Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
15:00
Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
Published on: August 18, 2023
4.7K
Evolution of phenotypic plasticity in colonizing species
1Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
Molecular Ecology
|January 7, 2015
Summary
Colonization can initially boost phenotypic plasticity, aiding adaptation to new environments. This increased plasticity is temporary, eventually decreasing as the population genetically adapts to its new surroundings.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Quantitative genetics
- Ecology
Background:
- Empirical studies show inconsistent findings on phenotypic plasticity in colonizing populations.
- Quantitative genetic theory offers a framework to understand plasticity evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To hypothesize why phenotypic plasticity differs between colonizing and native populations.
- To explain the transient increase in plasticity during colonization.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling based on quantitative genetic principles.
- Analysis of factors influencing plasticity evolution, including environmental differences and plasticity costs.
Main Results:
- Colonization can lead to a rapid, transient increase in phenotypic plasticity.
- This increase facilitates adaptation but is followed by a reduction in plasticity as genetic assimilation occurs.
- The extent and duration of plasticity changes depend on environmental novelty, plasticity costs, and time since colonization.
Conclusions:
- The observed differences in plasticity between colonizing and native populations can be explained by the evolutionary dynamics following colonization.
- Phenotypic plasticity is a dynamic trait influenced by colonization events and environmental pressures.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
184
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...
184
01:07Speciation Rates
23.6K
Overview
23.6K
02:39Gene Flow
39.3K
Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
39.3K
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
51.0K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
51.0K
01:16Transduction
2.9K
Among the three main modes of HGT—transformation, conjugation, and transduction—transduction is unique in that it is mediated by bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses.Transduction occurs in two ways. Generalized transduction occurs during the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage infection. In this process, bacteriophages infect bacterial cells, replicate within them, and ultimately cause cell lysis, releasing newly assembled virions. Occasionally, random fragments of the bacterial genome...
2.9K
01:31Formation of Species
47.2K
Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.
47.2K