John C. Avise is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California at Irvine, and an elected member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In twelve previous books and more than 280 scientific articles, he has helped to popularize as well as pioneer molecular genetic approaches in ecology, natural history, and evolution. He has received national and international awards for career-long contributions to ornithology, molecular ecology, biogeography, marine biology, and wildlife conservation.