Recent Evolutionary Biology book discussions
The Adaptive Landscape in Evolutionary Biology edited by Erik Svensson and Ryan Calsbeek
The ‘Adaptive Landscape’ has been a central concept in population genetics and evolutionary biology since this powerful metaphor was first formulated by Sewall Wright in 1932. This volume brings together prominent historians of science, philosophers, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists, with the aim of discussing the state of the art of the Adaptive Landscape from several different perspectives. Reading schedule Fall 2012
Evolution: The Extended Synthesis edited by Pigliucci and Müller
In 2008, 16 biologists and philosophers of science converged in Altenberg, Austria to discuss the future of evolutionary theory. Two years later, they present their ideas in the form of an edited volume. Evolution recently published a review of the book (Travis 2011) which provides a nice summary. Reading schedule Spring 2011
Evolutionary Biology Discussion
The Adaptive Landscape in Evolutionary Biology
Edited by Erik Svensson and Ryan Calsbeek
The ‘Adaptive Landscape’ has been a central concept in population genetics and evolutionary biology since this powerful metaphor was first formulated by Sewall Wright in 1932. Eighty years later, it has become a central framework in evolutionary quantitative genetics, selection studies in natural populations, and in studies of ecological speciation and adaptive radiations. Recently, the simple concept of adaptive landscapes in two dimensions (genes or traits) has been criticized and several new and more sophisticated versions of the original adaptive landscape evolutionary model have been developed in response. No published volume has yet critically discussed the past, present state, and future prospect of the adaptive landscape in evolutionary biology. This volume brings together prominent historians of science, philosophers, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists, with the aim of discussing the state of the art of the Adaptive Landscape from several different perspectives.
Interested in reading my book review? Check out my blog post at Nothing in Biology Makes Sense!
PART I: Historical Background and Philosophical Perspectives
Week 1: Aug 31
Ch 1: A Shifting Terrain: A Brief History of the Adaptive Landscape
(pp 3-15) [13]
Ch 2: Sewall Wright’s Adaptive Landscape: Philosophical Reflections
(pp 16-25) [10]
Ch 3: Landscapes, Surfaces and Morphospaces: What are they good for?
(pp 26-38) [13]
PART II: Controversies
Week 2: Sept 7
Ch 4: Wright’s Adaptive Landscape vs Fisher’s Fundamental Theorem
(pp 41-57) [17]
Week 3: Sept 14
Ch 5: Testing the Predictions of his Shifting Balance Theory
(pp 58-73) [16]
Ch 6: Wright’s Shifting Balance Theory and Probability of Peak Shifts
(pp 74-86) [12]
PART III: Applications
Week 4: Sept 21
Ch 7: Fluctuating Selection and Dynamic Adaptive Landscapes
(pp 89-109) [21]
Week 5: Sept 28
Ch 8: The Adaptive Landscape in Sexual Selection Research
(pp 110-125) [16]
Week 6: Oct 5
Ch 9: Analyzing and Comparing the Geometry of Individual Fitness Surfaces
(pp 126-149) [24]
Week 7: Oct 12
Ch 10: Adaptive Accuracy and Adaptive Landscapes
(pp 150-168) [19]
Week 8: Oct 19
Ch 11: Empirical Insights into Adaptive Landscapes from Experimental Evolution
(pp 169-179) [11]
Ch 12: How Humans Influence Evolution on Adaptive Landscapes
(pp 180-202) [23]
PART IV: Speciation and Macroevolution
Week 9: Oct 26
Ch 13: Adaptive Landscapes and Macroevolutionary Dynamics
(pp 205-226) [22]
Week 10: Nov 2
Ch 14: Adaptive Dynamics: a Framework for Modeling
(pp 227-242) [16]
Week 11: Nov 9
Ch 15: Adaptive Landscapes, Evolution, and the Fossil Record
(pp 243-256) [14]
PART V: Development, Form, and Function
Week 12: Nov 16
Ch 16: Mimicry, Saltational Evolution, and the Crossing of Fitness Valleys
(pp 259-270) [12]
Ch 17: High-dimensional Adaptive Landscapes Facilitate Evolutionary Innovation
(pp 271-282) [12]
Week 13: Nov 30
Ch 18: Phenotype Landscapes, Adaptive Landscapes, and the Development
(pp 283-295) [13]
PART VI: Concluding Remarks
Week 14: Dec 7
Ch 19: The Past, the Present, and the Future of the Adaptive Landscape
(pp 299-308) [10]