Evolving Pathways - Key Themes in Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel

Evolutionary developmental biology, or evo-devo, examines how evolution and development connect through mechanisms that generate organismal form and the developmental origins of variation. Evolving Pathways addresses expanding research data by supporting debate across diverse approaches, spanning developmental genetics, comparative morphology, and palaeontology. The volume offers researchers and graduate students an overview of current findings as the field works to close major gaps in understanding evolutionary change.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages444

Reading Time11 h 24 min

AccessFree to download

Contributors

Preface

Introduction: Pathways of change

Part I

Thinking about evolution by taking development on board

Part II

Evo-devo: methods and materials

Part III

Evolving diversity

Part IV

Evolving body features

Index

Evolving Pathways Key Themes in Evolutionary Developmental Biology Evolutionary developmental biology, or ‘evo-devo’, is the study of the relationship between evolution and development. Dealing speciﬁcally with the generative mechanisms of organismal form, evo-devo goes straight to the core of the developmental origin of variation, the raw material on which natural selection (and random drift) can work. Evolving Pathways responds to the growing volume of data in this ﬁeld, with its potential to answer fundamental questions in biology, by fuelling debate through contributions that represent a diversity of approaches. Topics range from developmental genetics to comparative morphology of animals and plants alike, including palaeontology. Researchers and graduate students will ﬁnd this book a valuable overview of current research as we begin to ﬁll a major gap in our perception of evolutionary change. ALESSANDRO MINELLI is currently Professor of Zoology at the University of Padova, Italy. An honorary fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, he was a founding member and vice-president of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology. He has served as president of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, and is on the editorial board of multiple learned journals, including Evolution & Development. He is the author of The Development of Animal Form (2003) . GIUSEPPE FUSCO is Assistant Professor of Zoology at the University of Padova, Italy, where he teaches Evolutionary Biology. His main research work is in the morphological evolution and post-embryonic development of arthropods, with particular reference to the role of segmentation in the Chilopoda. Evolving Pathways Key Themes in Evolutionary Developmental Biology Edited by ALESSANDRO MINELLI GIUSEPPE FUSCO University of Padova, Italy CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York [www.cambridge.org](www.cambridge.org)[ ](www.cambridge.org)Information on this [title: www.cambridge.org/9780521875004](title: www.cambridge.org/9780521875004) \# Cambridge University Press 2008 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2008 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data ISBN 978-0-521-88024-4 hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Contents Contributors page ix Preface xiii Introduction: Pathways of change xv Part I 1 Thinking about evolution by taking development on board 1 Evo-devo as a discipline 5 GER D B . MÜLLER 2 Making evolutionary predictions about the structure of development and morphology: beyond the neo-Darwinian and constraints paradigms 31 ISAA C SAL A ZAR-CIUDAD 3 Conﬂicting hypotheses on the nature of mega-evolution 50 WALL AC E A RT HUR 4 Prospects of evo-devo for linking pattern and process in the evolution of morphospace 62 PAU L M . BRAKE FIEL D 5 The molecular biology underlying developmental evolution 80 CL AU DIO R . ALO N SO 6 Evo-devo’s identity: from model organisms to developmental types 100 RONALD A . JENNER vi Contents Part II 121 Evo-devo: methods and materials 7 A pragmatic approach for selecting evo-devo model species in amniotes AT HA NA S I A C . TZI KA AND MICHEL C . MI LI NK OV ITC

FAQs

What is evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) focused on?

It studies the relationship between evolution and development, especially the generative mechanisms behind organismal form and the developmental origins of variation.

What kinds of topics does the book cover?

Coverage ranges from developmental genetics and comparative morphology of animals and plants to palaeontology, with discussion of methods and materials across evo-devo research.

Who is the book intended for?

Researchers and graduate students seeking an overview of current research, particularly as the field refines its understanding of evolutionary change.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel