The origin of animal body plans

by Wallace Arthur

"The body of evolutionary theory that currently occupies a dominant position in biological thought is new-Darwinism. While this theory has considerable explanatory power, it is widely recognized as being incomplete in that lacks a component dealing with individual development, or ontogeny. This lack is particularly conspicuous in relation to attempts to explain the evolutionary origin of the 35 or so animal body plans, and of the developmental trajectories that generate them." "This book examines both the origin of body plans in particular and the evolution of animal development in general. In doing so, it ranges widely, covering topics as diverse as comparative developmental genetics, selection theory and Vendian/Cambrian fossils. Particular emphasis is placed on gene duplication, changes in spatiotemporal gene-expression patterns, internal selection, coevolution of interacting genes, and coadaptation." "The book will be of particular interest to researchers and students in evolutiona