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Approximately 99.9% of vertebrate species reproduce sexually. The exceptional 0.1% reproduce via asexual or clonal means, which vary wildly and are fascinating in their own right. In this book, John C. Avise describes the genetics, ecology, natural history, and evolution of the world's approximately 100 species of vertebrate animal that routinely display one form or another of clonal or quasi-clonal reproduction.
By considering the many facets of sexual abstinence and clonal reproduction in vertebrate animals, Avise sheds new light on the biological meaning and ramifications of standard sexuality.
List of contents
- Preface
- PART I. BACKGROUND: LIKE BEGETS LIKE
- 1: CLONALITY WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL
- Clonality at the Gene Level: DNA Replication
- Clonality at the Genomic Level: Mitosis
- Clonality in the Cellular Cytoplasm: Mitochondrial DNA
- Clonality in the Sex Chromosomes
- Clonality Across the Somatic Cells
- 2: SEXUALITY: THE ANTITHESIS OF CLONALITY
- Sex at the Inter-chromosomal Level: Meiosis, Syngamy, and Mendels Laws
- Sex at the Intra-chromosomal Level: DNA Recombination Via Crossing Over
- Recombination Versus Mutation as Sources of Genetic Variation
- The Paradox of Sex
- Sex and Death
- Cellular Autonomy and Immortality
- Synopsis
- Summary of Part I
- PART II. UNISEXUAL CLONALITY IN NATURE
- 3: REPRODUCTION BY THE CHASTE: PARTHENOGENESIS
- The Cast of Players
- Cellular and Genetic Mechanisms
- Evolution and Phylogeny
- Comparative Ecology and Natural History
- 4: RERODUCTION BY THE SEMI-CHASTE: GYNOGENESIS, HYBRIDOGENESIS, AND KLEPTOGENESIS
- The Cast of Players
- Cellular and Genetic Mechanisms
- Evolution and Phylogeny
- Comparative Ecology and Natural History
- Summary of Part II
- PART III. SEXUAL CLONALITY IN NATURE
- 5: CLONALITY IN UTERO: POLYEMBRYONY
- The Cast of Players
- Genetic and Embryological Mechanisms
- Ecology and Evolution
- 6: CLONALITY BY INCEST: HERMAPHRODITIC SELF-FERTILIZATION
- The Cast of Players
- Genetic and Reproductive Mechanisms
- Evolution and Ecology
- Summary of Part III
- PART IV. CLONALITY IN THE LABORATORY
- 7: HUMAN-SPONSORED CLONALITY
- Gene Cloning
- Whole-individual Cloning by Quasi-natural Mechanisms
- Whole-individual Cloning by Mechanisms Unknown in Nature
- Summary of Part IV
- Epilogue
- GLOSSARY
About the author
John C. Avise is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California at Irvine, and an elected member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In twelve previous books and more than 280 scientific articles, he has helped to popularize as well as pioneer molecular genetic approaches in ecology, natural history, and evolution. He has received national and international awards for career-long contributions to ornithology, molecular ecology, biogeography, marine biology, and wildlife conservation.
Summary
99.9% of vertebrate species reproduce sexually. This book describes the other 0.1%-the clonal reproducers. Asexual animals are inherently fascinating and also uniquely instructive about alternative reproductive modes. The author guides readers into the astonishing realm of sexual abstinence, from levels of DNA molecules and cells to whole animals and populations.
Additional text
The concepts in Clonality are vividly and entertainingly conveyed. [A] highly entertaining and thought-provoking book from a master of the field of evolutionary genetics.
