About the Author

Anthony Griffiths is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia, where he taught Introductory Genetics for 35 years. The challenges of teaching that course have led to a lasting interest in how students learn genetics. His research interests center on the developmental genetics of fungi, using the model fungus "Neurospora crassa." He also loves to dabble in the population genetics of local plants. Griffiths was President of the Genetics Society of Canada from 1987 to 1989, receiving its Award of Excellence in 1997. He has recently served two terms as Secretary-General of the International Genetics Federation.
Susan Wessler is Regents Professor of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia, where she has been since 1983. She teaches courses in introductory biology and plant genetics to both undergraduates and graduate students. Her interest in innovative teaching methods led to her selection as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor in 2006. She is coauthor of "The Mutants of Maize" (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press) and of more than 100 research articles. Her scientific interest focuses on the subject of transposable elements and the structure and evolution of genomes. She was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences in 1998.
Richard Lewontin is the Alexander Agassiz Research Professor at Harvard University. He has taught genetics, statistics and evolution at North Carolina State University, the University of Rochester, the University of Chicago and Harvard University. His chief area of research is population and evolutionary genetics; he introduced molecular methods into population genetics in 1966. Since then, he has concentrated on the study of genetic variation in proteins and DNA within species. Dr. Lewontin has been President of the Society for the Study of Evolution, the American Society of Naturalists, and the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, and for some years, he was coeditor of "The American Naturalist.
"Sean Carroll is Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he teaches genetics and evolutionary developmental biology. Dr. Carroll's research has centered on genes that control body patterns and play major roles in the evolution of animal diversity. He is the author of the several books, including "The Making of the Fittest" (2006, W.W. Norton) and "Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo" (2005, W.W. Norton). The latter was a finalist for the 2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Science and Technology) and the 2006 National Academy of Sciences Communication Award. He is also co-author with Jen Grenier and Scott Weatherbee of the textbook "From DNA to Diversity: Molecular Genetics and the Evolution of Animal Design" (2nd ed; Blackwell Scientific) and the author or coauthor of more than 100 research articles.