1. Maintenance of a Hereditary Virus: The Sigma Virus in Populations of Its Host, Drosophila melanogaster.- French Populations of Drosophila melanogaster.- Geographical Variation of the Drosophila—Sigma System.- Other Systems of Vertically Transmitted Viruses.- Appendix: Transmission of Stabilized and Nonstabilized Conditions.- References.- 2. Domestication: Evolutionary Change under Stress.- Environmental Change and Domestication.- Adaptation to Laboratory Conditions.- A Case Study: Domestication in Foxes.- Discussion.- Summary.- References.- 3. Range Expansion and Its Genetic Consequences in Populations of the Giant Toad, Bufo marinus.- The Spread of Bufo marinus.- Genetic Variation in the Introduced Populations.- Conclusion.- References.- 4. Evolution by Social Selection.- Concept of Social Selection.- Evidence for Social Selection.- Social Selection Models.- Maternal Effects.- DNA Polymorphism and Social Selection.- Discussion.- Summary.- References.- 5. The Influence of Taxonomic Method on the Perception of Patterns of Evolution.- The Nature of Taxa.- Why Nonmonophyletic Groups Are Not Real Taxa.- The Red Queen Hypothesis.- Periodicity of Extinction.- Summary.- Appendix 1: Families, Genera, and Species of Echinoderm Listed as Extinct in Sepkoski’s Compendia That Have Been Checked.- Appendix 2: Families, Genera, and Species of Fishes That Have Been Checked.- References.- 6. Genetic Diversity in Nature: Patterns and Theory.- The Problem.- A Promising Solution.- The Evidence.- The Theory.- Conclusions and Prospects.- Summary.- References.- 7. Challenges to the Evolutionary Synthesis.- How Should We Interpret the Synthesis.- Biased Variation, Internal Dynamics, and Evolutionary Conservatism Hierarchy.- Hierarchy.- Unifying Theories.- An Optimistic Conclusion.-References.- 8. Evolution and Genetics of Epigean and Cave Astyanax fasciatus (Characidae, Pisces): Support for the Neutral Mutation Theory.- Taxonomy and Distribution of Epi- and Hypogean Astyanax fasciatus.- Preadaptive Traits.- Regressive Traits.- Constructive Traits.- Genetics and the Evolution of Complex Features.- The Phylogenetic Age of the Hypogean Populations.- The Speciation Process of Troglobitic Astyanax fasciatus.- Speciation and Hybridization.- The Neutral Mutation Theory and Its General Importance in Evolution.- Summary.- References.- 9. Random Walk and the Biometrics of Morphological Characters.- The Structurelessness of Random Walks.- The Range Statistic x for Symmetric Random Walk.- Example: Temporal Change in a Miocene Stickleback.- Concluding Remarks.- Summary.- References.
