The Character Concept in Evolutionary Biology

Almost all evolutionary biologists, indeed all biologists, use particular features to study life. These characteristics or features used by evolutionary biologists are used in a particular way to unravel a tangled evolutionary history, document the rate of evolutionary change, or as evidence of biodiversity. "Characters" are the "data" of evolutionary biology and they can be employed differently in research providing both opportunities and limitations.

The Character Concept in Evolutionary Biology is about characters, their use, how different sorts of characters are limited, and what are appropriate methods for character analysis. Leading evolutionary biologists from around the world are contributors to this authoritative review of the "character concept." Because characters and the conception of characters are central to all studies of evolution, and because evolution is the central organizing principle of biology, this book will appeal to a wide cross-section of biologists.

"...offers a variety of perspectives, sometimes clashing, on how characters are defined, identified, and used in biology."—Science, 2001

"...a book worth paying attention to. ...This is a useful book that has fulfilled Wagner's goal of summarizing information on this topic and stimulating discussion. Read it as soon as you can or risk being left behind as an area that is fundamental to all we do as systematists takes off."—Norm MacLeod, The Natural History Museum, The Palaeontological Assocation Newsletter, 2001