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Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Hidden reaction norms, cryptic genetic variation, and evolvability.

Carl D Schlichting1

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, U-3043, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA. schlicht@uconn.edu

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|June 19, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Hidden reaction norms may store cryptic genetic variation, a significant evolutionary resource. Environmental changes can reveal this variation, driving evolutionary adaptation and changes in genetic architecture.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genetics
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Cryptic genetic variation (CGV) is a source of phenotypic novelty.
  • Reaction norms describe how genotypes produce phenotypes across environments.
  • CGV is often hidden until environmental or internal changes occur.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review mechanisms of CGV masking and unmasking.
  • To discuss the evolutionary significance of CGV.
  • To illustrate CGV's role in evolutionary transitions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of genetic and developmental mechanisms.
  • Analysis of theoretical frameworks for CGV.
  • Case study examination of evolutionary shifts.

Main Results:

  • Mechanisms like canalization and genetic buffering hide variation.
  • Environmental stress, mutations, or genetic background changes can release CGV.
  • Released CGV provides raw material for natural selection.

Conclusions:

  • CGV is a crucial, yet often overlooked, component of evolutionary potential.
  • Understanding CGV release is key to explaining rapid evolutionary change.
  • The study highlights CGV's role in the evolution of complex traits.