Relaxed selection is a precursor to the evolution of phenotypic plasticity.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to produce alternative phenotypes under different conditions and represents one of the most important ways by which organisms adaptively respond to the environment. However, the relationship between phenotypic plasticity and molecular evolution remains poorly understood. We addressed this issue by investigating the evolution of genes associated with phenotypically plastic castes, sexes, and developmental stages of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. We first determined if genes associated with phenotypic plasticity in S. invicta evolved at a rapid rate, as predicted under theoretical models. We found that genes differentially expressed between S. invicta castes, sexes, and developmental stages all exhibited elevated rates of evolution compared with ubiqu

SUBMITTER: Hunt BG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3179081 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature