Modularity in Development and Evolution

Download or read book Modularity in Development and Evolution written by Gerhard Schlosser and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2004-07 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modularity in Development and Evolution offers the first sustained exploration of modules from developmental and evolutionary perspectives. Contributors discuss what modularity is, how it can be identified and modeled, how it originated and evolved, and its biological significance. Covering modules at levels ranging from genes to colonies, the book focuses on their roles not just in structures but also in processes such as gene regulation. Among many exciting findings, the contributors demonstrate how modules can highlight key constraints on evolutionary processes. A timely synthesis of a crucial topic, Modularity in Development and Evolution shows the invaluable insights modules can give into both developmental complexities and their evolutionary origins.