Coalescent Theory: An Introduction

Coalescent Theory: An Introduction

John Wakeley
$59.95
Publication Date: June 1st, 2008
Publisher:
Roberts and Company Publishers
ISBN:
9780974707754
Pages:
432

Description

Coalescent theory provides the foundation for molecular population genetics and genomics. It is the conceptual framework for studies of DNA sequence variation within species, and is the source of essential tools for making inferences about mutation, recombination, population structure and natural selection from DNA sequence data.

About the Author

John Wakeley is Professor and Chairman of Biology at Harvard University. He has worked extensively in coalescent theory. His research has focussed on populations structured by geography and limited migration. Using coalescent models, Dr. Wakeley has addressed questions about the current and historical demography of humans and other species.

Praise for Coalescent Theory: An Introduction

"I think the level of math is just right for an important audience: the biologist, who, though not necessarily well trained in mathematics, has a taste for mathematical argument and is willing to apply him/herself a bit to get through it.... The case studies are a terrific feature.... I think many biologists will be greatly buoyed by these, and motivated to think deeper about the models and how they can be analyzed."
    —Richard Hudson, University of Chicago

"John Wakeley's book impressively presents the fundamentals and advances of coalescent theory and marvelously bridges biology and mathematics. A must for everyone interested in ancestral population genetics."
    —Martin Moehle, University of Duesseldorf

"The coalescent has come to dominate population genetics in recent years, and is widely applied to make sense of DNA sequence variation.  For the first time, Wakeley's book provides a clear and accessible account of this key subject, which takes the reader right up to the frontiers of current research.”
    —Nick Barton, University of Edinburgh