Product Description

This concise introduction offers students and researchers an overview of the discipline that connects genetics and evolution. Addressing the theories behind population genetics and relevant empirical evidence, John Gillespie discusses genetic drift, natural selection, nonrandom mating, quantitative genetics, and the evolutionary advantage of sex. First published to wide acclaim in 1998, this brilliant primer has been updated to include new sections on molecular evolution, genetic drift, genetic load, the stationary distribution, and two-locus dynamics. This book is indispensable for students working in a laboratory setting or studying free-ranging populations.

Customer Reviews (5)

short but good
I am a retired professor of population genetics and I should like to keep myself in the mainstraim of population genetics. There are several recent good books on this topic, but they are quite expensive. Since much time I know the author as one of the best theoretician in population genetics, author of an excellent but hard to understand fully without serious efforts.
The present book is in principle destined to students and the author is supposed to make an effort to render accessible his teaching. In this course, some parts are really very classical and easy to understand - actually, it was what I taught to my own students of "DEUG and "Maîtrise" level. Of course, it was not that which I looked for in this book. For instance I was interested by the concept of "coalescence" which is too recent for I am aware of it during my time of activity. And indeed, it is quite well explained by Gillespie. Frankly speakig, when it comes to the field of which the author is a leading specialist (and which is more familiar to me), things become of more difficult access. But I must confess that I have probably been less hungry of these subjects.
This book will relly bring the students who use it to a high level and they will prepared to access to the most advanced developments of population genetics - provided that they make the necessary effort!
Henri A Descimon
Honorary Professor
Université de Provence
France

Gillespie makes sense.
Theodosius Dobzhansky said, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."

Mike Lynch at Indiana University added, "Nothing in evolution makes sense except in the light of population genetics." (PNAS)

If such is the case, Gillespie's book is an essential guide and workbook through the foundation of biology in terms of mathematics and probability.

1.) The book flows.It begins with the basics of Hardy-Weinberg, and makes the mathematics of population genetics easy by building on the basics slowly through the book's chapters.Important mathematical background is addressed in the appendices.

2.) Each chapter has questions at the end to help crystallize the material.

3.) Examples from the scientific literature are used judiciously.

4.) Lucid explanation of genetic drift, the coalescent, and neutral theory are all provided.

I have nothing but the highest praise for this classic.

Not very "introductory"
I bought this book because I thought it would be a straightforward introduction to population genetics.The first two reviews were written by people who already seem to understand population genetics fairly well; for someone who was genuinely just starting out, however, I cannot say I found it particularly digestible.

Terms are used in this text without any definitions until much later on.Topics are also divided in such a way that they are introduced in one chapter in an advanced form, and then a basic form revealed later!A friend with ADHD attempted to explain a Monte Carlo simulation to me once, and reading this book kind of reminded of me of that.

Also, the book is littered with complex formulae that students are intended to decypher for themselves, with random notes in the back of the book that may or may not assist with this - often, no verbal/written attempt is made to explain what they are for.Students require clear descriptions of what a formula does, and how it can be applied, and in what sort of circumstances long, long before they give a damn about the proofs.

This was written by somebody very fond of navel gazing and showing off their 9th grade algebra and less about providing any instruction about population genetics.This needs to be a lot clearer and more concise in the future.More descriptions of when/where to use formulae, and what they are for.Use examples from actual organisms to make it interesting, and maybe somebody will actually read it.

place to start to learn pop gen
This is a wonderfully clear and concise introduction to population genetics. The emphasis is on fundamental insights gleaned from relatively simple models. If you want to learn something about this approach to studying evolution, start here.

Simply superb...
Many authors make population genetics a boring, and often a formidablediscipline in Biology.Therefore, many students avoid taking populationgenetics, inspite of its central importance in understanding manybiological processes. John Gillespie has intertwined theory with superbexperimental data.He has made population genetics accessable by allbiologists, and evenenjoyable, which is an incredible achievement.Besides, hiswriting style is rare among science writers.His style iscomparable to the other great stylist among geneticists, Professor James F.Crow. ... Read more

Product Description
This thoroughly updated Fourth Edition provides a balanced presentation of theory and observation. It introduces the principles of genetics and statistics that are relevant to population studies, and examines the forces affecting genetic variation from the molecular to the organismic level. Integrated throughout the book are descriptions of molecular methods used to study variation in natural populations, as well as explanations of the relevant estimation theory using actual data. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Basic literature for geneticists
This textbook provides readears an overview of all basic concepts and theories in population genetics, and is greatly based on both classic and current literature. In addition, detailed information is given when the authors treat the key subjects of each chapter. Hypotetical and factual examples of easy comprehension help us to understand better the subjects. There are many exercises after theoretical chapters that improve our sense of interpretation. This textbook is perfect for basic and advanced studendts, as well as for genetics lovers.

