Note: Front Cover -- Avian Genetics: A Population and Ecological Approach -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Dedication -- Contributors -- Foreword -- Preface -- Introduction -- Part I: Assaying Genetic Variation -- Chapter 1. Mendelian Genes -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Principles and processes -- 3 Inheritance patterns in wild birds -- 4 Performing Mendelian genetic analyses -- References -- Chapter 2. Quantitative Genetics -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Quantitative genetics: an empirical approach to inheritance -- 3 The data available from natural populations of birds -- 4 Problems and prospects -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 3. Chromosomal Variation -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Cytogenetics -- 3 Karyotypes -- 4 Intraspecific chromosome variants -- 5 Meiotic studies -- 6 Sex chromosomes -- 7 Karyology of closely related species -- 8 Chromosome change and population structure -- 9 Summary -- References -- Chapter 4. Electrophoretic Variability of Gene Products -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Analysis of allozyme data -- 3 Patterns of genetic variation -- APPENDIX: Techniques for the collection of allozyme data -- References -- Chapter 5. Analysis of DNA Sequence Variation -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Nuclear DNA -- 3 Mitochondrial DNA -- References -- Synthesis I-Assaying Genetic Variation -- REFERENCES -- Part II: Moulding Genetic Variation -- Chapter 6. Inbreeding, Philopatry and Optimal Outbreeding in Birds -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Avian patterns of dispersal -- 3 Conceptual models of the evolution of philopatry -- 4 Measuring inbreeding -- 5 The effects of inbreeding -- 6 Inbreeding and dispersal -- 7 Optimal outbreeding -- 8 Summary and conclusions -- References -- Chapter 7. Gene Flow and the Genetic Structure of Populations -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Basic mathematics and assumptions -- 3 Evolutionary importance. , 4 Estimation of gene flow and genetic population structures -- 5 Summary -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 8. Selection in Natural Populations of Birds -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Detecting selection -- 3 Observing selection -- 4 Describing and comparing selection -- 5 Selection on wild populations of Darwin's finches -- 6 Summary and conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 9. Non-random Mating: A Theoretical and Empirical Overview with Special Reference to Birds -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Non-random mating -- 3 An analytical classification of non-random mating systems -- 4 Non-random mating and the genetic structure of populations: the single-locus modelling approach -- 5 Non-random mating and the existence of mating preferences -- 6 Assortative mating and polygenic variation -- 7 Examples of non-random mating in wild birds -- 8 Non-random mating and sympatric speciation -- 9 Mixed assortment in Snow Geese: preference and prevalence -- 10 Summary and conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 10. Geographic Variation and Speciation -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Estimation of genetic variation in natural populations -- 3 Clinal variation in natural populations -- 4 Genetic structure as a measure of geographic variation -- 5 Speciation -- 6 Summary and conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Synthesis II-Moulding Genetic Variation -- Part III: Genetic Case Histories -- Chapter 11. Quantitative Ecological Genetics of Great Tits -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Successful demonstration of genetic variation -- 3 Unsuccessful demonstration of genetic variation -- 4 Detection of inbreeding -- 5 Prospects for future research -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 12. Evolutionary Genetics of House Sparrows -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Selection by extremes of climate -- 3 Differentiation between populations -- 4 Biochemical polymorphisms. , 5 Discussion and conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 13. Lesser Snow Goose: A Long-term Population Study -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods of data collection -- 3 Types of genetic variability -- 4 Factors affecting the distribution of genes for plumage colour -- 5 Discussion -- 6 Summary -- References -- Chapter 14. Polymorphism and Sexual Selection in the Arctic Skua -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The genetics of Arctic Skua phenotypes -- 3 Models for maintaining polymorphisms -- 4 Maintenance of the Arctic Skua polymorphism -- 5 Sexual selection of Arctic Skua phenotypes -- 6 Preferential mating -- 7 Assortative mating -- 8 Sexual selection and male experience -- 9 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 15. Epilogue and Prologue: Past and Future Research in Avian Genetics -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The neutrality-selection controversy -- 3 Interpretation of allozyme analyses -- 4 Phylogenies, statistical constraints and molecular clocks -- 5 Gene flow -- 6 Life history variation -- 7 Polymorphisms and their maintenance -- 8 The genetics of speciation -- 9 Genetics and conservation -- 10 A last word -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Index.