader towards questions of current research interest, providing a comprehensive overview of the field and a solid foundation for interdisciplinary research in the biological sciences.

A broad range of topics is covered including: Population dynamics, Infectious diseases, Population genetics and evolution, Dispersal, Molecular and cellular biology, Pattern formation, and Cancer modelling.

This book will appeal to 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students studying mathematical biology. A background in calculus and differential equations is assumed, although the main results required are collected in the appendices. A dedicated website at www.springer.co.uk/britton/ accompanies the book and provides further exercises, more detailed solutions to exercises in the book, and links to other useful sites.

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