Molecular markers, natural history and evolution - J. C. Avise

Molecular approaches have opened new windows on a host of
ecological and evolutionary disciplines, ranging from population
genetics and
behavioral ecology to conservation biology and
systematics.

Molecular Markers, Natural History and Evolution summarizes the
multi-faceted discoveries about organisms in nature that have stemmed
from analyses of genetic markers provided by polymorphic proteins and
DNAs. The first part of the book introduces rationales for the use of
molecular markers, provides a history of molecular phylogenetics, and
describes a wide variety of laboratory methods and interpretative
tools in the field. The second and major portion of the book provides
a cornucopia of biological applications for molecular markers,
organized along a scale from micro-evolutionary topics (such as
forensics, parentage, kinship, population structure, and
intra-specific phylogeny) to macro-evolutionary themes (including
species relationships and the deeper phylogenetic structure in the
tree of life). Unlike most prior books in molecular evolution, the
focus is on organismal natural history and evolution, with the
macromolecules being the means rather than the ends of scientific
inquiry. Written as an intellectual stimulus for the advanced
undergraduate, graduate student, or the practicing biologist desiring
a wellspring of research ideas at the interface of molecular and
organismal biology, this book presents material in a manner that is
both technically straightforward, yet rich with concepts and with
empirical examples from the world of nature.