It's the Bible of population genetics
Well organized and easy to follow

For people who start studying population genetics, don't hesitate to select this book. It's awesome.

Mixed
The fourth edition is excellent in that all major topics in modern population genetics are covered and with a minimal need for advanced math.However, there are numerous small errors in both the text and the answers to problems posted.These errors are not a major obstacle for advanced users, but can be confusing to students new to population genetics, and especially those that have not had a math course in recent years.I recommend it over other texts for teaching, but students and instructors should be aware that these errors exist.

Principles of Population Genetics
It is a classical text, but it lack of a chapter on Conservation Genetics

A must-own.
A new revision of a work I already thought perfect. Adds population genetic approaches using new molecular techniques. Superb. ... Read more

Product Description
In response to many requests, the Third Edition of A Primer of Population Genetics has been dramatically shortened and streamlined for greater accessibility. Designed primarily for undergraduates, it will also serve for graduate students and professionals in biology and other sciences who desire a concise but comprehensive overview of the field with a primary focus on the integration of experimental results with theory. The abundance of experimental data generated by the use of molecular methods to study genetic polymorphisms sparked a transformation in the field of population genetics. Present in virtually all organisms, molecular polymorphisms allow populations to be studied without regard to species or habitat, and without the need for controlled crosses, mutant genes, or for any prior genetic studies. Thus a familiarity with population genetics has become essential for any biologist whose work is at the population level. These fields include evolution, ecology, systematics, plant breeding, animal breeding, conservation and wildlife management, human genetics, and anthropology. Population genetics seeks to understand the causes of genetic differences within and among species, and molecular biology provides a rich repertoire of techniques for identifying these differences.The book is organized as a user's guide to population genetics.Chapter 1 starts with the basic concepts of molecular genetics and examines the principal methods by which DNA (or proteins) can be manipulated to reveal genetic polymorphisms in any population. Chapter 1 also includes the principles of population genetics underlying the organization of genetic variation in populations, with special emphasis on random mating, linkage equilibrium and disequilibrium, and inbreeding.Chapter 2 examines the evolutionary processes that can change allele frequencies, including mutation, migration and population admixture, natural selection of various types, and random genetic drift. This chapter also includes an elementary explanation of the diffusion equations as used in population genetics.Chapter 3 is the core of molecular population genetics. It includes the analysis of nucleotide polymorphism and diversity based on coalescents, patterns of change in nucleotide and amino acid sequences with special emphasis on codon usage bias and amino acid polymorphisms, inferences based on comparisons of levels of polymorphism and divergence, molecular phylogenetics, and the population dynamics of transposable elements.Chapter 4 focuses on complex traits whose expression is influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors. It examines genetic effects on the components of phenotypic variation and the correlations between relatives, the evolution of quantitative traits in natural populations, and comes full circle with the use of molecular polymorphisms and candidate genes in the identification of quantitative trait loci underlying complex inheritance.As for mathematical rigor, while there are some equations, the emphasis is on explanation rather than derivation. Only elementary algebra is necessary to follow most of the material, but a familiarity with basic calculus is helpful for understanding diffusion equations, Poisson random fields, and complex threshold traits. Mathematical symbols are used consistently throughout the book, and when results from the theoretical literature are quoted, the original symbols have been changed as necessary to maintain consistency.Modern population genetics makes liberal use of acronyms-these are all defined in the text, and their interrelations and implications are discussed. For ease of reference there is a glossary of acronyms and other common abbreviations used in population genetics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good for general information
I studied population genetics as a graduate student, and decided to get this book, literally as a "primer" to the field of population genetics. I refer to it every now and then, and would recommend it for those who want to get a general and very broad overview of population genetics. As I read a lot of primary literature, I think it would have been more helpful if the book cited more references, or active research in the field. Overall, though, a very nice concise book on population genetics. It definitely serves as a primer, rather than an overall tell-all, or comprehensive tale of the field. ... Read more

Product Description
The Fourth Edition of Genetics of Populations is the most current, comprehensive, and accessible introduction to the field for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers in genetics, evolution, conservation, and related fields. In the past several years, interest in the application of population genetics principles to new molecular data has increased greatly, and Dr. Hedrick's new edition exemplifies his commitment to keeping pace with this dynamic area of study.Reorganized to allow students to focus more sharply on key material, the Fourth Edition integrates coverage of theoretical issues with a clear presentation of experimental population genetics and empirical data. Drawing examples from both recent and classic studies, and using a variety of organisms to illustrate the vast developments of population genetics, this text provides students and researchers with the most comprehensive resource in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

excellent overview & reference
For a basic introductory population genetics text, this book is very good. I am an evolutionary biologist (graduate student) studying at the population level; this is a great book to keep at hand for a refresher on basic concepts as well as a very good overview of the field. Lots of practice problems to work on throughout; plenty of references to key works in the primary literature and experimental examples. Highly recommended.

