Phenotypic Plasticity Functional and Conceptual Approaches

About this book

&i;Phenotypic plasticity &o; in environmentally cotingent trait expression. It's a simple concept with profound implications. Because alternative environments typically require different trait values to maximize performance, phenotypic plasticity can be a powerful means of adaptation. Plasticity also provides an important source of genetically based variation that can facilitate adaptive genetic differentiation between populations, which may also lay a path towards speciation. The editors have been careful not to present only "the usual view." Instead, they have emphasized a combination of received wisdom and fresh, sometimes controversial views. Contributors and topics have been selected to illuminate the core of the field, but also to extend the intellectual reach of these ideas. The chapters connect to the core of plasticity from several subdisciplines, including organismal ecology, developmental biology, genetics, behavioral ecology and evolutionary theory. One chapter presents a detailed chronology of the field. Finally, the contributors to this volume have also tried to look forward, by including ideas on future directions. Thus, this book should be timely for years to come and provides information not yet found in primary literature.

Contents

1 Thomas J. DeWitt and Samuel M. Scheiner: Phenotypic variation from single genotypes: a primer
2 Sahotra Sarkar: From the reaktionsnorm to the evolution of adaptive plasticity: a historical sketch, 1909-1995
3 Jack J. Windig, Carolien G. F. de Kovel, and Gerdien De Jong: Genetics and mechanics of plasticity
4 Jean R. David, Patricia Gibert, and Brigitte Moreteau: Evolution of reaction norms
5 W. Anthony Frankino and Rudolf A. Raff: Evolutionary importance and pattern of phenotypic plasticity: insights gained from development
6 David Berrigan and Samuel M. Scheiner: Models of reaction norm evolution
7 Thomas J. DeWitt and R. Brian Langerhans: Integrated solutions to environmental heterogeneity: theory of multimoment reaction norms
8 Andrew Sih: A behavioral ecological view of phenotypic plasticity
9 Paul Doughty and David N. Reznick: Patterns and analysis of adaptive phenotypic plasticity in animals
10 Susan Dudley: Plasticity and the functional ecology of plants
11 Jason B. Wolf, Edmund D. Brodie III, and Michael J. Wade: The genotype-environment interaction and evolution when the environment contains genes
12 Carl D. Schlichting: The role of phenotypic plasticity in evolutionary diversification
13 Samuel M. Scheiner and Thomas J. DeWitt: Future research directions
References
Index

Contents

Dedication; Acknowledgements; Preface; Contents; Contributors; 1. Phenotypic variation from single genotypes: a primer; 2. From the reaktionsnorm to the evolution of adaptive plasticity: a historical sketch, 1909-1995; 3. Genetics and mechanics of plasticity; 4. Evolution of reaction norms; 5. Evolutionary importance and pattern of phenotypic plasticity: insights gained from development; 6. Models of reaction norm evolution; 7. Integrated solutions to environmental heterogeneity: theory of multimoment reaction norms; 8. A behavioral ecological view of phenotypic plasticity; 9. Patterns and analysis of adaptive phenotypic plasticity in animals; 10. Plasticity and the functional ecology of plants; 11. The genotype-environment interaction and evolution when the environment contains genes; 12. The role of phenotypic plasticity in evolutionary diversification; 13. Future research directions; References; Index

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