Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology
- 2nd Edition - September 1, 2025
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Editors: Claudia Augusta De Moraes Russo, Jason B. Wolf
- Language: English
- Hardback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 5 7 5 0 - 9
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 5 7 5 1 - 6
Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology, Second Edition, Four Volume Set is a comprehensive resource containing approximately 215 chapters that covers all fundamental topics in evolut… Read more
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Request a sales quoteEncyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology, Second Edition, Four Volume Set is a comprehensive resource containing approximately 215 chapters that covers all fundamental topics in evolutionary biology. Featuring a consistent chapter structure, this encyclopedia ensures easy navigation across the volumes. Each chapter effectively links concepts to specific systems and examples, making it an invaluable tool for anyone interested in applying evolutionary thinking to their field of study. This edition includes new or expanded topics such as human evolution, including cultural evolution and language, paleontology, the origins of life, mass extinction events, epigenetics, and metagenomics.
The encyclopedia also delves into the evolution of behavior, game theory, kin selection, optimality, human microbiomes, and the diversification of viruses. With its broad coverage, this essential resource will engage readers across various educational levels, emphasizing the central role of evolutionary biology in the life sciences. It caters to a wide range of readers, from students to experienced professionals, by offering both introductory chapters and in-depth analyses.
- Provides the most up-to-date resource spanning the breadth of Evolutionary Biology
- Serves an audience with diverse backgrounds, allowing readers to apply evolutionary thinking to their specific areas of interest in the life sciences
- Includes content on human evolution, paleontology, evolution of behavior, and metagenomics
- Uses a common chapter template and unified terminology that ensures ease of navigation for readers at all levels of expertise
Students and researchers in evolution, developmental biology, genetics, microbiology, ecology and biogeography, Professionals working in related fields, including evolutionary ecology, population genetics and conservation biology
1) Evolutionary Genetics, Genomics, and Molecular Evolution (including genomics and other basic topics in evolutionary genetics)
Adaptive Molecular Evolution: Detection Methods
Codon Usage and Translational Selection
Compensatory Evolution
Divergence and Diversification, Quantitative Genetics of
Effective Population Size
Epigenetic Inheritance
Epigenetics and Genome Evolution
Evolutionary Genetics, History of
Gene Interactions in Evolution
Gene Origin, Sex Chromosomes and
Genetic Architecture
Genetic Drift, Models of Random
Genome Organization, Evolution of
Genome Plasticity, Bacterial
Genome Size and Structure, Bacterial
Hardy‐Weinberg Equilibrium and Random Mating
Inbreeding and Nonrandom Mating
Industrial Melanism, History of
Inheritance: From Quantitative Genetics to Evolutionary Stable Strategies
Linkage Disequilibrium: Population Genetics of Multiple Loci
Maternal Effects
Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genome Coevolution
Modularity and Integration
Molecular Evolution, Functional Synthesis of
Molecular Evolution, History of
Molecular Evolution, Models of
Multivariate Quantitative Genetics
Mutation and Genome Evolution
Mutation, Population Genetic Models of
Neutral Evolution, Population Genetic Tests of
Neutral Models of Genetic Drift and Mutation
Noncoding DNA Evolution: Junk DNA Revisited
Noncoding RNAs, Origin and Evolution of
Parallel and Convergent Molecular Evolution
Pest Management, Evolution and
Plasmid Driven Evolution of Bacteria
Population Structure and Gene Flow
Protein Biophysics and Evolution
Quantitative Genetic Variation
Quantitative Genetic Variation, Comparing Patterns of
Quantitative Trait Variation, Molecular Basis of
Recombination and Molecular Evolution
Recombination in Bacterial Populations
RNA Viruses, Evolution of
Robustness and Evolvability in Molecular Evolution
Selective Sweeps
Sensory Systems: Molecular Evolution in Vertebrates
Sex Chromosome Evolution: Birth, Maturation, Decay, and Rebirth
Social Effects
Systems in Evolutionary Systems Biology
Transposable Elements, Population Genetics of
2) Evolutionary Ecology (including behavioral ecology, coevolution, and biogeography)
Age‐Specific Survivorship and Fertility, Estimating
Aging: Why Do We Age?
