Evolution's wedge [electronic resource] : competition and the origins of diversity / David W. Pfennig, Karin S. Pfennig.
Pfennig, David W. (David William), 1955-; Pfennig, Karin S. (Karin Susan), 1969-
2012
QH408 .P44 2012eb
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Title Evolution's wedge [electronic resource] : competition and the origins of diversity / David W. Pfennig, Karin S. Pfennig.
Author Pfennig, David W. (David William), 1955-
ISBN 9780520954045 (electronic book)
9780520274181
Imprint Berkeley : University of California Press, c2012.
Language English
Description 1 online resource (xiv, 303 p.)
Call Number QH408 .P44 2012eb
Dewey Decimal Classification 577.8/3
Summary Evolutionary biology has long sought to explain how new traits and new species arise. Darwin maintained that competition is key to understanding this biodiversity and held that selection acting to minimize competition causes competitors to become increasingly different, thereby promoting new traits and new species. Despite Darwin's emphasis, competition's role in diversification remains controversial and largely underappreciated. In their synthetic and provocative book, evolutionary ecologists David and Karin Pfennig explore competition's role in generating and maintaining biodiversity. The authors discuss how selection can lessen resource competition or costly reproductive interactions by promoting trait evolution through a process known as character displacement. They further describe character displacement's underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms. The authors then consider character displacement's myriad downstream effects, ranging from shaping ecological communities to promoting new traits and new species and even fueling large-scale evolutionary trends. Drawing on numerous studies from natural populations, and written for a broad audience, Evolution's Wedge seeks to inspire future research into character displacement's many implications for ecology and evolution.
Bibliography, etc. Note Includes bibliographical references and index.
Access Note Access limited to authorized users.
Source of Description Description based on print version record.
Added Author Pfennig, Karin S. (Karin Susan), 1969-
Series Organisms and environments ; no. 12.
Available in Other Form Evolution's wedge.
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Discovery of a unifying principle
Why character displacement occurs
When character displacement occurs
How character displacement unfolds
Diversity and novelty within species
Ecological consequences
Sexual selection
Speciation
Macroevolution
Major themes and unresolved problems.

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