From Book News, Inc.The 25 essays of this collection were contributed mainly by American scientists, with representatives as well from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Austria. Following Wagner's (ecology and evolutionary biology, Yale U.) introduction, the topics include: the historical roots of the character concept, the genetic architecture of quantitative traits, homologies of process and modular elements of embryonic construction, homology and DNA sequencing data, character polarity and the rooting of cladograms, and mathematical structure of characters and modularity. Five essays on the evolutionary origin of characters conclude the volume.Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.