Antagonistic Interspecific Coevolution
Biogeography of Arthropods
Biogeography of Interactions
Biogeography of Islands, Lakes, and Mountaintops; Evolutionary
Biogeography of Vertebrates
Biogeography, Conservation
Biogeography, Ecological Theories in
Biogeography, Evolutionary Theories in
Biogeography, History of
Biogeography, Human
Biogeography, Marine
Biogeography, Microbial
Biogeography, Patterns in
Coevolution, Bacterial‐Phage
Coevolution, Introduction to
Commensalism, Amensalism, and Synnecrosis
Conservation Biology, Quantitative Genetics in
Cooperation and Public Goods, Bacterial
Dispersal Biogeography
Ecological Fitting and Novel Species Interactions in Nature
Endogenous Retroviruses and Coevolution
Genotype‐by‐Environment Interaction
Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution
Human Life Histories, Evolution and
Intraspecific Coevolutionary Arms Races
Invasion Biogeography
Life Histories, Axes of Variation in
Life History Evolution in Guppies, Experimental Studies of
Life History Evolution, Plants
Life History Patterns
Life History Theory: Basics
Life History Trade‐offs
Life History, What is?
Life History: Age and Stage Structure
Life History: Pike
Life‐History Evolution in Island Populations of Birds
Life‐History Evolution, Human
Life‐History Evolution, Human Impacts on
Microbiome
Mutualism, the Evolutionary Ecology of
Pathogen Epidemiology
Predation and Parasitism
Quaternary Biogeography and Climate Change
r‐ and K‐Selection in Fluctuating Environments, Theory of
Responses to Climate Change, Evolution and
Sociobiology, History of
Symbiogenesis, History of
Symbiosis, History of
Symbiosis, Introduction to
Vicariance Biogeography
Water Transport, the Role in Plant Diversification of
3) Phylogenetics and Speciation
Ancestral Reconstruction: Theory and Practice
Angiosperm Phylogeny and Diversification
Animal: What Is an Animal?
Bacterial Diversity, Introduction to
Bacterial Species Concepts
Bayesian Phylogenetic Methods
Coalescent and Models of Identity by Descent
Coevolutionary Fitness Landscapes
Consensus Methods, Phylogenetic
Convergent Evolution, Adaptive Radiation, and Species Diversification in Plants
Cospeciation
Darwin's Finches, the Galapagos, and Natural Laboratories of Evolution
Distance‐Based Phylogenetic Inference
Ecological Speciation and Its Consequences
Evolutionary Medicine II. Use of the Comparative Method and The Animal Model
Founder Speciation
Hybrid Speciation
Maximum Likelihood Phylogenetic Inference
Parallel Speciation
Parsimony Methods in Phylogenetics
Phylogenetic Approach to Studying Developmental Evolution: A Model Clade Approach
Phylogenetic Comparative Method
Phylogenetic Invariants
Phylogenetic Networks
Phylogenetic Tree
Phylogenetic Tree Comparison
Phylogenetic Tree Distances
Phylogeography
Plants Pollinator Interactions and Flower Diversification
Polyploid Speciation
Protist Diversification
Reinforcement
Reproductive Isolation, Postzygotic
Reproductive Isolation, Prezygotic
Ring Species
Rooting Trees, Methods for
Schools of Classification
Searching Tree Space, Methods for
Sequential Speciation
Speciation Continuum
Speciation Genes
Speciation Genomics
Speciation‐with‐Gene‐Flow
Speciation, Chromosomal Rearrangements and
Speciation, Geography of
Species Concepts and Speciation
Species Concepts: Viral Quasispecies
Species Trees, Inference of
Supertree Methods, Phylogenetic
Support Measures, Phylogenetic Tree
4) Microevolution and Adaptation
Adaptation, History of
Adaptive Landscapes
Adaptive Mutation Controversy
Artificial Selection
Basic Science and Evolutionary Biology
Climate Change, Quantitative Genetics and
Conservation Biology, Evolution and
Darwin‐Wallace Theory of Evolution
Developmental Plasticity and Phenotypic Evolution
Directional Selection and Adaptation
Evolution and Agriculture I. The Evolution of Domestication
Evolution and Agriculture II. Evolutionary Applications to Breeding
