The origins of genome architecture

The availability of genomic blueprints for hundreds of species has led to a transformation in biology, encouraging the proliferation of adaptive arguments for the evolution of genomic features, yet often sacrificing simpler, more compelling explanations. This textbook explains why the details matter and presents an explanatory framework for how the architectural diversity of eukarotic genomes and genes came to arise. Presented in non-technical fashion, it is compatible for use in an advanced Genetics course and as a professional reference.

The Emergence of Eukaryotes. Genome Complexity. Why Population Size is Important. Three Keys to Chromosomal Integrity. Nucleotide Composition. Genomic Expansion by Gene Duplication. Genes in Pieces. Mobile Genetic Elements. Transcription and Regulatory-region Complexity. Expansion and Contraction of Organelle Genomes. Life on a Sex Chromosome.

Michael Lynch is Distinguished Professor of Biology at Indiana University. He received his B.S. in Biology from St. Bonaventure University, and his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Lynch has served as President of both the Society for the Study of Evolution and the American Genetic Association, and is a past council member of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His research is focused on mechanisms of evolution at the gene, genomic, cellular, and phenotypic levels, with special attention being given to the roles of mutation, random genetic drift, and recombination.