Phenotypic Plasticity and Selection: Nonexclusive Mechanisms of Adaptation

Abstract

Selection and plasticity are two mechanisms that allow the adaptation of a population to a changing environment. Interaction between these nonexclusive mechanisms must be considered if we are to understand population survival. This review discusses the ways in which plasticity and selection can interact, based on a review of the literature on selection and phenotypic plasticity in the evolution of populations. The link between selection and phenotypic plasticity is analysed at the level of the individual. Plasticity can affect an individual's response to selection and so may modify the end result of genetic diversity evolution at population level. Genetic diversity increases the ability of populations or communities to adapt to new environmental conditions. Adaptive plasticity increases individual fitness. However this effect must be viewed from the perspective of the costs of plasticity, although these are not easy to estimate. It is becoming necessary to engage in new experimental research to demonstrate the combined effects of selection and plasticity for adaptation and their consequences on the evolution of genetic diversity.

Light environment change induces differential expression of guppy opsins in a multi‐generational evolution experiment

“…Beyond sensory systems, our research also supports the more general idea that plastic responses may evolve in response to environmental change (Grenier et al 2016;Pigliucci et al 2006;Scheiner 1993). Currently understanding how a trait's plastic responses might evolve is a significant and complex challenge in animals, especially because of the lack of knowledge around the genetic basis of trait plasticity.…”

Sparse evidence for selection on phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature

“…Determining whether plasticity is likely to be adaptive or not requires an understanding of the patterns of selection acting on it-namely whether variation in plasticity is related to variation in fitness [2,[16][17][18][19][20]. However, despite the long-standing realization that the adaptive nature of plasticity may be complex and the burgeoning interest in the role that plasticity plays in eco-evolutionary dynamics, understanding the nature of selection on plasticity across contexts is still a challenging and open research area [2,5,6,8].…”

Comparative proteomics of stenotopic caddisfly Crunoecia irrorata identifies acclimation strategies to warming

“…Temperature affects most aspects of organismal biology and ecology, from fundamental macromolecule structures and kinetics of enzymatic reactions to geographical distributions (Gates, ; Harrington, Woiwod, & Sparks, ; Hochachka & Somero, ; Lee, ). Populations will have to deal in situ with temperature increase and may undergo adaptive processes through a combination of inter‐generational directional selection acting on pre‐existing genetic variation and intra‐generational phenotypic plasticity, the ability of one genotype to express more than one phenotype when exposed to different environments (Barrett & Schluter, ; Chevin, Lande, & Mace, ; Fuller et al, ; Grenier, Barre, & Litrico, ; Hoffmann & Sgró, ; Kopp & Tollrian, ; Via et al, ). The influence of natural selection is extensively studied by quantifying the genetic structure and standing genetic variation for adaptation to changing environmental conditions (Hoffmann & Sgró, ).…”