Darwin's Reach

Norman Johnson is an evolutionary geneticist, who received his B. S. from William and Mary (1987) and a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester (1992). His doctoral thesis was on the genetics of hybrid sterility between different species of Drosophila. He was a postdoctoral fellow with Michael Wade on quantitative genetics of hybrid traits between species of Tribolium flour beetles at the University of Chicago. Johnson teaches classes in genetics and/or evolution. Most of his research has been on the genetics and evolution of why hybrids between species are often sterile or inviable. Other research interests include the evolution of sex chromosomes, the evolution of extremely large dietary niches in insects, and the interplay between the relaxation of selection and the loss of traits. He wrote Darwinian Detectives: Revealing the Natural History of Genes and Genomes, published in 2007. Johnson was the lead organizer for a working group at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (in Durham, NC) on Communicating the Relevance of Human Evolution. One of the outcomes was a paper for American Biology Teacher that addresses the question, “if humans evolved from chimps, why are there still chimps?” Johnson was the section editor for the Applied Evolution section of the Encyclopedia of Evolution . He wrote three of the entries (overview of evolutionary medicine and cancer, pest management, and evolution and breeding) and commissioned a dozen other entries in subjects ranging from evolution and climate change response to evolutionary computation to evolution and national security.

In Darwin’s Reach, Norman Johnson takes Dobzhansky’s assertion that ‘nothing in biology makes sense outside the light of evolution’ to a new level. This remarkable book demonstrates how an evolutionary ‘lens’ can deepen our understanding of critical issues. With compelling prose and masterful scientific storytelling, Johnson shows exactly how powerfully evolution can illuminate and transform a remarkably wide range of human concerns, disciplines and domains. An invaluable resource for students, teachers, and anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the human experience–past, present and future. — B. Natterson-Horowitz, MD, Harvard Medical SchoolDarwin’s Reach is an intellectual tour de force that synthesizes findings about evolution from numerous fields and concretely shows how insights from pest management can help us manage invasive species as well as invasive cancers, antibiotic resistance, and much, much more. Norman Johnson is not only an eloquent tour guide who clearly unpacks complex evolutionary principles, experiments, and insights, but he’s also a public relations expert showing us how and why evolution matters to us all. This is a must read for anyone interested in evolutionary medicine, sustainable agriculture, the biodiversity crisis, and, more generally, in the intellectual challenges of applying scientific knowledge. — Daniel T. Blumstein, University of California Los Angeles"… the manifold areas of applied evolutionary biology have not been comprehensively described until now. Norman A. Johnson, at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, has stepped up to the challenge… Johnson starts with present-day issues, such as phage therapy, in which selection for phage resistance in pathogenic bacteria may reduce their resistance to antibiotics providing an opportunity to introduce natural selection and costs of adaptation. The chapter "Going Viral" treats viral epidemics, focusing on the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic and illustrating the use of phylogenetic inference in tracing the spread of such epidemics….Johnson has done a real service in his well- researched (with about 900 literature citations) review of a very diverse, sprawling subject. He has written a fine book, a remarkably comprehensive survey of an important dimension of evolutionary biology. "Douglas Futuyma in Evolution, 2023"Johnson undertakes a wide variety of topics… including evolutionary medicine, pandemics like COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS, mosquito-borne diseases, personalized medicine, cancer, agriculture, biodiversity, and invasive species. He concludes with a few chapters on evolution and society, including genetic analysis in criminal investigations, warfare, and the non-existence of human biological races…I would not hesitate to suggest it as supplementary reading for interested undergraduates. It should provide useful insights for evolutionary biologists, geneticists and health professionals. " — Michael A. Goldman In Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 2023.

• Law. The Sequence on the stand - Uses of evolutionary genetics in court proceedings. Kings of the Lab: Evolution and forensic entomology. Health. Paging Doctor Darwin: An introduction to evolutionary medicine. The past isn’t through with us: evolutionary mismatch. Evolution and Infectious Disease. Darwin vs the Emperor of Maladies: how evolutionary medicine principles can be applied to cancer. Evolution and the stages of life. The future is personal – personalized genomics and medicine. Food. Evolution and breeding. Blessed Are The Cheesemakers. Pollination. Managing agriculture. So long, and thanks for all the fish: Evolution and fish management. Environment. Conservation Genetics. Evolutionary responses to a rapidly changing environment. Urban ecology: Cities as the new evolutionary frontier. Darwin Goes to the Dogs. Society. Darwinian security. Human diversity. Our future. Epilogue – The utter strangeness of the octopus: How evolutionary biology informs exobiology.