In the five years since the publication of Molecular Systematics of
Plants, the field of molecular systematics has advanced at an
astonishing pace. This period has been marked by a volume of new
empirical data and advances in theoretical and analytical issues related
to DNA. Comparative DNA sequencing, facilitated by the amplification of
DNA via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), has become the tool of
choice for molecular systematics. As a result, large portions of the
Molecular Systematics of Plants have become outdated.
Molecular Systematics of Plants II summarizes these recent
achievements in plant molecular systematics. Like its predecessor, this
completely revised work illustrates the potential of DNA markers for
addressing a wide variety of phylogenetic and evolutionary questions.
The volume provides guidance in choosing appropriate techniques, as well
as appropriate genes for sequencing, for given levels of systematic
inquiry. More than a review of techniques and previous work, Molecular
Systematics of Plants II provides a stimulus for developing future
research in this rapidly evolving field.
Molecular Systematics of Plants II is not only written for
systematists (faculty, graduate students, and researchers), but also for
evolutionary biologists, botanists, and paleobotanists interested in
reviewing current theory and practice in plant molecular systematics.
