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Related Experiment Video

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Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients

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Published on: August 22, 2018

The phenotypic variance gradient - a novel concept.

Cino Pertoldi¹, Jørgen Bundgaard², Volker Loeschcke²

¹Department 18/Section of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University Aalborg, Denmark ; Aalborg Zoo Aalborg, Denmark.

Ecology and Evolution

|December 26, 2014

Summary

Evolutionary ecologists often quantify phenotypic plasticity and developmental instability using reaction norms. This study proposes a new method for analyzing phenotypic variance across environments, offering a more informative approach.

Keywords:

Canalization Drosophila aldrichi Taylor's power law environmental variability phenotypic plasticity wing traits

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary Ecology
Quantitative Genetics
Developmental Biology

Background:

Reaction norms are crucial for understanding how genotypes produce phenotypes across environments.
Current methods quantify phenotypic plasticity and developmental instability via reaction norm slopes and variances.
Existing approaches may present limitations in accurately assessing phenotypic variance across environmental gradients.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify potential issues with conventional methods for quantifying phenotypic variance.
To introduce a novel graphical method for visualizing and analyzing phenotypic variance across environments.
To explore the evolutionary implications of a 'phenotypic variance gradient'.

Main Methods:

Critique of traditional reaction norm analysis for phenotypic variance.
Proposal of a new plotting method: log(variance) vs. log(mean) with a reference line.
Discussion of evolutionary consequences, including interactions with plasticity and canalization.

Main Results:

The proposed log-log plot provides an immediate visual assessment of how phenotypic variance changes with the mean across an environmental gradient.
This method accounts for the scaling effects of variance with the mean.
Identifies a 'phenotypic variance gradient' as a potentially significant evolutionary factor.

Conclusions:

The novel plotting technique offers a more informative way to analyze phenotypic variance compared to traditional methods.
Understanding phenotypic variance gradients is essential for a comprehensive view of evolutionary processes.
This approach enhances the study of developmental instability, canalization, and their interplay with phenotypic plasticity.