Joan T. Richtsmeier - Böcker

Natural scientists perceive and classify organisms primarily on the basis of their appearance and structure- their form , defined as that characteristic remaining invariant after translation, rotation, and possibly reflection of the object. The quantitative study of form and form change comprises the field of morphometrics. For morphometrics to succeed, it needs techniques that not only satisfy mathematical and statistical rigor but also attend to the scientific issues.An Invariant Approach to the Statistical Analysis of Shapes results from a long and fruitful collaboration between a mathematical statistician and a biologist. Together they have developed a methodology that addresses the importance of scientific relevance, biological variability, and invariance of the statistical and scientific inferences with respect to the arbitrary choice of the coordinate system. They present the history and foundations of morphometrics, discuss the various kinds of data used in the analysis of form, and provide justification for choosing landmark coordinates as a preferred data type. They describe the statistical models used to represent intra-population variability of landmark data and show that arbitrary translation, rotation, and reflection of the objects introduce infinitely many nuisance parameters. The most fundamental part of morphometrics-comparison of forms-receives in-depth treatment, as does the study of growth and growth patterns, classification, clustering, and asymmetry.Morphometrics has only recently begun to consider the invariance principle and its implications for the study of biological form. With the advantage of dual perspectives, An Invariant Approach to the Statistical Analysis of Shapes stands as a unique and important work that brings a decade's worth of innovative methods, observations, and insights to an audience of both statisticians and biologists.

Many complex traits define the primate condition, including behaviors as fundamental as locomotion and traits as scrutinized as the dentition, and their study reveals dramatic evolutionary change across the primates. Genetic modifications are at the basis of these changes, but transformation of genetic information into phenotypes occurs at the level of the cell, which is the focus of this book. Contributors summarize novel methodologies to analyze the collective behavior of cells in forming tissues and organs influencing physiological functions and anatomical features that enable behaviors. Our goal is to review current knowledge and encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology to aid in deciphering the genotype-phenotype map that underlies the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. The contributors to this book utilize advances in genetic analysis and visualization of cells and tissues and merge evolutionary developmental biology with evolutionary cell biology to address questions central to understanding human and primate evolution.Key Features Explores mechanisms underlying trait development, distribution, variation, and evolution, especially with respect to pigmentation, dental formulae, the skeleton, energetics, and temperature-related morphological variation Documents the advantages for anthropologists to work at the level of cells, focusing on how genes provide instructions for cells to make structure and how environment affects the behavior of cells Illustrates the role cell biology plays in pelage growth and pigmentation, facial morphology, melanin production in pigmentation, dental development and tooth loss, and energy expenditure Describes novel methodologies and techniques to analyze environment- and temperature-related influences on phenotypes Demonstrates how significant changes in life history occur at the level of the cell Related TitlesBianchi, L. Developmental Neurobiology (ISBN 978-0-8153-4482-7)King, G. R. Primate Behavior and Human Origins (ISBN 978-1-138-85317-1)Rhys Evans, P. H. The Waterside Ape: An Alternate Account of Human Evolution (ISBN 978-0-367-14548-4)

Many complex traits define the human condition, including encephalization and bipedalism. The specific molecular signals and cellular processes producing these traits are the result of dramatic evolutionary change. At the same time, conservation of many of these developmental programs underlie both structure and function. Novel methodologies and techniques allow analysis of the collective behavior of cells, cell shapes, tissues, and organs. This volume demonstrates the essential role of cellular mechanisms in the evolutionary increase in the size and complexity of the primate brain. In addition, and concordant with encephalization, this book documents changes in the muscles and bones associated with the appearance of bipedalism. Genetic changes are the basis of these evolutionary changes, but transformation of genetic information into phenotypic outcomes occurs at the level of the cell, and this is the focus of the book. The goal is to encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology as a novel and necessary approach to the genotype-phenotype map of the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. The contributors to this book utilize advances in genetic analysis, visualization of cells and tissues, and the merging of evolutionary developmental biology with evolutionary cell biology to address questions central to understanding the human and primate evolution.Key Features Explores mechanisms underlying trait distribution, dispersal, variation, and evolution through the direct testing of hypotheses especially with respect to patterns of encephalization, certain sensory modalities, and growth and life history specializations. Documents the advantages for anthropologists to work at the level of cells focusing on how genes provide instructions for cells to make structure and how environmental influences affect the behavior of cells. Illustrates the role cell biology plays with respect to encephalization, neocortical expansion, variation in facial morphology, locomotion, and dexterity. Describes novel methodologies and techniques allowing analysis of how the collective behavior of cells shapes tissues and organs.Related TitlesRipamonti, U., ed. Induction of Bone Formation in Primates: The Transforming Growth Factor-beta 3 (ISBN 978-0-3673-7740-3).Gordon, M. S., et al., eds. Animal Locomotion: Physical Principles and Adaptations (ISBN 978-0-3676-5795-6)Bianchi, L. Developmental Neurobiology (ISBN 978-0-8153-4482-7)

Natural scientists perceive and classify organisms primarily on the basis of their appearance and structure- their form , defined as that characteristic remaining invariant after translation, rotation, and possibly reflection of the object. The quantitative study of form and form change comprises the field of morphometrics. For morphometrics to succeed, it needs techniques that not only satisfy mathematical and statistical rigor but also attend to the scientific issues.An Invariant Approach to the Statistical Analysis of Shapes results from a long and fruitful collaboration between a mathematical statistician and a biologist. Together they have developed a methodology that addresses the importance of scientific relevance, biological variability, and invariance of the statistical and scientific inferences with respect to the arbitrary choice of the coordinate system. They present the history and foundations of morphometrics, discuss the various kinds of data used in the analysis of form, and provide justification for choosing landmark coordinates as a preferred data type. They describe the statistical models used to represent intra-population variability of landmark data and show that arbitrary translation, rotation, and reflection of the objects introduce infinitely many nuisance parameters. The most fundamental part of morphometrics-comparison of forms-receives in-depth treatment, as does the study of growth and growth patterns, classification, clustering, and asymmetry.Morphometrics has only recently begun to consider the invariance principle and its implications for the study of biological form. With the advantage of dual perspectives, An Invariant Approach to the Statistical Analysis of Shapes stands as a unique and important work that brings a decade's worth of innovative methods, observations, and insights to an audience of both statisticians and biologists.

