Book about mechanisms of evolution?

[Sisifo]

Can anyone advice me on a book, throughful explanations, but with comprehensive language, about evolution in a genetics perspective, especially about the role of virus and retrovirus in the evolunionary process?

Also and in the same topic, another one (ideally, the same one, but it's ok...) about an impartial analysis on the theories of slow and fast evolution?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Can anyone advice me on a book, throughful explanations, but with comprehensive language, about evolution in a genetics perspective, especially about the role of virus and retrovirus in the evolunionary process?

Also and in the same topic, another one (ideally, the same one, but it's ok...) about an impartial analysis on the theories of slow and fast evolution?

What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters, Donald Prothero

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
~ Neil Shubin

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Keep this page open while you're reading.

[Sisifo]

Thank you to both, but they look more books about evolution historics and milestones, and evolution/creationism debate. What I am actually looking for, is the molecular mechanisms that take place and which actually can be perceived as evolutionary steps. Especifically, gene activation, gene deactivation, and gene mutation. And if it can be possible, to what extent DNA manipulation from viruses and retroviruses is implied.
I'm more into the laboratory tests and observation than fossils and paleonthology, in this case.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Thank you to both, but they look more books about evolution historics and milestones, and evolution/creationism debate. What I am actually looking for, is the molecular mechanisms that take place and which actually can be perceived as evolutionary steps. Especifically, gene activation, gene deactivation, and gene mutation. And if it can be possible, to what extent DNA manipulation from viruses and retroviruses is implied.
I'm more into the laboratory tests and observation than fossils and paleonthology, in this case.

Check out the Prothero. I had to back up and read some introductory material before taking it on, but it is brilliant. Get it from a library if you want to check it out to make sure it has what you want. He covers all your points.

[Sisifo]

Thank you to both, but they look more books about evolution historics and milestones, and evolution/creationism debate. What I am actually looking for, is the molecular mechanisms that take place and which actually can be perceived as evolutionary steps. Especifically, gene activation, gene deactivation, and gene mutation. And if it can be possible, to what extent DNA manipulation from viruses and retroviruses is implied.
I'm more into the laboratory tests and observation than fossils and paleonthology, in this case.

Check out the Prothero. I had to back up and read some introductory material before taking it on, but it is brilliant. Get it from a library if you want to check it out to make sure it has what you want. He covers all your points.

Ok, I'll order it. Thanks a lot. I'm really intrigued about the topic.
No English libraries here, remember. And all media content must be submitted to the Ministry of Culture for censorship... All my books have been smuggled by diplomatic pouch under the category of "Official Documents".

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Thank you to both, but they look more books about evolution historics and milestones, and evolution/creationism debate. What I am actually looking for, is the molecular mechanisms that take place and which actually can be perceived as evolutionary steps. Especifically, gene activation, gene deactivation, and gene mutation. And if it can be possible, to what extent DNA manipulation from viruses and retroviruses is implied.
I'm more into the laboratory tests and observation than fossils and paleonthology, in this case.

Check out the Prothero. I had to back up and read some introductory material before taking it on, but it is brilliant. Get it from a library if you want to check it out to make sure it has what you want. He covers all your points.

Ok, I'll order it. Thanks a lot. I'm really intrigued about the topic.
No English libraries here, remember. And all media content must be submitted to the Ministry of Culture for censorship... All my books have been smuggled by diplomatic pouch under the category of "Official Documents".

I've gotten around that kind of thing before.

[Psi Wavefunction]

Ooooh, the type of stuff I find most fun!

I'll look around (braindead right now... )... I can vaguely recall seeing some stuff, as I'm organising a seminar on evolution outside biology next term, and hoping to include humanities majors, and was thus looking for some humanities-major-accessible background readings.

The Origins of Genome Architecture by Michael Lunch is quite interesting and well-written, but may be a little too technical perhaps. On that note, Lynch 2007 PNAS (I can find the free access version...later...) has a nice discussion of neutral evolution, basically the last chapter of that book in a concise paper.

I haven't read it but perhaps Genes in Conflict: The biology of selfish genetic elements, by Burt and Trivers might interest you? It was given to me by an English lit prof who found it too difficult, but it doesn't look too bad for someone who has the time to put in to decipher it. It's aimed towards the educated/keen public.

Again, will look around for more once I have a chance... Let me know if any of those help!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Psi, have you read the Prothero, and if so do you have an opinion on it with regard to the OP?

[Psi Wavefunction]

Psi, have you read the Prothero, and if so do you have an opinion on it with regard to the OP?

Unfortunately, I haven't... worth adding to my queue that probably reaches to Uranus (ha ha ha) by now, and not gonna melt away considering my sucky slow reading speed...? (well, rather, the habit of reading 50 things in parallel...)

[Sisifo]

Ooooh, the type of stuff I find most fun!


The Origins of Genome Architecture by Michael Lunch is quite interesting and well-written, but may be a little too technical perhaps. On that note, Lynch 2007 PNAS (I can find the free access version...later...) has a nice discussion of neutral evolution, basically the last chapter of that book in a concise paper.

I haven't read it but perhaps Genes in Conflict: The biology of selfish genetic elements, by Burt and Trivers might interest you? It was given to me by an English lit prof who found it too difficult, but it doesn't look too bad for someone who has the time to put in to decipher it. It's aimed towards the educated/keen public.

Again, will look around for more once I have a chance... Let me know if any of those help!

I will try those two too, thanks, Psi. And I will also try Prothero's. I'll tell you about them when I get them and go through them...

[phhht]

For a brilliant, mathematically-oriented view of many of the issues you mention, see Evolutionary Dynamics, by Martin Nowak.

[JimC]

For a brilliant, mathematically-oriented view of many of the issues you mention, see Evolutionary Dynamics, by Martin Nowak.

I have that one. Interesting and quite probably brilliant, but a difficult read unless you are up to speed with the maths...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Can anyone advice me on a book, throughful explanations, but with comprehensive language, about evolution in a genetics perspective, especially about the role of virus and retrovirus in the evolunionary process?

Also and in the same topic, another one (ideally, the same one, but it's ok...) about an impartial analysis on the theories of slow and fast evolution?

What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters, Donald Prothero

This book does a better job than The Greatest Show on Earth, something I said before Monday, btw.