Note: Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Contributors -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- CHAPTER ONE Speciation and patterns of biodiversity -- How many species are there? -- Speciation mechanisms and biodiversity -- Biodiversity and speciation rates -- Prospects -- References -- CHAPTER TWO On the arbitrary identification of real species -- Introduction -- On the nature of natural populations -- The challenges of using hypothesis tests for species diagnosis -- Methods having a bias in the reverse direction -- Estimator bias and consistency -- Overcoming sample size effects using cut-off criteria -- The insufficiency of overall summaries of differentiation -- Considering model-based approaches -- Suggestions for criteria for species diagnosis -- An example using specific migration and splitting time cut-offs -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER THREE The evolutionary nature of diversification in sexuals and asexuals -- Introduction -- Diversification in asexuals: a brief review -- Bdelloid rotifers: an ancient asexual scandal -- Are bdelloid species real? -- Testing the evolutionary nature of diversity in bdelloid rotifers -- A species by any other name? -- Sexual diversification: neutral versus non-neutral species -- Do real higher taxa exist? -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER FOUR The poverty of the protists -- Experimental adaptive radiation in bacteria -- Bacterial adaptation to complex environments -- Themes and variations -- Bacterial diversity in nature -- The eukaryotic life cycle -- Diversity of eukaryotic microbes -- Ecological phylogenetics of bacteria -- Microbial biogeography -- Sex and diversification -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER FIVE Theory, community assembly, diversity and evolution in the microbial world -- Theory in the microbial world. , Patterns are perilous -- What makes a good theory? -- Back to basics -- Stochastic models -- Applying neutral community models in the microbial world -- The biology is in the parameters -- Evolution as the master variable -- The non-paradox of the nitrifiers -- Free energy and the rate of evolution -- Caveats and ambitions -- References -- CHAPTER SIX Limits to adaptation and patterns of biodiversity -- Why do species have finite ranges in space and time? -- Limits to adaptation in time: the cost of shifting optima -- Limits to adaptation in space -- Integrating limits to adaptation in time and space -- Predicting maximum rates of adaptation in natural populations -- The strength of stabilizing selection -- The rate of change of the selective optima -- The amount of genetic variation in fitness -- Do limits to adaptation determine species' distributions? -- Future prospects -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER SEVEN Dynamic patterns of adaptive radiation: evolution of mating preferences -- Introduction -- Mathematical model -- Space and environment -- Individuals -- Life-cycle -- Viability selection -- Habitat preference and dispersal -- Mating preference -- Offspring production -- Local extinction -- Reproductive isolation and species -- Initial conditions -- Parameter values -- Population genetic structure at neutral loci -- Diversification under random mating -- Area effect -- Effect of the number of loci -- Timing of speciation -- Overshooting effect -- Hybridization and neutral gene flow -- 'Least action effect' -- Evolution of non-random mating -- Strength of non-random mating -- Drift versus selection (against hybridization) -- Divergence in mating characters -- Does more ecological species mean more sexual species? -- The role of reinforcement -- The role of hybridization -- Local adaptation and speciation -- Stages of diversification. , Discussion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER EIGHT Niche dimensionality and ecological speciation -- Dimensionality in niche divergence and speciation -- Increased total selection strength -- Empirical evidence that dimensionality in niche divergence affects speciation -- Laboratory experimental evolution studies -- Data from natural populations of Timema walking-stick insects -- Dimensionality in divergence of cryptic colour patterns -- Dimensionality in divergence in morphology and physiology -- Other empirical tests -- Niche dimensionality and speciation: alternative mechanisms generating the association -- Increased genetic dimensions and ecologically dependent hybrid fitness -- Changing fitness landscapes -- Pleiotropy -- Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibility models -- Models invoking magic traits or linkage disequilibrium -- Alternatives summarized: many genes the right genes? -- Niche dimensionality and peak shifts during speciation -- Causality and the role of time since divergence -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER NINE Progressive levels of trait divergence along a 'speciation transect' in the Lake Victoria cichlid fish Pundamilia -- Introduction and outline -- Distribution and phenotypic characterization of P. pundamilia and P. nyererei -- Geographical variation in the degree of genetic and phenotypic differentiation -- Causes of gene flow restriction between incipient species -- No intrinsic postzygotic isolation -- Spawning habitat choice -- Direct female mate choice -- The mate choice traits and their inheritance -- The form of selection on male nuptial colouration -- The sources of selection on female mating preferences and testing predictions of speciation models -- Classical reinforcement -- Adaptive speciation -- Sensory drive speciation -- Parasite-mediated divergent sexual selection. , Colour-based aggression biases in males help stabilize incipient speciation -- Discussion and perspectives -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER TEN Rapid speciation, hybridization and adaptive radiation in the Heliconius melpomene group -- Introduction -- Speciation driven by mimicry -- Speciation not driven by mimicry -- Hybridization, mimicry and speciation -- H. heurippa and H. pachinus -- H. cydno and its relatives further south -- Introgression and hybridization as a source of mimetic adaptations -- Generality of adaptive introgression -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER ELEVEN Investigating ecological speciation -- Ecological speciation -- Aspects of the study of ecological speciation -- Comparative approaches for the study of ecological speciation -- Illustrating aspects of the study of ecological speciation: Neochlamisus and beyond -- Critical caveats -- Conclusions and future directions -- References -- CHAPTER TWELVE Biotic interactions and speciation in the tropics -- Climate, history and topography -- Evolution and the latitudinal gradient -- Are biotic interactions stronger in the tropics? -- What are the evolutionary implications of strong biotic interactions? -- How do biotic interactions facilitate speciation? -- Do strong biotic interactions lead to greater species richness? -- Are speciation rates higher in the tropics? -- Synopsis and future directions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER THIRTEEN Ecological influences on the temporal pattern of speciation -- Introduction -- Stages of speciation -- Temporal patterns of speciation -- Tests of slowdown in molecular phylogenies -- Clade age -- Correlates with sympatry and other aspects of range size -- Strength of slowdowns -- Discussion -- CHAPTER FOURTEEN Speciation, extinction and diversity. , Rates of speciation and extinction in diversifying clades -- Reconstructed phylogenies and lineage-through-time plots -- Diversification bias -- Balanced diversification -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER FIFTEEN Temporal patterns in diversification rates -- Introduction -- Two approaches to macroevolution -- Tests for simple changes in the net rate of diversification -- Tests for more complex temporal patterns -- Problems with the phylogenetic approach -- A model system approach for macroevolution? -- Acknowledgements -- References -- CHAPTER SIXTEEN Speciation and extinction in the fossil record of North American mammals -- Introduction -- Time-scale analysis -- Diversity estimation -- Turnover rates -- Data -- General patterns -- Hypothesis tests -- Diversity curve simulation -- Discussion -- Turnover rates -- Macroevolutionary theories -- Diversity equilibrium -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Index.