Plasticity, Robustness, Development and Evolution

The first book to clarify the relationship between plasticity and robustness in the context of development and evolution.

Patrick Bateson (Author), Peter Gluckman (Author)

9780521736206, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 June 2011

166 pages, 15 b/w illus.
22.8 x 15.2 x 0.9 cm, 0.27 kg

'Bateson and Gluckman's complementary perspectives result in clear, powerful, and accessible arguments. The framework developed in this volume is timely, refreshing, informative, and easy to read for not only biologists and doctors, but also the general public.' The Quarterly Review of Biology

How do we understand and explain the apparent dichotomy between plasticity and robustness in the context of development? Can we identify these complex processes without resorting to 'either/or' solutions? Written by two leaders in the field, this is the first book to fully unravel the complexity of the subject, explaining that the epigenetic processes generating plasticity and robustness are in fact deeply intertwined. It identifies the different mechanisms that generate robustness and the various forms of plasticity, before considering the functional significance of the integrated mechanisms and how the component processes might have evolved. Finally, it highlights the ways in which epigenetic mechanisms could be instrumental in driving evolutionary change. Essential reading for biologists and psychologists interested in epigenetics and evolution, this book is also a valuable resource for biological anthropologists, sociobiologists, child psychologists and paediatricians.

Preface
1. Setting the scene
2. Clarifications
3. Developmental robustness
4. Plasticity
5. Integration of robustness and plasticity
6. Current functions of integrated developmental processes
7. Evolution of developmental processes
8. Impact of developmental processes on evolution
9. Development and evolution intertwined
Acknowledgements
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Developmental biology [PSC], Evolution [PSAJ]