Evolutionary Biology: Exobiology and Evolutionary Mechanisms

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. History of Great Discoveries

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. The First Experiments on Ascidian and Sea Urchin Eggs Fertilization

      • Margherita Raineri, Erki Tammiksaar

      Pages 3-17

3. Evolutionary Biology Concepts

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 19-19

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   2. Ontic Openness as Key Factor in the Evolution of Biological Systems

      • Søren Nors Nielsen, Claus Emmeche

      Pages 21-36

   3. Effects of Epistasis and Pleiotropy on Fitness Landscapes

      • Bjørn Østman

      Pages 37-46

4. Exobiology and the Origin of Life

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 47-47

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   2. The Origin of Life, Evolution, and Functional Organization

      • Wim Hordijk, Mike Steel, Stuart Kauffman

      Pages 49-60

   3. Interactions of Clay Minerals with RNA Components

      • Hideo Hashizume, Sjerry van der Gaast, Benny K. G. Theng

      Pages 61-79

   4. Bottom–Up Protocell Design: Gaining Insights in the Emergence of Complex Functions

      • Rafał Wieczorek, Michael C. Wamberg, Anders N. Albertsen, Philipp M. G. Löffler, Pierre-Alain Monnard

      Pages 81-94

   5. From Life to Exolife: The Interdependence of Astrobiology and Evolutionary Biology

      • Jack T. O’Malley-James, Stefanie Lutz

      Pages 95-108

   6. The Possible Roles of Water in the Prebiotic Chemical Evolution of DNA: An Approach by Single Molecule Studies

      • Shuxun Cui

      Pages 109-123

5. Evolutionary Mechanisms

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 125-125

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   2. Domain Architecture Evolution of Metazoan Proteins

      • László Patthy

      Pages 127-144

   3. Of Trees and Bushes: Phylogenetic Networks as Tools to Detect, Visualize and Model Reticulate Evolution

      • Antonio Hernandez-Lopez

      Pages 145-164

   4. Horizontal Acquisition of Prokaryotic Genes for Eukaryote Functioning and Niche Adaptation

      • Maxime Bruto, Claire Prigent-Combaret, Patricia Luis, Grégory Hoff, Yvan Moënne-Loccoz, Daniel Muller

      Pages 165-179

   5. Molecular Evolution of Disrupted Transfer RNA Genes and Their Introns in Archaea

      • Akio Kanai

      Pages 181-193

   6. Memory of Temperature in the Seasonal Control of Flowering Time: An Unexplored Link Between Meteorology and Molecular Biology

      • Hiroshi Kudoh, Atsushi J. Nagano

      Pages 195-215

   7. Current Approaches in Spatial Genetics

      • V. Montano, A. Eriksson, A. Manica, Y. Moodley

      Pages 217-229

   8. Consequences of Segregation and Genetic Exchange on Adaptability in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF)

      • Caroline Angelard, Ian R. Sanders

      Pages 231-243

This book presents 19 selected contributions to the 16th Evolutionary Biology Meeting, which took place in September 2012 in Marseilles. The aims of these annual meetings, which gather together leading evolutionary biologists and other scientists, are to promote the exchange of ideas and to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations. The first chapter deals with the history of a great discovery: The first experiments on ascidian and sea urchin egg fertilization. The remaining contributions are grouped under the following categories:

·       Evolutionary biology concepts

·       Exobiology and the origin of life

·       Evolutionary mechanisms

Offering an up-to-date overview of recent findings in the field of evolutionary biology, this book is an invaluable source of information for scientists, teachers and advanced students.

• Biodiversiy
• Evolution
• Evolutionary biology concepts
• Modeling
• Phylogeny
• Systematic Botany

“The reviewed volume is an important contribution to the understanding of the life origin and development. Evidently, biologists (including geneticists and astrobiologists) are its target audience, but palaeobiologists and geobiologists (professionals and students with very advanced knowledge) should not miss it, too. The book will give the latter a number of highly interesting ideas for further thoughts.” (Dmitry A. Ruban, Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie, Issue 5-6, 2014)

• CNRS UMR 6632, Labo. Evolution Biologique et, Université d'Aix-Marseille, Marseille CX 03, France

  Pierre Pontarotti

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