Introduction

Abstract

This book is about the study of phylogeny and natural history, late 20th-century style. Scientists now routinely utilize the genetic information in biological macromolecules—proteins and DNA—to address numerous aspects of the behaviors, life histories, and evolutionary relationships of organisms. When used to best effect, molecular data are integrated with information from such fields as ethology, field ecology, comparative morphology, systematics, and paleontology. These time-honored biological disciplines remain highly active today, but each has been enriched if not rejuvenated by contact with the relatively young but burgeoning field of molecular evolution.

The stream of heredity makes phytogeny; in a sense, it is phylogeny. Complete genetic analysis would provide the most priceless data for the mapping of this stream.

G.G. Simpson, 1945