Buen servicio
El libro esta bien, solo que en la parte de abajo vino un poco roto. Pero por lo
demás esta bien. El tiempo de entrega fue el convenido.

Poorly structured, badly written
This and Hartl and Clark's book are the standard textbooks for population genetics. I am an applied math/bio grad student working in this area. Hedrick's book contains a huge amount of information, but honestly I think it is poorly organized and often poorly written. Rather than a clear explication of the theory with examples, it is constructed more like a collection of related ideas, facts and examples thrown together to make loose rather confusing chapters. Population genetics is a tricky subject and Hedrick does not make much of an effort to communicate the ideas clearly. For example, in the mutation chapter, rather than say something like: here is the general problem, here are types of mutations, here are some mutation models with examples, here are some ways to estimate mutation and here are some case studies from the literature, he mixes all these things together presenting formulas and data in an jumbled, intermingled way that is not particularly easy to read. The result is that it is difficult to extract (for me) the essence of the concepts and summarize everything for myself. If you are required to use this text for a class, I highly recommend looking at other resources. Hartl's book's good, but slightly more basic. Gillespe's Concise Guide is also really good, but again, the subject is difficult and requires a good amount of mathematical background. To summarize, if you study pop gen, you should really probably read and own this book because of its ubiquity and the information contained within. However, don't be surprised when you find it sub par.

A superbly presented and comprehensive introduction
A superbly presented and comprehensive introduction to population genetics as one of the fundamental underlying principles and processes of the evolutionary process, Genetics Of Populations is now published in a newly updated and significantly revised third edition. Author Philip W. Hedrick (Arizona State University) integrates theoretical issues with a clear and acceptable presentation of experimental population genetics with empirical data providing students and researchers with one of the most articulate and up-to-date texts available. Features new to this latest addition is a focus on data from genome projects that compare population samples to identify patterns of genetic diversity and genes that have been under selection. All of the individual chapters have been completely updated with the latest examples and approaches in this rapidly evolving field of study. Of special value for curriculum development are the new and updated tables, chapter exercises, end-of-chapter problems, art, photographs, featured researchers, extensive bibliography, and detailed index. Highly recommended.

A complete, up-to-date text book on population genetics
This text-book deals with population genetic theory in great detail, without loosing sight of the basics. This makes it a good introduction in population genetics as well as a complete reference work. With chapters onevolutionairy and quantative genetics and numerous examples this bookdescribes the state of the art in population genetic research. Compared toHartl and Clark's Principles of Population Genetics, Genetics ofPopulations is more detailed and more clearly structured. Overall anexcellent book. ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook, originally published in 1970, presents the field of population genetics, starting with elementary concepts and leading the reader well into the field. It is concerned mainly with population genetics in a strict sense and deals primarily with natural populations and less fully with the rather similar problems that arise in breading livestock and cultivated plans. The emphasis is on the behavior of genes and population attributes under natural selection where the most important measure is Darwinian fitness. This text is intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduates in genetics and population biologyThis book steers a middle course between completely verbal biological arguments and the rigor of the mathematician. The first two-thirds of the book do not require advanced mathematical background. An ordinary knowledge of calculus will suffice. The latter parts of the book, which deal with population stochastically, use more advanced methods.Chapter Titles: 1. Models of population growth. 2. Randomly mating populations. 3. Inbreeding. 4. Correlation between relatives and assertive mating 5. Selection. 6. Populations in approximate equilibrium. 7. Properties of a finite population. 8. Stochastic processes in the change of gene frequencies. 9. Distribution of gene frequencies in populations. Appendix. Some statistical and mathematical methods frequently used in population genetics. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Essential Reading
Papers to date still site this book as its relevance and importance have not diminished over time. A must read for anyone interested in understanding more advanced population genetics. It really should be in print. So hard to find!

Get this back in print.
A great work that stands between the introductory texts suitable for undergraduate study and the rigorous mathematical expositions found in graduate texts.Its derivations are lucid and well-grounded in thebiological foundations.It is a tragedy that this title is out of print. ... Read more

Product Description
Conservation and the Genetics of Populations gives a comprehensive overview of the essential background, concepts, and tools needed to understand how genetic information can be used to develop conservation plans for species threatened with extinction.

• Provides a thorough understanding of the genetic basis of biological problems in conservation.
  
• Uses a balance of data and theory, and basic and applied research, with examples taken from both the animal and plant kingdoms.
  
