Genotypic variation of transgenerational plasticity can be explained by environmental predictability at origins

Yin, Junjie; Lin, Xue; Li, Qingshun Quinn; Zhang, Yuanye

doi:10.1111/oik.09006

Cited by 10 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…This suggests that lower phenotypic plasticity evolves in less predictable environments, supporting previous findings in other systems (Leung et al, 2020;Rescan et al, 2020). This is also in line with simulations (McNamara et al, 2016), with experiments measuring reproductive traits of Arabidopsis thaliana (Yin et al, 2022) and with our own hypothesis (H4), suggesting that higher predictability generally favours transgenerational plasticity. In addition, descendants generally reduced their root response when less predictable conditions persisted over generations.…”

Section: Transgenerational Effects Mediated By Precipitation Predicta...supporting

confidence: 91%

“…L thus had 11.69% lower intrinsic precipitation predictability than M (and than natural precipitation). The simulated subtle but significant differences in predictability are in line with theoretical conditions that should lead to adaptive transgenerational plasticity: existence of natural environmental heterogeneity and predictability of an intermediate frequency and without extreme events ( Burgess and Marshall, 2014 ; Uller et al., 2015 ; Yin et al., 2022 ).…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 78%

“…The degree of intrinsic precipitation predictability (i.e., the degree of temporal autocorrelation among precipitation events; Pennekamp et al, 2019) will determine the amount and timing of water availability for plants. This may cause plants to change their nutrient and water acquisition strategy, plastically modulate their traits, and eventually may result in adaptation to the new conditions (Yin et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, reduced plasticity would evolve in temporally variable but less predictable environments, since plastic changes may be misaligned with differential selective pressures over generations (Lande, 2009;Botero et al, 2015;Tufto, 2015;Leung et al, 2020). A recent experiment suggested that higher predictability in natural environments may contribute to the evolution of transgenerational plasticity in reproductive traits (i.e., to the offspring's plastic response to the ancestor's environment) (Yin et al, 2022). Other experiments showed that transgenerational responses in phenological and fitnessrelated traits to different degrees of predictability are possible (Franch-Gras et al, 2017;Colicchio and Herman, 2020;March-Salas et al, 2021a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent experiment suggested that higher predictability in natural environments may contribute to the evolution of transgenerational plasticity in reproductive traits ( i.e. , to the offspring’s plastic response to the ancestor’s environment) ( Yin et al., 2022 ). Other experiments showed that transgenerational responses in phenological and fitness-related traits to different degrees of predictability are possible ( Franch-Gras et al., 2017 ; March-Salas and Fitze, 2019 ; March-Salas et al., 2019 ; Colicchio and Herman, 2020 ; March-Salas et al., 2021a ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Precipitation predictability affects intra- and trans-generational plasticity and causes differential selection on root traits of Papaver rhoeas

March‐Salas

Kleunen²,

Fitze³

2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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Climate forecasts show that in many regions the temporal distribution of precipitation events will become less predictable. Root traits may play key roles in dealing with changes in precipitation predictability, but their functional plastic responses, including transgenerational processes, are scarcely known. We investigated root trait plasticity of Papaver rhoeas with respect to higher versus lower intra-seasonal and inter-seasonal precipitation predictability (i.e., the degree of temporal autocorrelation among precipitation events) during a four-year outdoor multi-generation experiment. We first tested how the simulated predictability regimes affected intra-generational plasticity of root traits and allocation strategies of the ancestors, and investigated the selective forces acting on them. Second, we exposed three descendant generations to the same predictability regime experienced by their mothers or to a different one. We then investigated whether high inter-generational predictability causes root trait differentiation, whether transgenerational root plasticity existed and whether it was affected by the different predictability treatments. We found that the number of secondary roots, root biomass and root allocation strategies of ancestors were affected by changes in precipitation predictability, in line with intra-generational plasticity. Lower predictability induced a root response, possibly reflecting a fast-acquisitive strategy that increases water absorbance from shallow soil layers. Ancestors’ root traits were generally under selection, and the predictability treatments did neither affect the strength nor the direction of selection. Transgenerational effects were detected in root biomass and root weight ratio (RWR). In presence of lower predictability, descendants significantly reduced RWR compared to ancestors, leading to an increase in performance. This points to a change in root allocation in order to maintain or increase the descendants’ fitness. Moreover, transgenerational plasticity existed in maximum rooting depth and root biomass, and the less predictable treatment promoted the lowest coefficient of variation among descendants’ treatments in five out of six root traits. This shows that the level of maternal predictability determines the variation in the descendants’ responses, and suggests that lower phenotypic plasticity evolves in less predictable environments. Overall, our findings show that roots are functional plastic traits that rapidly respond to differences in precipitation predictability, and that the plasticity and adaptation of root traits may crucially determine how climate change will affect plants.

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Section: Transgenerational Effects Mediated By Precipitation Predicta...supporting

confidence: 91%