Evolutionary Biology, History of
Evolutionary Computation
Evolutionary Medicine IV. Evolution and Emergence of Novel Pathogens
Evolvability, Quantitative Genetics of
Genetic Variation in Populations
Genetic Variation, Maintenance of
Hermaphrodites
Invasive Species, Evolution and
Life History Evolution: The Role of Mating Systems
Mate Choice and Sexually Selected Traits
Mating and Parental Sex Roles, Diversity in
Mating Systems in A Changing Environment
Mating Systems in Flowering Plants
Mating Systems in Plants, Genome Evolution and
Mating Systems, A Brief History of
Mating Tactics and Mating Strategies
Microbial Experimental Evolution
Natural Selection, Introduction to
Natural Selection, Measuring
Operational Sex Ratio
Philosophy, Evolutionary Biology and
Polyandry and Female Postcopulatory Choice
Quantitative Genetics in Natural Populations
Recombination and Selection
Security, Evolution and
Sex and Recombination in Snails
Sex and Selfish Genetic Elements
Sex Determination
Sex, Evolution and Maintenance of
Sexual Conflict
Sexual Dimorphism
Sexual Networks
Sexual Selection, Theory of
Shifting Balance Theory, Sewall Wright and
Speciation, Sexual Conflict and
Speciation, Sexual Selection and
Sperm Competition
Synthetic Theory of Evolution, History of
Waddington's Epigenetic Landscape, History of
5) Macroevolution and Paleontology (including origins of life, evolution of development and evolutionary diversification).
Adaptive Radiations: Insights From Evo‐Devo
Amniotes, Diversification of
Amniotes, the Origin of
Archaeplastida: Diversification of Red Algae and the Green Plant Lineage
Bird Flight Origins
Birds, Diversification of
C4 and CAM Photosynthesis in Land Plants, Evolution and Diversification of
Cambrian Explosion: A Molecular Paleobiological Overview
Carbon Relations, the Role in Plant Diversification of
Cellular Behaviors Underlying Pattern Formation and Evolution
Complexity, the Role of Oxygen in Evolution of
Developmental Biases on Morphological Evolvability
Developmental Mechanisms Controlling Cell Fate, Evolution of
Developmental Paleontology and Paleo‐Evo‐Devo
Developmental‐Genetic Toolkit for Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Directed Evolution, History of
Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Endophytic Microbes, Evolution and Diversification of
Endosymbiotic Theory
Evo‐Devo: Regulatory and Protein‐Coding Evolution in Plant Diversification
Evolutionary Medicine I. An Overview and Applications to Cancer
Evolutionary Medicine III. Mismatch
Fungal Evolution: Aquatic–Terrestrial Transitions
Gene Networks Driving Development, Conservation and Evolution of
Genome Evolutionary Role in Developmental Evolution
Genotype to Phenotype: Insights from Evo‐Devo
Homo, Diversification of
Insects and Ecdysozoa, Diversification of
Land Animals, Origins of
Land Vertebrates, the Origin and Evolution of
Lichen‐Forming Fungi, Diversification of
Lophotrochozoa, Diversification of
Macroevolution, Quantitative Genetics and
Mammalian Diversification
Mammals Everywhere
Mammals, Origin of
Metazoans, Origins of
Model Systems: The Key Roles of Traditional and New Models in Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Modularity and Integration in Evo‐Devo
Mycorrhizal Fungi, Evolution and Diversification of
Novel Structures in Animals, Developmental Evolution of
Novel Structures in Plants, Developmental Evolution of
Origin of Life, RNA World and
Origins of Life, History of
Paleobiogeography and Fossils
Paleobiological Revolution, History of
Regulatory and Coding Changes in Developmental Evolution, Roles of
Secondary Metabolites, the Role in Plant Diversification of
Seedless Land Plants, Evolution and Diversification of
Unikonts, Evolution and Diversification of (with Emphasis on Fungal‐Like Forms)
Vertebrates, the Origin of
Adaptive Molecular Evolution: Detection Methods
Codon Usage and Translational Selection