• An associated website contains example data sets and software programs to illustrate population genetic processes and methods of data analysis.
  
• Discussion questions and problems are included at the end of each chapter to aid understanding.
  
• Features Guest Boxes written by leading people in the field including James F. Crow, Nancy FitzSimmons, Robert C. Lacy, Michael W. Nachman, Michael E. Soule, Andrea Taylor, Loren H. Rieseberg, R.C. Vrijenhoek, Lisette Waits, Robin S. Waples and Andrew Young.

An Instructor manual CD-ROM for this title is available. Please contact our Higher Education team at HigherEducation@wiley.com for more information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Awesome book for class and actual application
I purchased this book for a class but since then I have used it as a general reference book while preparing my thesis proposal and as a guide for conducting conservation related research. This is a useful book to own.

Great buy
This book gives a detailed and advanced approach to population genetics in a conservation context, with the essencial mathematical formulation and explanations. The examples are clear, and well chosen. For me it was a great buy.

Conservation and the Genetics of Populations
This is a good book for class preparation!! ... Read more

Product Description
This book aims to make population genetics approachable, logical and easily understood. To achieve these goals, the book’s design emphasizes well explained introductions to key principles and predictions. These are augmented with case studies as well as illustrations along with introductions to classical hypotheses and debates. 

Pedagogical features in the text include:

• Interact boxes that guide readers step-by-step through computer simulations using public domain software.
• Math boxes that fully explain mathematical derivations.
• Methods boxes that give insight into the use of actual genetic data.
• Numerous Problem boxes are integrated into the text to reinforce concepts as they are encountered.
• Dedicated website at www.wiley.com/go/hamiltongenetics

This text also offers a highly accessible introduction to coalescent theory, the major conceptual advance in population genetics of the last two decades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

understandable population genetics
Thanks so much for this book! I have been studying population genetics for about 2 years now and was still confused on some of the concepts. Thanks to Dr. Hamilton's book "Population Genetics", I have finally been able to make sense of some complex topics. The book completes examples, puts in the little details often overlooked in other text books, and explains how to interpret genetics data using free simulation software. ... Read more

Product Description
Provine sheds light on this complex field as well as its bearing on other branches of biology. Softcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fine scholarly history
'Evolution', in its biological sense, is simply any change in the frequencies of genes over time. There has never, so far as I know, been any real argument over whether such evolution occurs. The fuss, certainly ever since 1859, has always been mainly about two things: _how_ it occurs (Does it happen solely by 'natural selection'? If so, by what mechanism(s)? Or does it happen at least partly by design?), and whether it's sufficient to provide a complete account of speciation (and sometimes the origin of life, though strictly speaking this point is not part of the theory of evolution itself).

Not that you'd know this from most public debate on the subject. If there's one topic guaranteed to generate letters to the editor written at a grade-school level or below from people who ought to know better (on _both_ sides), this is surely it.

Well, if everything you (think you) know about this debate comes from listening to somebody denounce it from the pulpit -- or for that matter from watching 'Inherit the Wind' and/or reading _The Selfish Gene_ -- then you really should educate yourself before sounding off about it. And one thing you'll want to learn is a little of the history of the subject.

William Provine's scholarly history of the science of population genetics, originally written in 1971, is a fine place to start. It covers the development of the field from the time of Darwin through the early twentieth century, the period during which the synthesis of Darwinian natural selection and Mendelian genetics was taking place.

You'll encounter some familiar names -- of course Darwin and Mendel, but also e.g. Thomas Henry Huxley, Sir Francis Galton, and J.B.S. Haldane. You'll also encounter a number of other names that probably won't be familiar to you unless you already know something about this field (or perhaps about statistics): William Bateson, Karl Pearson, Sir Ronald A. Fisher, and Sewall Wright, for example.

And mainly, you'll get a grasp of the way Darwin's theory and the new science of genetics dovetailed and reinforced one another in the synthesis of modern population genetics. If you don't believe in evolutiuon-by-natural-selection yourself, you'll at least begin to see why other people do and what's so intellectually attractive about it. And if you _do_ believe in it yourself, you'll get a healthy sense of the fact that it hasn't ever been a uniform, monolithic theory that left no room for any sort of argument.

It would be nice if everybody who felt entitled to an opinion in the evolution debate would read this book. Of course there are also lots of readers who don't need this warning; to them I simply say that this is a readable, well-researched history of its title topic. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Fantastic synthesis of wildlife population biology
This is a must read for anyone pursuing a career in wildlife/conservation biology and a great book for anyone interested in the issues facing wildlife biologists.Mills does a fantastic job of including enough detail and new information to refresh and push practicing wildlife biologist.This includes a good review of relevant literature on a variety of topics: predator-prey relationships, small and declining populations, harvested populations, genetics in population biology; and includes a nice introduction to important tools for studying populations (i.e., population project matrixes and genetic techniques).Often these topics are presented as isolated sub-disciplines but I thought the exceptional aspect of this book was how Mills tied all these subjects together. For those not in the profession, skipping some of the details will provide a great overview of the critical issues of today and the future in wildlife conservation biology.

