The genetics of phenotypic plasticity. XVII. Response to climate change.

ABSTRACT: The world is changing at a rapid rate, threatening extinction for a large part of the world's biota. One potential response to those altered conditions is to evolve so as to be able to persist in place. Such evolution includes not just traits themselves, but also the phenotypic plasticity of those traits. We used individual-based simulations to explore the potential of an evolving phenotypic plasticity to increase the probability of persistence in the response to either a step change or continual, directional change in the environment accompanied by within-generation random environmental fluctuations. Populations could evolve by altering both their nonplastic and plastic genetic components. We found that phenotypic plasticity enhanced survival and adaptation if that plasticity was not cost

SUBMITTER: Scheiner SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6976953 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature