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Phenotypic plasticity's impacts on diversification and speciation.
David W Pfennig1, Matthew A Wund, Emilie C Snell-Rood
1Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. dpfennig@unc.edu
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|June 19, 2010
Summary
Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of organisms to change their traits, can drive the formation of new species. This review explores how this adaptability fuels evolutionary diversification and speciation.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
- Ecology
Background:
- Phenotypic plasticity, where one genotype yields multiple phenotypes due to environmental changes, is widespread.
- Its precise role in evolutionary processes like diversification and speciation is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review theoretical and empirical evidence for phenotypic plasticity's role in evolution.
- To explore how plasticity facilitates the origin of novel traits, population divergence, and speciation.
- To identify future research directions in plasticity and evolutionary diversification.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent theoretical advancements.
- Synthesis of empirical studies supporting plasticity's evolutionary impact.
- Analysis of plasticity's contribution to adaptive radiation.
Main Results:
- Plasticity promotes the emergence of novel phenotypes.
- It drives divergence between populations and species.
- Plasticity contributes to the formation of new species and adaptive radiations.
Conclusions:
- Phenotypic plasticity is a significant, often underestimated, driver of evolutionary diversification and speciation.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms and extent of plasticity's evolutionary influence.
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