Stewart Breck
Research Wildlife Biologist

Excellent book for the practicing or developing wildlife/conservation biologist
As a practicing wildlife biologist for 40 years, I found this new text to be an excellent review of the key elements of population biology that are pertinent to wildlife management and conservation. Mills cogently discusses numerous new issues in population biology that have developed since I completed my academic studies (such as climate change) and updates long-known issues (like predator-prey relationships) with new studies and thinking.The boxes describing real-world examples of the issues described in the text are very helpful.This books fills a needed gap between traditionally-oriented texts and practical applications.It would be an excellent text for intermediate-level wildlife biology or conservation biology courses and would be an important addition to the shelves of any biologist working to resolve conservation problems in the real world where wildlife and people interact.
Sterling Miller Ph.D.
Senior Wildlife Biologist
National Wildlife Fedration (Missoula)
&
Research Biologist (Retired)
Alaska Department of Fish and Game ... Read more

Product Description

This is a reprint of a classic which synthesizes population, genetics, andpopulation genetics to form one of the first books on evolutionary ecology.Written by one of the foremost authorities in the field, it is designed as an introduction useful to readers at various levels from diverse backgrounds. Itfeatures balanced, readable coverge of both elementary and advanced topics thatare essential to those interested in evolutionary biology, ecology, animal behavior, sociobiology, and paleobiology.

Customer Reviews (2)

Theory of Population Genetics and Evolutionary Ecology (Hardcover)
I had the pleasure of speaking to Joan Roughgarden ( in email) and I had wanted this book for some time. She told me it may be a bite above my understanding but I LOVED her other books so much I had to have it. She was right but I keep reading and understanding more as I go. HORAY! Joan, you are one smart cookie. This is an awesome book and has such amazing facts and understanding of the truth about " who we are and where we came from"WOW! Joan Roughgarden, you are my Idol.Dyan B

Fascimile edition is naked
This is a valuable book, but be aware that the new fascimile edition barely has a cover.The cover cardboard is very thin, and you may need to do something to cover it or purchase a used copy instead. ... Read more

Product Description

Statistical genetics has become a core course in many graduate programs in public health and medicine. This book presents fundamental concepts and principles in this emerging field at a level that is accessible to students and researchers with a first course in biostatistics. Extensive examples are provided using publicly available data and the open source, statistical computing environment, R.

Customer Reviews (2)

A Well-Written and Very Useful Book
This book is the first I know that is exclusively devoted to population association studies, and as such is very well-written. Dr Foulkes takes care to describe key association concepts very carefully and in details. Plus the approach is very pragmatic and application-oriented. This is very useful since the author shows how to inplement key ideas through R-code.

The field of assopciation studies started some time ago and is still expanding, and there is a real lack of good textbooks in the field. This book fills a very important gap. It covers all the latest developments in the field and looks beyond with important multivariate topics such as CART and principal components. I recommend it very highly!

A solid text with interest beyond statistical genetics
Applied Statistical Genetics with R For Population-based Association Studies is by Andrea S. Foulkes
of the University of Massachusetts and is meant for an audience with some understanding of both genetics and statistics, though the level of understanding in both areas need not be extensive. The statistical knowledge required would be covered in one or two undergraduate courses and an introductory genetics course would be helpful.Lacking this background, the first three chapters provide a well written review of the required knowledge and also provide extensive references for further reading.Indeed, the entire book provides plenty of references for further study of all of the topics covered.

For genetic studies, this book covers several basic topics, including linkage disequilibrium, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and haplotypic phase as well as methods for identifying associations between single genetic polymorphisms and a trait.Subjects that are not covered include family studies, population genetics or gene expression analysis.

One of the great strengths of this book is the presentation of topics that while relevant to genetics studies are also relevant to the general statistical reader.There are very good chapters and sections on missing data, multiple comparisons, cross-validation, the EM algorithm, classification and regression trees [CART] and random forests as well as several Bayesian techniques.While some statistical notation and formulas are used throughout, each topic is presented in clear fashion that is understandable to the less mathematically inclined.Algorithms are laid out in a step-by-step fashion that makes topics such as the EM algorithm and Gibbs sampling understandable.Indeed, this is one of the few statistical texts, beyond the most basic introductory texts, that can be read cover-to-cover.If not for the extensive use of examples with a genetics focus, I would recommend this as a general text on advanced statistics.