Many complex traits define the human condition, including encephalization and bipedalism. The specific molecular signals and cellular processes producing these traits are the result of dramatic evolutionary change. At the same time, conservation of many of these developmental programs underlie both structure and function. Novel methodologies and techniques allow analysis of the collective behavior of cells, cell shapes, tissues, and organs. This volume demonstrates the essential role of cellular mechanisms in the evolutionary increase in the size and complexity of the primate brain. In addition, and concordant with encephalization, this book documents changes in the muscles and bones associated with the appearance of bipedalism. Genetic changes are the basis of these evolutionary changes, but transformation of genetic information into phenotypic outcomes occurs at the level of the cell, and this is the focus of the book. The goal is to encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology as a novel and necessary approach to the genotype-phenotype map of the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. The contributors to this book utilize advances in genetic analysis, visualization of cells and tissues, and the merging of evolutionary developmental biology with evolutionary cell biology to address questions central to understanding the human and primate evolution.Key Features Explores mechanisms underlying trait distribution, dispersal, variation, and evolution through the direct testing of hypotheses especially with respect to patterns of encephalization, certain sensory modalities, and growth and life history specializations. Documents the advantages for anthropologists to work at the level of cells focusing on how genes provide instructions for cells to make structure and how environmental influences affect the behavior of cells. Illustrates the role cell biology plays with respect to encephalization, neocortical expansion, variation in facial morphology, locomotion, and dexterity. Describes novel methodologies and techniques allowing analysis of how the collective behavior of cells shapes tissues and organs.Related TitlesRipamonti, U., ed. Induction of Bone Formation in Primates: The Transforming Growth Factor-beta 3 (ISBN 978-0-3673-7740-3).Gordon, M. S., et al., eds. Animal Locomotion: Physical Principles and Adaptations (ISBN 978-0-3676-5795-6)Bianchi, L. Developmental Neurobiology (ISBN 978-0-8153-4482-7)

Many complex traits define the primate condition, including behaviors as fundamental as locomotion and traits as scrutinized as the dentition, and their study reveals dramatic evolutionary change across the primates. Genetic modifications are at the basis of these changes, but transformation of genetic information into phenotypes occurs at the level of the cell, which is the focus of this book. Contributors summarize novel methodologies to analyze the collective behavior of cells in forming tissues and organs influencing physiological functions and anatomical features that enable behaviors. Our goal is to review current knowledge and encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology to aid in deciphering the genotype-phenotype map that underlies the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. The contributors to this book utilize advances in genetic analysis and visualization of cells and tissues and merge evolutionary developmental biology with evolutionary cell biology to address questions central to understanding human and primate evolution.Key Features Explores mechanisms underlying trait development, distribution, variation, and evolution, especially with respect to pigmentation, dental formulae, the skeleton, energetics, and temperature-related morphological variation Documents the advantages for anthropologists to work at the level of cells, focusing on how genes provide instructions for cells to make structure and how environment affects the behavior of cells Illustrates the role cell biology plays in pelage growth and pigmentation, facial morphology, melanin production in pigmentation, dental development and tooth loss, and energy expenditure Describes novel methodologies and techniques to analyze environment- and temperature-related influences on phenotypes Demonstrates how significant changes in life history occur at the level of the cell Related TitlesBianchi, L. Developmental Neurobiology (ISBN 978-0-8153-4482-7)King, G. R. Primate Behavior and Human Origins (ISBN 978-1-138-85317-1)Rhys Evans, P. H. The Waterside Ape: An Alternate Account of Human Evolution (ISBN 978-0-367-14548-4)

These two volumes demonstrate the role of cellular mechanisms in the production of the many specialized traits defining primates. By exploring gene activity transforming into evolutionary change through the work of cellular mechanisms, the goal is to encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology as an approach to the genotype-phenotype map of the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. Contributors highlight how genetic analysis, visualization of cells and tissues, and merging Evo-Devo with evolutionary cell biology combine to answer questions central to understanding the human and primate evolution. Key Features Explores the developmental basis of characteristics that define the primate lineage Documents cellular mechanisms associated with everything from skin and eneregetics to the brain and communication. Chapters by a team of leading international researchers

These two volumes demonstrate the role of cellular mechanisms in the production of the many specialized traits defining primates. By exploring gene activity transforming into evolutionary change through the work of cellular mechanisms, the goal is to encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology as an approach to the genotype-phenotype map of the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. Contributors highlight how genetic analysis, visualization of cells and tissues, and merging Evo-Devo with evolutionary cell biology combine to answer questions central to understanding the human and primate evolution. Key Features Explores the developmental basis of characteristics that define the primate lineage Documents cellular mechanisms associated with everything from skin and eneregetics to the brain and communication. Chapters by a team of leading international researchers