The Great Tree of Life

"The Great Tree of Life is a concise, approachable treatment that surveys the concept of the Tree of Life, including chapters on its historical use and cultural significance. The "Tree of Life" is a metaphor used to describe the relationships between organisms, both living and extinct and including our own species, as first noted by Charles Darwin. The book expounds on this exciting research and covers how to build an evolutionary tree of relationships. It also demonstrates the enormous utility of the Tree of Life in a variety of applications, including drug discovery, curing disease, crop improvement, conservation biology and ecology, responding to the challenges of climate change, and discusses the significant ongoing threats to the Tree of Life due to the demands of a growing human population. Lastly, the book stresses the need to find effective ways to "teach" the importance of the Tree of Life to our children, as well as the general public, both to preserve the Tree and to ensure the survival of our own species. The Great Tree of Life is a key aid to improving our understanding of species relationships and will be of use to researchers, practitioners, academics, and students in biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology and others interested in understanding the challenges to and opportunities for further conserving and restoring the Earth's biodiversity. Provides a single reference describing the properties, history, and utility of the Tree of Life. Introduces phylogenetics and its applications in an approachable manner."--