Phenotypic Plasticity Jablonka and Lamb Chapter Review 4

Phenotypic Plasticity

Nick Levis, David W. Pfennig

• LAST REVIEWED: 24 Nov 2021
• Last MODIFIED: 25 October 2017
• DOI: x.1093/obo/9780199941728-0093

Introduction

Phenotypic plasticity (often termed "plasticity") is more often than not divers every bit the capacity of an individual organism to alter its behavior, physiology/gene expression, and/or morphology (i.due east., some attribute of its phenotype) in directly response to changing ecology weather. Plasticity is ubiquitous and many have suggested that it can take important ecological and evolutionary implications. Amid other things, plasticity may permit organisms to persist in otherwise unfavorable environments, produce novel, complex traits, and experience altered interactions with other members of their community. In recent decades, the evolutionary ability of plasticity has received renewed interest. In item, the process of genetic adaptation has dominated the literature considering of its potential relevance to all aspects of biology. However, in that location is some skepticism regarding the importance of phenotypic plasticity generally, and genetic adaptation specifically, in evolution. Indeed, despite plasticity being acknowledged for over 100 years, its importance to evolutionary biological science has evolved from being a relevant source of phenotypic variation, to beingness considered just developmental noise, to possibly forming the basis of an extended evolutionary synthesis. While phenotypic plasticity may be viewed as a primarily ecological/evolutionary phenomenon, it touches on such diverse fields as behavior, learning, conservation biology, and homo health. Considering of its pervasiveness, appreciation for and understanding of phenotypic plasticity would exist beneficial to all biologists.

Full general Overview

Although interest in phenotypic plasticity has increased since the 1980s (Forsman 2014), the resulting proliferation of the literature can make information technology difficult to keep concepts organized. Every bit a starting indicate, Whitman and Agrawal 2009 should be the commencement piece read in this entire bibliography because of its accessibility. A common problem when sifting through literature on phenotypic plasticity is the terminology. The authors of Fusco and Minelli 2010 do a good job of defining and clarifying terms in their review. Stearns 1989 provides a historical perspective in terms of the writing, but also provides a cursory history of the field (to that signal). While a lot of plasticity inquiry focuses on "higher-order" phenotypes, Callahan, et al. 1997 sets the stage for current work on phenotypic plasticity at the molecular level, which is complemented past Piersma and Drent 2003, which emphasizes how physiological processes are phenotypically plastic. Wund 2012 and Forsman 2014 are particularly useful every bit introductions to the types of questions being asked by plasticity researchers and how one can test hypotheses relating to plasticity. Finally, Nijhout 1990 provides an excellent introduction to the thinking that drives much of the current enquiry being done on plasticity and evolution—peculiarly that development is completed by genes lone.

• Callahan, H. Southward., M. Pigliucci, and C. D. Schlichting. 1997. Developmental phenotypic plasticity: Where ecology and development meet molecular biology. BioEssays 19:519–525.

  DOI: 10.1002/bies.950190611

  This review highlights how evolutionary and molecular biology tin can successfully be married to investigate questions of developmental plasticity. It uses the phytochrome-mediated shade-avoidance and light-seeking responses of flowering plants as a model for this approach.

• Forsman, A. 2014. Rethinking phenotypic plasticity and its consequences for individuals, populations, and species. Heredity 115:276–284.

  DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.92

  The major strength of this review is its emphasis on how to study and examination hypotheses relating to phenotypic plasticity. It provides a "whole-organism" rather than "single-trait" perspective for agreement plasticity.

• Fusco, Thousand., and A. Minelli. 2010. Phenotypic plasticity in development and evolution: Facts and concepts. In Special outcome: From polyphenism to complex metazoan life cycles. Edited past M. Fusco and A. Minelli. Philosophical Transactions of the Majestic Club B 365:547–556.

  DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0267

  As an introduction to a special book in the Philosophical Transactions of the Majestic Society, this commodity provides one of the more than succinct overviews of phenotypic plasticity, how it evolves, and its role in evolution. It is useful in trying to sort out the myriad of terminology associated with phenotypic plasticity.

• Nijhout, H. F. 1990. Problems and paradigms: Metaphors and the function of genes in development. BioEssays 12:441–446.

  DOI: 10.1002/bies.950120908

  An fantabulous review of how a gene-driven view of development is flawed. Although information technology gets a bit technical in places, this generally attainable essay should be read by anyone interested in genetics, evolution, and/or evolution.

• Piersma, T., and J. Drent. 2003. Phenotypic flexibility and the evolution of organismal design. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18:228–233.

  DOI: 10.1016/S0169-5347(03)00036-three

  By focusing on reversible forms of phenotypic plasticity (termed phenotypic flexibility), Piersma and Drent offer a perspective that highlights the ubiquity of phenotypic plasticity. They utilize less frequently noted examples of plasticity, pay item attending to diet-induced changes in body and organ size and life-cycle staging, and emphasize the function of intra-private variation.

• Stearns, S. C. 1989. The evolutionary significance of phenotypic plasticity. BioScience 39:436–445.

  DOI: 10.2307/1311135

  As an introductory article to a special upshot of BioScience, this work sets the phase for the rest of its book, only besides introduces readers to terms and concepts used throughout plasticity literature. Among other things, it gives a short, informative history of the reaction norm concept in evolutionary biology.

• Whitman, D. W., and A. A. Agrawal. 2009. What is phenotypic plasticity and why is it of import? In Phenotypic plasticity of insects: Mechanisms and consequences. Edited past D. W. Whitman and T. N. Ananthakrishna, 1–63. Boca Raton, FL: CRC.

  This volume affiliate should be the commencement piece read by anyone interested in phenotypic plasticity. Although this affiliate is in a book on insects, it provides one of the almost accessible, comprehensive overviews of phenotypic plasticity available.

• Wund, M. A. 2012. Assessing the impacts of phenotypic plasticity on evolution. Integrative and Comparative Biological science 52:5–15.

  DOI: 10.1093/icb/ics050

  This review (in particular Table one) is a vital resource for those interested in testing hypotheses related to phenotypic plasticity. Almost acting as a "how-to" guide, information technology outlines approaches and empirical examples for testing eight key hypotheses of plasticity's office in evolution.

dorsum to pinnacle

Users without a subscription are not able to come across the total content on this folio. Please subscribe or login.

How to Subscribe

Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. For more data or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here.

johnsonwastles.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199941728/obo-9780199941728-0093.xml

Share this post