Fitness Landscapes and the Origin of Species Paperback - 2004

From the rear cover

"A landmark work. This is the first systematic summary of the mathematical theory of speciation, and Dr. Gavrilets, whose work has changed the field in recent years, is the most qualified person to have written it. There is no comparable book."--Günter Paul Wagner, Yale University

"Undoubtedly a significant contribution. The book will be valuable not only in speciation theory but beyond the theoretical realm, to empirical scientists working on speciation, to evolutionary biologists more broadly, and to mathematicians interested in the applications. The scholarship is excellent, and the logical organization is impeccable."--Roger Butlin, University of Leeds

"This is a book that has been needed for a long time, but it required someone of Sergey Gavrilets's breadth and depth of understanding of both evolutionary biology and mathematical modeling. Gavrilets has already infused evolutionary biology with highly innovative ways of thinking about the structure of natural selection and the dynamics of evolution, using novel mathematical models to probe difficult ideas. Here he analyzes past work critically and adopts a clear viewpoint of his own, complete with a rich set of models that support that viewpoint. He does so in a way that makes the ideas accessible both to empirical evolutionary researchers and applied mathematicians."--John N. Thompson, University of California, Santa Cruz

"This is the first book I have read about speciation that actually presents the topic in an objective way, rather than carrying on the fifty-year tradition of strong opinions without critical evidence. Gavrilets does a splendid job of building all of the models and discussing their implications."--John A. Endler, University of California, Santa Barbara