Genetic and Environmental Factors Shape Rates of Plasticity: The Temporal Dynamics of Opsin Gene Expression in Aquatic Environments.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic plasticity enables organisms to adjust their traits in response to environmental changes, potentially enhancing survival under fluctuating conditions. While plastic capacity-the range of phenotypic change-has been extensively studied, the rate of plastic responses remains unexplored. The rate of plasticity is crucial, as prolonged mismatches between phenotype and environment reduce fitness. Nonetheless, evolutionary models typically do not investigate rates of plasticity. Here, we measure opsin gene expression to estimate the temporal changes in predicted visual sensitivity of Nicaraguan convict cichlids (Amatitlania siquia) from populations exposed to changes in light conditions. We show that rates of plasticity in single cone predicted sensitivity vary significantly among popu

SUBMITTER: Bertinetti C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12206154 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature