Evolution, Development, and the Predictable Genome

(Roberts & Company Publishers) In this book, Stern draws evolutionary biology and developmental biology together, suggesting that they interact to make genetic evolution predictable. He explains the guiding principles of evolution, population genetics, and developmental biology, offering reviews of fundamental principles as well as ideas to be tested with data from current and future studies. Then, he presents to a new way of thinking about development – backwards – to clarify how the mechanisms of development influence evolution; likewise, he argues that population history influences how developmental mechanisms evolve. Stern is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton.

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The September 2026 cover of PAW, featuring the headline "Minds at Play" written in game pieces — crossword, Scrabble, and Rubics Cube.
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September 2026

Princetonians who puzzle; inside ORFE’s rise; how 9/11 changed lives.