Compensatory Evolution
Divergence and Diversification, Quantitative Genetics of
Effective Population Size
Epigenetic Inheritance
Epigenetics and Genome Evolution
Evolutionary Genetics, History of
Gene Interactions in Evolution
Gene Origin, Sex Chromosomes and
Genetic Architecture
Genetic Drift, Models of Random
Genome Organization, Evolution of
Genome Plasticity, Bacterial
Genome Size and Structure, Bacterial
Hardy‐Weinberg Equilibrium and Random Mating
Inbreeding and Nonrandom Mating
Industrial Melanism, History of
Inheritance: From Quantitative Genetics to Evolutionary Stable Strategies
Linkage Disequilibrium: Population Genetics of Multiple Loci
Maternal Effects
Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genome Coevolution
Modularity and Integration
Molecular Evolution, Functional Synthesis of
Molecular Evolution, History of
Molecular Evolution, Models of
Multivariate Quantitative Genetics
Mutation and Genome Evolution
Mutation, Population Genetic Models of
Neutral Evolution, Population Genetic Tests of
Neutral Models of Genetic Drift and Mutation
Noncoding DNA Evolution: Junk DNA Revisited
Noncoding RNAs, Origin and Evolution of
Parallel and Convergent Molecular Evolution
Pest Management, Evolution and
Plasmid Driven Evolution of Bacteria
Population Structure and Gene Flow
Protein Biophysics and Evolution
Quantitative Genetic Variation
Quantitative Genetic Variation, Comparing Patterns of
Quantitative Trait Variation, Molecular Basis of
Recombination and Molecular Evolution
Recombination in Bacterial Populations
RNA Viruses, Evolution of
Robustness and Evolvability in Molecular Evolution
Selective Sweeps
Sensory Systems: Molecular Evolution in Vertebrates
Sex Chromosome Evolution: Birth, Maturation, Decay, and Rebirth
Social Effects
Systems in Evolutionary Systems Biology
Transposable Elements, Population Genetics of
2) Evolutionary Ecology (including behavioral ecology, coevolution, and biogeography)
Age‐Specific Survivorship and Fertility, Estimating
Aging: Why Do We Age?
Antagonistic Interspecific Coevolution
Biogeography of Arthropods
Biogeography of Interactions
Biogeography of Islands, Lakes, and Mountaintops; Evolutionary
Biogeography of Vertebrates
Biogeography, Conservation
Biogeography, Ecological Theories in
Biogeography, Evolutionary Theories in
Biogeography, History of
Biogeography, Human
Biogeography, Marine
Biogeography, Microbial
Biogeography, Patterns in
Coevolution, Bacterial‐Phage
Coevolution, Introduction to
Commensalism, Amensalism, and Synnecrosis
Conservation Biology, Quantitative Genetics in
Cooperation and Public Goods, Bacterial
Dispersal Biogeography
Ecological Fitting and Novel Species Interactions in Nature
Endogenous Retroviruses and Coevolution
Genotype‐by‐Environment Interaction
Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution
Human Life Histories, Evolution and
Intraspecific Coevolutionary Arms Races
Invasion Biogeography
Life Histories, Axes of Variation in
Life History Evolution in Guppies, Experimental Studies of
Life History Evolution, Plants
Life History Patterns
Life History Theory: Basics
Life History Trade‐offs
Life History, What is?
Life History: Age and Stage Structure
Life History: Pike
Life‐History Evolution in Island Populations of Birds
Life‐History Evolution, Human
Life‐History Evolution, Human Impacts on
Microbiome
Mutualism, the Evolutionary Ecology of
Pathogen Epidemiology
Predation and Parasitism
Quaternary Biogeography and Climate Change
r‐ and K‐Selection in Fluctuating Environments, Theory of
Responses to Climate Change, Evolution and
Sociobiology, History of
Symbiogenesis, History of
Symbiosis, History of
Symbiosis, Introduction to
Vicariance Biogeography
Water Transport, the Role in Plant Diversification of
3) Phylogenetics and Speciation
Ancestral Reconstruction: Theory and Practice
Angiosperm Phylogeny and Diversification
Animal: What Is an Animal?
