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"Species" are central to understanding the origin and dynamics of biological diversity; explaining why lineages split into multiple distinct species is one of the main goals of evolutionary biology. However the existence of species is often taken for granted, and precisely what is meant by species and whether they really exist as a pattern of nature has rarely been modelled or critically tested. This novel book presents a synthetic overview of the evolutionary biology of species, describing what species are, how they form, the consequences of species boundaries and diversity for evolution, and patterns of species accumulation over time. The central thesis is that species represent more than just a unit of taxonomy; they are a model of how diversity is structured as well as how groups of related organisms evolve. The author adopts an intentionally broad approach, stepping back from the details to consider what species constitute, both theoretically and empirically, and how we detect them, drawing on a wealth of examples from microbes to multicellular organisms.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• 1 Introduction(p. 1)
• 1.1 Why species?(p. 1)
• 1.2 The evolutionary dynamics of species(p. 2)
• 1.3 Structure of the book(p. 5)
• 2 What are species?(p. 7)
• 2.1 Introduction(p. 7)
• 2.2 Definitions(p. 7)
• 2.3 The shape of biological diversity: the conventional species model(p. 9)
• 2.4 Multiple properties of species(p. 12)
• 2.5 Separating out the effects of alternative mechanisms(p. 15)
• 2.5.1 No diversifying processes(p. 15)
• 2.5.2 Just reproductive isolation(p. 16)
• 2.5.3 Just geographical structure(p. 19)
• 2.5.4 Reproductive isolation and geographic structure(p. 19)
• 2.5.5 Just ecological heterogeneity(p. 20)
• 2.5.6 Ecological divergence and reproductive isolation(p. 20)
• 2.5.7 Ecological divergence and geographical structure(p. 20)
• 2.5.8 Reproductive isolation, ecological divergence, and geographical structure(p. 21)
• 2.6 Which mechanisms are most important?(p. 21)
• 2.7 Alternative models for diversity(p. 25)
• 2.7.1 No evolutionary independence(p. 25)
• 2.7.2 Gradual decline in evolutionary dependence(p. 26)
• 2.7.3 Discrete and single-level species(p. 26)
• 2.7.4 Discrete but with multiple levels(p. 26)
• 2.8 Other representations of diversity(p. 27)
• 2.9 Conclusions(p. 29)
• 3 The evidence for species-phenotypic and genetic clustering(p. 30)
• 3.1 Introduction(p. 30)
• 3.2 Phenotypic clusters(p. 31)
• 3.3 Genetic clusters: single locus(p. 34)
• 3.3.1 Theory(p. 34)
• 3.3.2 Evidence(p. 41)
• 3.3.3 Partial isolation and sampling(p. 46)
• 3.3.4 Independent limitation causes clustering, not reproductive isolation(p. 47)
• 3.3.5 Single locus conclusions(p. 49)
• 3.4 Conclusions(p. 50)
• Appendix 3.1 A user's guide to coalescence(p. 50)
• 4 Why are there species? Arenas of recombination and selection(p. 52)
• 4.1 Introduction(p. 52)
• 4.2 Arenas of recombination from multiple loci(p. 52)
• 4.2.1 Theory(p. 53)
• 4.2.2 Evidence(p. 58)
• 4.2.3 Multiple loci conclusion(p. 66)
• 4.3 Units of divergent selection(p. 66)
• 4.3.1 Genetic data(p. 67)
• 4.3.2 Phenotypic traits(p. 70)
• 4.3.3 Units of selection conclusions(p. 76)
• 4.4 Prospects for whole-genome data(p. 77)
• 4.5 Conclusions(p. 82)
• 5 What causes speciation?(p. 83)
• 5.1 Introduction(p. 83)
• 5.2 Background(p. 83)
• 5.3 Geographical isolation(p. 86)
• 5.3.1 Evidence from geographical ranges of sister species(p. 86)
