OPUS: Phenotypic Evolution, a Synthesis

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The goal of this project is to produce a book-length synthesis of findings in the field of phenotypic evolution. This field is concerned with the evolution of body size, shape, coloration, behavior and other observable characteristics of plants and animals. The synthesis will include theoretical results as well as observational and experimental findings. The observational results that will be summarized range from evolutionary change over a few generations in contemporary populations to trends that occur in the fossil record over hundreds of millions of years. The challenge faced by this book is to explain evolution over such diverse timescales in terms of natural processes that operate on a timescale of a few generations (e.g., inheritance, selection, population size). Most evolutionary biologists agree that such an explanation should be possible, while disagreeing about the details. The significance of this synthesis is that it will integrate recently developed theoretical models with observations of evolution in nature. The synthesis is based on the premise that processes underlying evolution can be understood using powerful models that have been developed over the last 30 years. Despite their power, these models are not widely used - even by evolutionary biologists - because of their mathematical nature. Consequently, a major aim of this project is to make these modern models accessible to a wide audience that will include researchers, college students, and even high school students. Accessibility will be achieved by using computer animations and simulations to illustrate both essential concepts and theoretical results.