Asymmetry, Developmental Stability, and Evolution [Paperback]

Why does nature love symmetry? In this up-to-date review of symmetry and its evolutionary implications, Anders M?ller and John Swaddle argue that symmetry is related to genetic stability and fitness and that symmetric individuals appear to have quantifiable and significant advantages over their asymmetric counterparts. In contrast, asymmetry, a common measure of developmental instability, is the result of environmental or genetic disruptions of developmental processes, such as pollutants, competition, parasitism, inbreeding, genetic mutation, and hybridization. M?ller and Swaddle maintain that deviations from morphological symmetry are important factors in social or sexual situations: animals may be able to use symmetry as an honest indication of quality when assessing potential mates or competitors. This comprehensive review of the literature on developmental stability will be important reading for students and researchers in the fields of ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and animal behavior.

1. Asymmetries and developmental stability
2. Ontogeny of asymmetry and phenodeviants
3. Developmental stability and mode of selection
4. Adverse environmental conditions and evolution
5. Causes of developmental instability. I. Genetic factors
6. Causes of developmental instability. II. Environmental factors
7. Developmental instability and performance
8. Developmental stability and signalling
9. Developmental stability and fitness

Asymmetry, Developmental Stability, and Evolution, by Aders P. M?ller and John P. Swaddle, is an enthusiasts guide to the idea that subtle deviations from perfect symmetry can indicate the quality of individuals, or of the environments they inhabit. . . . The literature covered is extraordinarily wide ranging and is likely to include some material unfamiliar even to aficionados of these areas. --Evolution

This book, and its associated web site (http://www.oup.co.uk/MS-asymmelc¿