Bacterial Diversity, Introduction to
Bacterial Species Concepts
Bayesian Phylogenetic Methods
Coalescent and Models of Identity by Descent
Coevolutionary Fitness Landscapes
Consensus Methods, Phylogenetic
Convergent Evolution, Adaptive Radiation, and Species Diversification in Plants
Cospeciation
Darwin's Finches, the Galapagos, and Natural Laboratories of Evolution
Distance‐Based Phylogenetic Inference
Ecological Speciation and Its Consequences
Evolutionary Medicine II. Use of the Comparative Method and The Animal Model
Founder Speciation
Hybrid Speciation
Maximum Likelihood Phylogenetic Inference
Parallel Speciation
Parsimony Methods in Phylogenetics
Phylogenetic Approach to Studying Developmental Evolution: A Model Clade Approach
Phylogenetic Comparative Method
Phylogenetic Invariants
Phylogenetic Networks
Phylogenetic Tree
Phylogenetic Tree Comparison
Phylogenetic Tree Distances
Phylogeography
Plants Pollinator Interactions and Flower Diversification
Polyploid Speciation
Protist Diversification
Reinforcement
Reproductive Isolation, Postzygotic
Reproductive Isolation, Prezygotic
Ring Species
Rooting Trees, Methods for
Schools of Classification
Searching Tree Space, Methods for
Sequential Speciation
Speciation Continuum
Speciation Genes
Speciation Genomics
Speciation‐with‐Gene‐Flow
Speciation, Chromosomal Rearrangements and
Speciation, Geography of
Species Concepts and Speciation
Species Concepts: Viral Quasispecies
Species Trees, Inference of
Supertree Methods, Phylogenetic
Support Measures, Phylogenetic Tree
4) Microevolution and Adaptation
Adaptation, History of
Adaptive Landscapes
Adaptive Mutation Controversy
Artificial Selection
Basic Science and Evolutionary Biology
Climate Change, Quantitative Genetics and
Conservation Biology, Evolution and
Darwin‐Wallace Theory of Evolution
Developmental Plasticity and Phenotypic Evolution
Directional Selection and Adaptation
Evolution and Agriculture I. The Evolution of Domestication
Evolution and Agriculture II. Evolutionary Applications to Breeding
Evolutionary Biology, History of
Evolutionary Computation
Evolutionary Medicine IV. Evolution and Emergence of Novel Pathogens
Evolvability, Quantitative Genetics of
Genetic Variation in Populations
Genetic Variation, Maintenance of
Hermaphrodites
Invasive Species, Evolution and
Life History Evolution: The Role of Mating Systems
Mate Choice and Sexually Selected Traits
Mating and Parental Sex Roles, Diversity in
Mating Systems in A Changing Environment
Mating Systems in Flowering Plants
Mating Systems in Plants, Genome Evolution and
Mating Systems, A Brief History of
Mating Tactics and Mating Strategies
Microbial Experimental Evolution
Natural Selection, Introduction to
Natural Selection, Measuring
Operational Sex Ratio
Philosophy, Evolutionary Biology and
Polyandry and Female Postcopulatory Choice
Quantitative Genetics in Natural Populations
Recombination and Selection
Security, Evolution and
Sex and Recombination in Snails
Sex and Selfish Genetic Elements
Sex Determination
Sex, Evolution and Maintenance of
Sexual Conflict
Sexual Dimorphism
Sexual Networks
Sexual Selection, Theory of
Shifting Balance Theory, Sewall Wright and
Speciation, Sexual Conflict and
Speciation, Sexual Selection and
Sperm Competition
Synthetic Theory of Evolution, History of
Waddington's Epigenetic Landscape, History of
5) Macroevolution and Paleontology (including origins of life, evolution of development and evolutionary diversification).
