Key Transitions in Animal Evolution

The origin of multicellular animals and how multicellularity evolved is one of those difficult and delicate biological problems that has been pondered over for centuries. This book attempts to summarize some of the more recent results in phylogenetics and developmental biology that address the evolution of key innovations in metazoans. The book has three main sections. The first section contains five chapters that address the phylogenetic issues involving this part of the tree of life. Even though modern genome technology has made it possible to study these issues using a vast information database the elucidation of the relationships in this part of the tree of life continues to be elusive. The second section of the book addresses some of the more prominent questions concerning the developmental biology of metazoan evolution. The topics in this section focus on nervous system development, sensory organ development and developmental systems. The third section of the book focuses on the evolution of pattern and process in the incredible forms of life that we call Metazoa. The topics covered in this part of the book include the evolution of life histories, ecological associations and the evolution of biogeochmical aspects of metazoa. The book has over 40 illustrations and an up to date bibliography of over 500 references. Each chapter concludes with a set of questions for study and discussion to assist instructors and students in delving more deeply into the topics covered by the seventeen chapters in the book--