Bøker i Evolutionary Cell Biology-serien

Although it is the defining organ of Chordates, the notochord is perhaps the least understood of vertebrate organs because it is usually considered a transient structure only present in early embryonic development.

Few, if any, genes have had the same level of impact on the field of evolutionary-developmental biology (evo-devo) as the Hox genes. These genes are renowned for their roles in patterning the body plans and development of the animal kingdom.

Phenotypic plasticity - the ability of an individual organism to alter its features in direct response to a change in its environment - is ubiquitous. This book brings together researchers who approach plasticity from diverse perspectives to explore new ideas and recent findings about the causes and consequences of plasticity.

Most vertebrate cranial sense organs arise from placodes. These placodes give rise to sensory neurons that transmit information to the brain and neurosecretory cells. This book reviews the evolutionary origin of the sensory and neurosecretory cell types. It summarizes our current understanding of vertebrate evolution, clarifies conceptual issues relating to homology and evolutionary innovation of cell types, compares the sensory and neurosecretory cell types with similar cell types in other animals, and addresses the question of how cranial placodes evolved as novel structures in vertebrates by redeploying pre-existing and sometimes evolutionarily ancient cell types.

This volume will use a comparative approach to survey the development of the neural crest in vertebrates, and neural crest-like cells, across the metazoa. This information will be used to reveal neural crest evolution and identify the genomic, genetic, and gene-regulatory changes that drove them.

Most of the cranial sense organs of vertebrates arise from embryonic structures known as cranial placodes. Such placodes also give rise to sensory neurons that transmit information to the brain as well as to many neurosecretory cells. This book focuses on the development of sensory and neurosecretory cell types from cranial placodes by introducing the vertebrate head with its sense organs and neurosecretory organs and providing an overview of the various cranial placodes and their derivatives, including evidence of common embryonic primordia. Schlosser discusses how these primordia are established in the early embryo and how individual placodes develop. The latter chapters explain how various placodally derived sensory and neurosecretory cell types differentiate into discrete structures.

This book is an overview of sensory maps. The eight primary sensory maps of vertebrates have unique features and use distinct molecular cues. As an introduction and overview, the book provides a short overview for all eight sensory senses - olfactory, vision, trigeminal, taste, vestibular, auditory, lateral line, and electroreception.

This book examines the origins and subsequent evolution of multicellularity. The transition from unicellular to multicellular life was one of a few major events in the history of life that created new opportunities for more complex biological systems to evolve.

This volume will use a comparative approach to survey the development of the neural crest in vertebrates, and neural crest-like cells, across the metazoa. This information will be used to reveal neural crest evolution and identify the genomic, genetic, and gene-regulatory changes that drove them.

This volume demonstrates the role of cellular mechanisms producing traits defining primates such as encephalization and various sensory systems. We highlight how genetic analysis, tissue and cell visualization, and merging Evo-Devo with cell biology combine to answer questions central to understanding human and primate evolution.

This volume demonstrates the role of cellular mechanisms in the production of specializations defining primates with respect to locomotion, energetics and diet. We highlight how genetic analysis, visualization of cells and tissues, and merging Evo-Devo with cell biology combine to answer questions central to understanding primate evolution.

Phenotypic plasticity ¿ the ability of an individual organism to alter its features in direct response to a change in its environment ¿ is ubiquitous. This book brings together researchers who approach plasticity from diverse perspectives to explore new ideas and recent findings about the causes and consequences of plasticity.

Most of the cranial sense organs of vertebrates arise from embryonic structures known as cranial placodes. Schlosser discusses how these primordia are established in the early embryo, how individual placodes develop, and how various placodally derived sensory and neurosecretory cell types differentiate into discrete structures.

This book examines protist-, animal- or plant-bacterial interactions and symbioses. These symbioses rely on continuous cell-to-cell communications. The goals of this book are to explore, explain and expose these dialogues across a broad spectrum of plant and animal eukaryotes to a broad field of biologists.

The book summarizes our views of how cells mediate evolution by transforming gene activity into evolutionary changes in morphology. Chapters explore Darwin's use of cells in his theory of evolution. Weismann's contrarian germ plasm theory will be assessed from several perspectives.

The evolution of animal diversity is strongly affected by the origin of novel cell and tissue types and their interactions with each other. This book reveals the interplay between gains and losses and provides readers with a better grasp of the evolutionary history of cell types.