• 5.3.2 Evidence from oceanic islands(p. 89)
• 5.3.3 Geographical opportunity versus organismal responses(p. 92)
• 5.3.4 Geographical patterns of reproductive isolation(p. 94)
• 5.4 Divergent selection(p. 98)
• 5.4.1 Ecological divergence and reproductive isolation(p. 98)
• 5.4.2 Ecological traits and speciation(p. 99)
• 5.4.3 Spatial pattern of ecological divergence(p. 100)
• 5.4.4 Ecological opportunity versus organismal responses(p. 103)
• 5.5 Towards a dynamic and integrated model of speciation(p. 103)
• 5.5.1 Future avenues(p. 105)
• 5.6 Conclusions(p. 109)
• 6 Species and speciation without sex(p. 110)
• 6.1 Introduction(p. 110)
• 6.2 Theory of diversification in asexuals(p. 110)
• 6.3 Evidence for asexual species-bdelloid rotifers(p. 114)
• 6.4 Other asexual eukaryotes(p. 120)
• 6.5 Speciation across a continuum of recombination rates-bacteria(p. 121)
• 6.6 Speciation experiments in microbes(p. 128)
• 6.7 Conclusions(p. 130)
• 7 Species boundaries and contemporary evolution(p. 132)
• 7.1 Introduction(p. 132)
• 7.2 Background(p. 132)
• 7.3 A model of genetic interactions between species(p. 134)
• 7.4 Empirical evidence for permeable species boundaries and selection upon them(p. 138)
• 7.5 Genetic interactions between bacterial species(p. 140)
• 7.6 Genetic interactions via plasmid exchange in bacteria(p. 141)
• 7.7 Evidence for gene transfer networks and adaptive species boundaries in bacteria(p. 144)
• 7.8 Conclusions(p. 147)
• 8 Species interactions and contemporary evolution(p. 148)
• 8.1 Introduction(p. 148)
• 8.2 Evolution in a changing environment: single species(p. 148)
• 8.3 Evolution in a changing environment: two species(p. 151)
• 8.4 Evolutionary dynamics in a guild of species: a theoretical model(p. 154)
• 8.5 Evolutionary dynamics in microcosm experiments: tree-hole bacteria(p. 159)
• 8.6 Conclusions(p. 165)
• 9 Predicting evolution in diverse communities(p. 167)
• 9.1 Introduction(p. 167)
• 9.2 Motivating examples(p. 168)
• 9.2.1 Managing marine food webs adapting to climate change and fishing(p. 168)
• 9.2.2 Improving food security through the control of crop pests and pathogens(p. 170)
• 9.2.3 Antibiotics and alternative treatments for disease-causing bacteria(p. 171)
• 9.3 A model for predicting evolution in communities(p. 175)
• 9.4 Evolution and ecosystem functioning(p. 181)
• 9.5 Tracking evolution in whole communities(p. 183)
• 9.6 Do species matter?(p. 187)
• 9.7 Conclusions(p. 188)
• 10 How does species richness accumulate over time?(p. 189)
• 10.1 Introduction(p. 189)
• 10.2 Diversification rates(p. 190)
• 10.2.1 Background theory(p. 190)
• 10.2.2 Causes of variation in diversification rates(p. 192)
• 10.3 Geographical and ecological opportunity(p. 195)
• 10.4 Species turnover(p. 198)
• 10.5 Competition-based models of diversification(p. 202)
• 10.6 Separate limits(p. 207)
• 10.7 Individual selection versus species selection(p. 211)
• 10.8 Conclusions(p. 212)
• 11 Conclusions(p. 213)
• 11.1 Species are a model for the structure of biological diversity(p. 213)
• 11.2 Species, and the interactions among them, shape ongoing evolutionary dynamics(p. 214)
• 11.3 A shared framework for all domains of life(p. 215)
• 11.4 Evolutionary biology scales up(p. 216)
• 11.5 Genomes are coming-look busy(p. 217)
• 11.6 Predicting evolution in diverse systems(p. 218)
• References(p. 219)
• Index(p. 245)

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Timothy G. Barraclough is professor of evolutionary biology at Imperial College London, UK.