Evolutionary Biology: Exobiology and Evolutionary Mechanisms

• The First Experiments of Ascidian and Sea Urchin Eggs Fertilization.- Ontic Openness as Key Factor in the Evolution of Biological Systems.- Effects of Epistasis and Pleiotropy on Fitness Landscapes.- Autocatalytic Sets: The Origin of Life, Evolution, and Functional Organization.- Interactions of Clay Minerals with RNA Components.- Bottom-up Protocell Design: Gaining Insights in the Emergence of Complex Functions.- From Life to Exolife: The Interdependence of Astrobiology and Evolutionary Biology.- The Possible Roles of Water in the Prebiotic Chemical Evolution of DNA ― An Approach by Single Molecule Studies.- Domain Architecture Evolution of Metazoan Proteins.- Of Trees and Bushes: Phylogenetic Networks as Tools to Detect, Visualize and Model Reticulate Evolution.- Horizontal Acquisition of Prokaryotic Genes for Eukaryote Functioning and Niche Adaptation.- Molecular Evolution of Disrupted Transfer RNA Genes and Their Introns in Archaea.- Memory of Temperature in the Seasonal Controlof Flowering Time: an Unexplored Link Between Meteorology and Molecular Biology.- Current approaches in spatial genetics.- Consequences of Segregation and Genetic Exchange on Adaptability in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF).- Mitochondrial Genes, Sex Determination and Hermaphroditism in Freshwater Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida).- Variable Lymphocyte Receptors in JawLess Vertebrates: Illuminating the Origin and Early Evolution of Adaptive Immunity.- An Evo-Devo perspective on Hybrid Infertility and Speciation.- Genetic and Molecular Dissection of Animal Decision-Making: A New Frontier for Genetic Analysis.

"The reviewed volume is an important contribution to the understanding of the life origin and development. Evidently, biologists (including geneticists and astrobiologists) are its target audience, but palaeobiologists and geobiologists (professionals and students with very advanced knowledge) should not miss it, too. The book will give the latter a number of highly interesting ideas for further thoughts." (Dmitry A. Ruban, Zentralblatt fur Geologie und Palaontologie, Issue 5-6, 2014)