cover image FROGS, FLIES, AND DANDELIONS: The Making of Species

FROGS, FLIES, AND DANDELIONS: The Making of Species

Menno Schilthuizen, . . Oxford Univ., $25 (440pp) ISBN 978-0-19-850393-4

Perhaps the most long-standing question in evolutionary biology concerns the origin of species. What are the environmental, evolutionary, genetic, geographical, behavioral or physiological conditions necessary for a species to split into two? Schilthuizen, professor of biology at the University of Malaysia Sabah in Malaysia, does a superb job of reviewing the voluminous scientific literature on this topic, distilling it to a manageable size and presenting it in a form that is both engaging and accessible for the nonspecialist. In addition to a good deal of natural history, from descriptions of the mating behaviors of fire-bellied toads to the differences between left- and right-handled snails, Schilthuizen provides an insider's perspective on both laboratory and field experiments. He analyzes in detail the controversy over whether populations must be geographically isolated from one another for new species to be formed, and he describes, with many interesting examples, the role that sexual selection—females choosing specific males with whom to mate—might play in the speciation process. By including case studies from a wide range of organisms—plants, birds, amphibians, fish and mammals—he demonstrates the breadth and vibrancy of his ideas. Although no technical background is required to grasp Schilthuizen's ideas, there is enough substance to engage those moderately knowledgeable about evolutionary biology. Illus. (May)