The Whole Organism, and nothing but the Organism

Both books draw wonderfully from all levels of evolu-traced to changes in a relatively small number of genes. tion—from considering the developmental differences While all these other considerations are valid, they do between closely related species to macroevolutionary not detract from the clear elegance of the arguments. questions of the origins of phyla. It is in the " deep time " These books, to me, seem best suited for slightly questions of macroevolution that both books really allow different audiences. The work by Carroll, Grenier, and the authors to expound on their own philosophies and Weatherbee is an outstanding book for an advanced viewpoints of how development has evolved. Interpreta-undergraduate course or an introductory graduate stu-tion of these sorts of macroevolutionary data, such as dent course in evolution and development, while David-the conserved patterns and apparent functions of Distal-son's book is an excellent one for students who already less in all animal limbs and Pax6 in all animal eyes, are have a good background in development and genetics. still controversial. While both groups began historically For the scientist who is interested in learning more about with somewhat opposing ideas on this issue, these more the evo/devo field, both books make for excellent read-recent efforts reveal a certain convergence of interpre-ing. For those pursuing evo/devo questions, both are tation. essential references. The end of Roux's quote suggests There are a few minor issues that I do have with both that our understanding of the relationship of evolution books. For example, while I understand that both are and development will still be relatively hypothetical. As focused on animal evolution, it would really have been with many evolutionary studies, really knowing the pre-useful to bring in some of the data from plant studies, cise events that occurred millions of years ago will prob-particularly since it appears that plants represent an ably be beyond our reach, but we now have a number independent " experiment " in the evolution of multicellu-of sound and testable hypotheses. larity and a complex body plan. Also, in its attempt to be concise and easily read, From DNA to Diversity does in the expression levels of Ubx between the second University of Chicago thoracic legs of D. melanogaster and D. simulans. How-Chicago, Illinois 60637 ever, Stern indicated that these differences were not directly visible by immunolocalization of the Ubx protein, but instead were inferred from genetic experiments. In a …