Monoallelic gene expression has played a significant role in the evolution of mammals enabling the expansion of a vast repertoire of olfactory receptor types and providing increased sensitivity and diversity. Monoallelic expression of immune receptor genes has also increased diversity for antigen recognition, while the same mechanism that marks a single allele for preferential rearrangement also provides a distinguishing feature for directing hypermutations. Random monoallelic expression of the X chromosome is necessary to balance gene dosage across sexes. In marsupials only (...) the maternal X chromosome is expressed, while in eutherian mammals the paternal X genes are silenced in the developing placenta and early blastocyst. These examples of epigenetic gene regulation commonly employ asynchrony of replication, the binding of polycomb proteins and antisense RNA, and histone modifications to chromatin structure. The same is true for genomic imprinting which among vertebrates is unique to mammals and represents a special kind of epigenetic modification that is heritable according to parent of origin. Genomic imprinting pervades many aspects of mammalian growth and evolution but in particular has played a significant role in the co‐adaptive evolution of the mother and foetus. (shrink)

While a vast body of research has been dedicated to understanding social problems and psychological disorders, we know remarkably little about the positive aspects of life, the things that make life worth living. This volume brings together the latest findings on the causes and consequences of human happiness and well-being. The book covers a wide variety of disciplines, encompassing evolutionary biology, positive psychology, economics and social science, neuroscience and peace studies. Contributors to the volume include some of the most distinguished (...) scholars in the field: social scientist Robert Putnam, evolutionary psychiatrist Randolph Nesse, psychologist Howard Gardner, economist Robert Frank, the founder of the Positive Psychology movement Martin Seligman, and the economic psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman. (shrink)