Ongoing evolutionary outcomes

Abstract Explores the diversity of nature’s evolutionary outcomes to illustrate and inspire how future traits could be shaped by genetic welding. Shows the wonders of adaptation in nature, using themes of teeth, visual and odor sensation, body-size gigantism and dwarfism, and flight. Documents both...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cutter, Asher D.
Format: Book Part
Language:unknown
Published: Oxford University PressOxford 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198874522.003.0010
https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/50802474/oso-9780198874522-chapter-10.pdf
Description
Summary:Abstract Explores the diversity of nature’s evolutionary outcomes to illustrate and inspire how future traits could be shaped by genetic welding. Shows the wonders of adaptation in nature, using themes of teeth, visual and odor sensation, body-size gigantism and dwarfism, and flight. Documents both living and extinct creatures with lessons from experiments and fossils, macroevolutionary patterns of diversification among species, microevolution within species, and molecular genetic mechanisms. Illustrates the constraints of physical laws and how animals skirt the boundaries of those laws. Highlights examples from sharks, baleen whales, narwhal, cichlid fish, dogs, beach mice, and birds, as well as the infrared vision of deep-sea fishes and the ribs-as-wings of lizards. Describes how the outcomes of evolution are works in progress, continuing to be subject to genetic change.