Phenetics: Evolution, Population, Trait. Translated from the Russian by Marie Jaroszewska Hall. 1986. figs. tabs. XI,171 p. gr8vo. Cloth.

An increasing number of biologists world-wide are finding that thestudy of natural populations of plants and animals is vital tounderstanding the patterns of change in the earth's biosphere.Understanding these patterns is, in turn, basic to a better organizationof measures to conserve species diversity in nature-one of the importantproblems facing mankind - and to using living resources rationally. Manyof these patterns are still unclear because it is difficult or impossible to conduct genetic research on the enormous number of speciesthat have not yet been studied. A new approach to population biology -the phenetic approach - makes it possible to resolve the contradictionbetween the urgent need for genetic research on these many species andthe impossibility of actually performing it. Because it overcomes thisobstacle phenetics holds promise for broad and unprecedentedpossibilities for genetic investigation of natural populations.- Copiesat reduced price.