This book makes extensive use of the freely available R programming language and publicly available data sets, with many worked-out examples throughout the text.A web site provides download-able data sets and code.While there is an appendix that introduces the R language, some working familiarity with R beyond this text will be necessary for most readers.

In all, I found this to be a very readable introduction to the use of statistics in genetics.It would make a very good text for an introductory course on statistical genetics.I also recommend this book to the general statistics reader because of its very readable presentation of some complex statistical topics. ... Read more

Product Description
Comprehensive, advanced treatment of the nature and source of inherited characteristics, and mathematical techniques of population genetics. Mendelian populations, mutations, polymorphisms, genetic demography and natural selection, inbreeding, sexual dimorphism and human evolution, eugenics, euphenics, more. Emphasis on interpretation of data in relation to theoretical models. Minimal math background required.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

THE classic of human population genetics
This Dover reprint of the classic human population genetics 1970's text, originally published by Freeman, will be welcome. Though factually dated by the ensuing 30 years of molecular genetic data, this remains a superb introduction to basic mathematical theory. I've used it in a grad course, and students really enjoyed it. ... Read more

Product Description
Around 60,000 years ago, a man—genetically identical to us—lived in Africa. Every person alive today is descended from him. How did this real-life Adam wind up as the father of us all? What happened to the descendants of other men who lived at the same time? And why, if modern humans share a single prehistoric ancestor, do we come in so many sizes, shapes, and races?

Examining the hidden secrets of human evolution in our genetic code, Spencer Wells reveals how developments in the revolutionary science of population genetics have made it possible to create a family tree for the whole of humanity. Replete with marvelous anecdotes and remarkable information, from the truth about the real Adam and Eve to the way differing racial types emerged, The Journey of Man is an enthralling, epic tour through the history and development of early humankind.Amazon.com Review
Spencer Wells traces human evolution back to our very first ancestor in The Journey of Man. Along the way, he sums up the explosive effect of new techniques in genetics on the field of evolutionary biology and all available evidence from the fossil record. Wells's seemingly sexist title is purposeful: he argues that the Y chromosome gives us a unique opportunity to follow our migratory heritage back to a sort of Adam, just as earlier work in mitochondrial DNA allowed the identification of Eve, mother of all Homo sapiens. While hisdescriptions of the advances made by such luminary scientists as Richard Lewontin and Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza can be dry, Wells comes through with sparkling metaphors when it counts, as when he compares genetic drift to a bouillabaisse recipe handed down through a village's generations. Though finding our primal male is an exciting prospect, the real revolution Wells describes is racial. Or rather, nonracial, as he reiterates the scientific truth that our notions of what makes us different from each other are purely cultural, not based in biology. The case for an "out of Africa" scenario of human migration is solid in this book, though Wells makes it clear when he is hypothesizing anything controversial. Readers interested in a fairly technical, but not overwhelming, summary of the remarkable conclusions of 21st-century human evolutionary biology will find The Journey of Man a perfect primer. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Customer Reviews (70)

Journey of Humans
Geneticist Spencer Wells traces the expansion of the human population around the globe by following genetic markers in the DNA of various populations.He presents credible arguments in a very readable way.I look forward to reading his current book, "Pandora's Seed".

The Journey of Man by Spencer Wells
This was one of the most wonderful books my husband and I have ever read.I would rate it 10 on
a rating scale of 1 to 10.It is so informative on genetics and very easy to read and understand.Dr. Spencer Wells is a marvelous author and fabulous scientist of the Journey of man from beginning to here in 2010. I highly recommend it.

First thing, locate the roadmaps near the end of the book
The Journey of Man is a reasonably well-written book with a fascinating story.But you will find it MUCH easier to follow the story if the first thing you do is find the diagram and migration map that in my paperback copy are on pages 181 and 182-3:

Figure 9Genealogical tree showing the relationship among the Y-chromosome markers discussed in the text
Figure 10The spread of Y-chromosome lineages around the world

If you have easy access to a photocopy machine, copy these pages, study how they relate to each other, and keep them handy while you are reading.

The paperback book lacks the photos in the more expensive hardcover edition, but provides a URL to access them on the web.While pleasant in a National Geographic sort of way, they are not at all critical to understanding or appreciating the story the book tells.

Very interesting, but not very easy reading
Using genetic data, the book describes how homo sapiens populated the world.
As apparently reliable genetic data go back "only" about 30,000....50,000 years, the book does NOT describe the development of man, but starts with the fully developped homo sapiens - our own species.

It is fascinating, what can be read out of genetic data, and the conclusions are often startling!

My only critisism with this book:
Relying as it does on "genetic markers", both on mDNA (?) and on the Y - chromosome (?), it would have been helpful to devote a chapter, or at least an appendix on what are genes, chromosomes, why do markers not get distorted by natural selection, etc...