Adaptive Radiations: Insights From Evo‐Devo
Amniotes, Diversification of
Amniotes, the Origin of
Archaeplastida: Diversification of Red Algae and the Green Plant Lineage
Bird Flight Origins
Birds, Diversification of
C4 and CAM Photosynthesis in Land Plants, Evolution and Diversification of
Cambrian Explosion: A Molecular Paleobiological Overview
Carbon Relations, the Role in Plant Diversification of
Cellular Behaviors Underlying Pattern Formation and Evolution
Complexity, the Role of Oxygen in Evolution of
Developmental Biases on Morphological Evolvability
Developmental Mechanisms Controlling Cell Fate, Evolution of
Developmental Paleontology and Paleo‐Evo‐Devo
Developmental‐Genetic Toolkit for Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Directed Evolution, History of
Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Endophytic Microbes, Evolution and Diversification of
Endosymbiotic Theory
Evo‐Devo: Regulatory and Protein‐Coding Evolution in Plant Diversification
Evolutionary Medicine I. An Overview and Applications to Cancer
Evolutionary Medicine III. Mismatch
Fungal Evolution: Aquatic–Terrestrial Transitions
Gene Networks Driving Development, Conservation and Evolution of
Genome Evolutionary Role in Developmental Evolution
Genotype to Phenotype: Insights from Evo‐Devo
Homo, Diversification of
Insects and Ecdysozoa, Diversification of
Land Animals, Origins of
Land Vertebrates, the Origin and Evolution of
Lichen‐Forming Fungi, Diversification of
Lophotrochozoa, Diversification of
Macroevolution, Quantitative Genetics and
Mammalian Diversification
Mammals Everywhere
Mammals, Origin of
Metazoans, Origins of
Model Systems: The Key Roles of Traditional and New Models in Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Modularity and Integration in Evo‐Devo
Mycorrhizal Fungi, Evolution and Diversification of
Novel Structures in Animals, Developmental Evolution of
Novel Structures in Plants, Developmental Evolution of
Origin of Life, RNA World and
Origins of Life, History of
Paleobiogeography and Fossils
Paleobiological Revolution, History of
Regulatory and Coding Changes in Developmental Evolution, Roles of
Secondary Metabolites, the Role in Plant Diversification of
Seedless Land Plants, Evolution and Diversification of
Unikonts, Evolution and Diversification of (with Emphasis on Fungal‐Like Forms)
Vertebrates, the Origin of
- Edition: 2
- Published: September 1, 2025
- Imprint: Academic Press
- No. of pages: 2500
- Language: English
- Hardback ISBN: 9780443157509
- eBook ISBN: 9780443157516
CM
Claudia Augusta De Moraes Russo
Claudia Russo is Professor of Genetics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She has a degree in Ecology and a PhD in Genetics. During her PhD, she worked with Masatoshi Nei at Pennsylvania State University as a visiting scholar. She is currently Head of the Genetics Graduate Program at UFRJ. In 2001, she was part of the team that founded the Graduate Program in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology at UFRJ and served as its Head for two terms. Seventeen alumni from her group hold permanent positions as faculty members in Brazil and abroad. Since 2012 she has been on the editorial board of the top journal in the field, Molecular Biology and Evolution, and has now been appointed as the journal’s Editor in Chief, alongside Brandon Gaut, making her the first ever non-American to lead the journal. She was a section editor for the first edition of Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology.
Affiliations and expertise
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, BrazilJW
Jason B. Wolf
Jason Wolf is Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at the University of Bath, UK. He received a PhD from the University of Kentucky, and was a postdoctoral researcher at Indiana University and at Washington University. He has held faculty positions at the University of Tennessee and the University of Manchester, and a Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin. He is currently Editor in Chief for Evolution, and is a member of the Genetics Society Committee. He has previously served as Chief Editor for Frontiers in Genetic Architecture and as an Associate Editor for Genetics. He has edited two books and served as a section editor for the first edition of Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology. He is a winner of the Dobzhansky Prize from the Society for the Study of Evolution, a Young Investigator’s Prize from the American Society of Naturalists and the Scientific Medal from the Zoological Society of London.
Affiliations and expertise
University of Bath, United Kingdom