The interested layman cannot be expected to know this, and so the book used a lot of undefined (undefined for the layman!) terms.

With such an appendix, I would have given full marks to this book!

A riveting read
I found this book difficult to put down.It is a great insight into the work being done into human genetics by someone involved in the field.The book takes the reader through a description of the techniques used in a way suitable for laypeople, discusses our common ancestry and the theories around that, describes the genetic evidence for migration out of Africa and then devotes roughly a chapter to each major continent.

The author communicates in a clear style, acknowledging the many contributions by others and without blowing his own trumpet.My main criticism of the book is the lack of graphics.At one point the author actually describes a graph, rather than putting it in.Seriously.The lack of maps illustrating the points being made in the text is also very annoying. While some maps are included, they serve largely just as a reminder of geography, rather than illustrating the data. There are also a small number of apparent contradictions and some over-stretching of analogies.

While I enjoyed the book thoroughly I was extremely frustrated by the lack of visual information, especially in a book intended for laypeople, and I have deducted 1 point for this.
... Read more

Product Description

This is the first of a planned two-volume work discussing the mathematical aspects of population genetics with an emphasis on evolutionary theory. This volume draws heavily from the author’s 1979 classic, but it has been revised and expanded to include recent topics which follow naturally from the treatment in the earlier edition, such as the theory of molecular population genetics.

Customer Reviews (1)

Not for mathematicians
I have been looking for a book that explains the mathematics of population genetics. Unfortunately, Mathematical Population Genetics is not properly a mathematics book and so has failed to satisfy my needs, despite two attempts at reading it.The book is a desert of equations, with no definitions, theorems, lemmas, corollaries, or proofs.The organization is confusing, as is much of the text.There is no underlying mathematical theory or set of mathematical techniques that is being properly presented, so it all seems very ad hoc.Many steps in derivations are omitted, so it is easy to be confused about what the author means or to lose the thread of the derivation.Genetic and population genetic terminology is used without definition, so the book is not suited to learning about population genetics without prior background.The author also spends a great deal of time explicating the history and controversies of the field.This kind of material is distracting and better left to a section at the end of each chapter or a chapter at the end.As it was for me, the book will be a disappointment for mathematically sophisticated readers. ... Read more

Product Description
The advances made possible by the development of molecular techniques have in recent years revolutionized quantitative genetics and its relevance for population genetics. Population Genetics and Microevolutionary Theory takes a modern approach to population genetics, incorporating modern molecular biology, species-level evolutionary biology, and a thorough acknowledgment of quantitative genetics as the theoretical basis for population genetics.

• Logically organized into three main sections on population structure and history, genotype-phenotype interactions, and selection/adaptation
• Extensive use of real examples to illustrate concepts
• Written in a clear and accessible manner and devoid of complex mathematical equations
• Includes the author's introduction to background material as well as a conclusion for a handy overview of the field and its modern applications
• Each chapter ends with a set of review questions and answers
• Offers helpful general references and Internet links

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent textbook
This is an excellent book on population genetics. Just the right balance of theory, math and real-world examples. The explanations are superb - I'm not new to population genetics, but this book opened my eyes to many things that I thought I understood already.
One of the most common themes in this book is the approach of looking at evolution from the perspective of the gamete. The authors swears by it and takes every opportunity to point this out. I'm not sure this is an overwhelmingly accepted idea in the field, but it makes reading the book quite fun.
The examples that Alan chooses to illustrate the explained concepts deserve a special mention. They are amazing! Many of them are based on genetics of human populations and are absolutely stunning! It's just ten times more fun to read about humans than about birds and bees. One slight warning - don't take these examples as close to truth and do your own research. Some of them are based on shaky old data that barely reaches statistical significance. For example, the story of Tamils (mentioned several times throughout the book) loosing deleterious alleles due to increased inbreeding is based essentially on a single paper from 70-s with the number of such alleles being "not statistically different from 0" (which does not mean much if you think about it).

But don't let this small thing bother you - it's still probably the best book on population genetics out there. Don't miss it!

New textbook in population genetics offers unique perspectives

This latest textbook in population genetics flies above and beyond any other textbook I've read in the field because of its clarity and depth of coverage.

Templeton offers new and unique insights in several key topics in population genetics, and he gives plenty of caveats throughout where important population genetics concepts have been misunderstood. For example, his coverage of inbreeding cofficients is exceptional, and he rightly points out how different inbreeding coefficients are wrongly used in the literature. His approach throughout is multi-dimentional, encompassing the interaction between different evolutionary forces and always stressing the prime importance of population history. A very thorough discussion on the use of linkage disequilibrium in medical genetics is also included.

Does this book have any weak points? It's hard to point out any, such was my overall highly positive impression from reading the book.

Templeton's scholarship is vast and deep, as is his publication record. The unique perspectives offered by this book certainly puts it among the best science books I own.

A New Text Reflecting the Latest Developments
Population genetics is concerned with the origin, amount, and distribution of genetic variation present in populations of organisms and the fate of this variation through space and time. As such it is dealing with the mechanisms by which evolution occurs within populations and species, the ultimate basis for all evolutionary change.

It is not a new science, but like the rest of biology has seen significant change occurring as problems of species extinction and environmental degradation became important to students of conservation biology, and as the analytical methods developed for population genetics have been found to be useful in many areas of genomics.

This book provides a basic foundation in population genetics for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. While the book is not primarily mathematical in its approach, the student should have at least a beginning understanding of calculus.

Dr. Templeton is the Charles Rebstock Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis with joint appointments in Genetics and Biomedical Engineering. ... Read more

Product Description
This book covers basic concepts in population and quantitative genetics, including measuring selection on phenotypic traits. The emphasis is on material applicable to field studies of evolution focusing on ecologically important traits. Topics addressed are critical for training students in ecology, evolution, conservation biology, agriculture, forestry, and wildlife management.Many texts in this field are too complex and mathematical to allow the average beginning student to readily grasp the key concepts. A Primer of Ecological Genetics, in contrast, employs mathematics and statistics fully explained, but at a less advanced level as tools to improve understanding of biological principles. The main goal is to enable students to understand the concepts well enough that they can gain entry into the primary literature. Integration of the different chapters of the book shows students how diverse concepts relate to each other. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

it is a quite good book to buy
This book is very good I think because the organisation of the book is nice and concepts in the book are well interpreted by comparing and tips for notice. The not large content of the book is also its advantage, you won't spend much time on the details that can make you more confused when we first get access to evolutionary ecology.
So my recommendation may be helpful if you have some interest on it

good book
The book is has an impressively concise and complete at the same time without loosing any explanatory power.As stated, it's a great reference book for concepts or formulas.It seems like everything is just right where it should be.I was a senior undergrad who hadnt taken a statistics or an ecology course before when I used this book and I understood it fine, a testament to the authors writing ability.

Perfect
The book arrived in perfect conditions which had me worried since it was paperback and those usually get roughed around in the mail. The book was new as announced and arrived in a timely fashion.

Great Resource
Rarely do you encounter a technical book that you actually enjoy reading cover to cover. Beyond the content, which is superb, structurally this is the best written and organized textbook I've ever used. The prose is clear, clean, concise, while still being comprehensive, with well thought out examples. Anyone doing pop. gen. or eco. gen. should have this on their bookshelf.

Easy to Understand Textbook
This is a great textbook that could easily be used in any evolution or genetics class.It clearly describes issues like evolution and natural selection in the context of ecological genetics.The examples are interesting and stay in the reader's mind, and the problem sets and online answers are a great resource.This book also serves as a handy reference guide anytime you need to find a formula or definition.It's appropriate for upper level undergraduate courses or introductory graduate courses. ... Read more

Product Description

The lastest edition of this classic text continues to provide the basis for understanding the genetic principles behind quantitative differences in phenotypes and how they apply to animal and plant improvement and evolution. It extends these concepts to the segregation of genes that cause genetic variation in quantitative traits. Key techniques and methods are also covered.

Customer Reviews (5)

still the definitive word on the subject
I have been working in this field for more than 30 years. Even after all of this time, if I want to remind myself about how to explain an important concept, I go back to Falconer. By the time I completed my PhD, my fellow grad students and I agreed that "if you understand Falconer, you understand Quantitative Genetics". Even after all of these years, I still find this to be true.

A book that you must have
Basic concepts of population genetics and quantitative analysis, the authors show you how the concepts are created and connected, very good examples and exercises.

The genetics bible
Its almost useless to write a review for this book. If you're in genetics, then you know this book's reputation to be of the very highest order. It is THE introduction into quantitative genetics. I have it on my desk and use it as a reference constantly when trying to figure out evolutionary genetics and/or quantitative genetics papers.

Quantitative fish
This is an excellent book, that content the basic of the quantitative genetic and provide a comprehensive interpretation of the genetic action and interaction. Its price give the possibility the student having his owncopy to introduce to a simple and deep view of the quantitative genetic.

falconer review
this is a very valuable book of its kind,good for graduate&postgraduate students as well as researchers ... Read more

Product Description
Never HIGHLIGHT a Book Again!Virtually all testable terms, concepts, persons, places, and events are included. Cram101 Textbook Outlines gives all of the outlines, highlights, notes for your textbook with optional online practice tests. Only Cram101 Out ... Read more